Elephant Intelligence: Why Elephants Might Be as Smart as Humans

With increased loss of habitat, destruction of migration paths, and poaching by humans, it's no wonder elephant attacks are on the rise. Scientists studying why groups of elephants have become hostile and perhaps depressed have also discovered quite a bit about elephant intelligence. The notion that elephants might be as smart as humans is a relatively new one, putting elephants on par with other sophisticated animals like dolphins.

Here are some of the reasons elephants may be even smarter than we thought:

Elephants use tools.

Like primates, elephant calves will play with objects found in their natural environment. Elephants' use of objects goes beyond playfulness and curiosity, though. Elephants use sticks to scratch themselves, shoo away flies, and intimidate enemies. In captivity, elephants have used large rocks to short circuit electric fences.

Elephants mourn their dead.

When a member of an elephant herd dies, the other elephants will gather around and touch the body with their trunks. They will watch over the body and make mournful-sounding noises for several days, only leaving the deceased for food. Strangely, elephants perform the same act of ritual mourning for humans as well.

When people joke that an elephant never forgets, they probably don't realize the extent of an elephant's memory. Elephants are migratory animals, walking hundred of miles of grassland every year. When an elephant herd walks over a spot in which a family member died, they will collectively pause and exhibit signs of mourning. When there are bones left, they will also touch the bones with their trunks.

Elephants communicate on many levels.

One way to gauge animal intelligence is by the complexity of their communication. Elephants communicate like other animals both verbally and with body language. But elephants can hear at a much lower frequency than humans, and also sense vibrations with their hyper-sensitive feet from miles away.