91av

Life

Elephants may remember the smell of a relative's dung for 12 years

African elephants in captivity reacted to the smell of relatives they had not seen for years by flapping their ears and making rumbling sounds

By Carolyn Wilke

24 February 2023

Two elephants embracing with their trunks through the bars of an enclosure

Two elephants reunited at Zoo Halle after a long separation

Dennis Müller

The memory of elephants is the stuff of lore, and now it seems they can recall the smell of a relative even after a decade apart.

When at the University of Wuppertal in Germany and her colleagues heard about planned reunions between two mother-daughter pairs at zoos in Germany, they took advantage of the chance to test the elephants’ memories. One pair had been separated for two years, while the other had spent 12 years apart.

Hörner collected faecal samples from these African elephants…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with 91av events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop