Older Female Elephants Organize Herd In Danger

GreenTracker| British researchers confirm that elephants pay close attention to the female matriarchs, especially when they hear the sound of an approaching predator — in this case, a male lion.

Groups of elephants quickly organized themselves into a defensive ‘bunch’ when they heard the male lion, writes the BBC. The response was different with female lions, who typically don’t attack elephants.

The younger female elephants weren’t properly frightened of the male lions voices, suggesting that they didn’t have sufficient exposure to the threat.

Karen McComb from the University of Sussex, UK said she was very surprised by the elephants’ ability to quickly and accurately tell the difference between male and female lion roars. The difference is so subtle that humans often can’t distinguish the difference.

“These older individuals (the elephants) clearly have a vital role in how well elephants function in their social groups,” she said. “This will have a wider effect on their longevity and reproductive success.”