Asian elephants console others who are in distress with vocalizations and gentle touches, according to a new report published in the journal PeerJ. Anecdotal reports of elephants behaving reassuringly towards each other are common, but this is the first empirical evidence of consolation in elephants.

Joshua Plotnik, a lecturer in conservation biology at Mahidol University in Thailand and CEO of Think Elephants International, and Frans de Waal, of Emory University, observed a group of 26 captive Asian elephants at an elephant park in Thailand. These were mostly unrelated elephants who spent most of their social time together under the guidance of their mahouts, or handlers.

The researchers observed the group for nearly a year, recording what happened when one of the elephants became distressed. This could be triggered by events such as a dog walking past, a snake in the grass, or the presence of another, unfriendly elephant. Elephants signal distress by pointing their ears forward, sticking their tails out erect, and letting out a low-frequency rumble, trumpet, or roar.

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Plotnik and de Waal found that nearby elephants used both touching and vocalizations to reassure distressed individuals. The contact was usually initiated by the elephant doing the consoling, not the distressed individual. In the most typical type of physical contact observed by the researchers, the consoling elephant would approach the distressed elephant and put its trunk around or inside its mouth. Reassuring elephants would also vocalize, often making a high-pitched chirping sound.

Elephants also responded to distress signals of other elephants with distress signals of their own, taking on the emotional state of their companion. This is a phenomenon known as "emotional contagion," which is thought to be linked to empathy. If you've ever cried while watching a tear-jerker movie, you've experienced emotional contagion.

Empathic Elephants

Several years ago, while Plotnik was earning his PhD at Emory University, he and de Waal showed that Asian elephants could recognize themselves in a mirror. Often regarded as a test for self-awareness, mirror self-recognition is sometimes considered a potential prerequisite for complex empathy. "In other words, you must be able to see yourself as separate from others in order to show complex empathy towards them," Plotnik says.

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Demonstrations of true consolation in animals are rare. The behavior has only been documented in the great apes, canines, and some corvids. This might be because complex cognitive abilities are required for consolation, such as the ability to empathically take the perspective of another.

Elephants are known for their complex social behavior and close bonding with family members. In the wild, researchers have observed targeted helping among elephants — directed assistance that takes into account the specific needs of others. For instance, elephants will help lift an injured or incapacitated family member. Targeted helping is another rare behavior, and is viewed as a sign of empathic perspective-taking.

In addition to shedding light on the convergent evolution of intelligence in elephants and primates, Plotnik also sees his research as playing a role in elephant conservation. "In Asia, we are faced with large-scale human/elephant conflict issues, and real frustration with the lack of understanding of how and why elephants are attacking people and raiding crops," Plotnik says. "Although we know that loss of natural habitat is a real instigator of these problems, a better understanding of elephant physical and social intelligence could really help us develop comprehensive conservation protocols that take the elephants' perspective into account."

Plotnik founded Think Elephants International with the aim of linking the study of elephant behavior with conservation education. The nonprofit works to teach young people in Thailand about elephants and their plight by engaging them directly in scientific research. "If we can change the way in which young people think about these animals, we have a real chance to protect them for the next generation," Plotnik says.

Reference:

Plotnik, J. M. and de Waal, F. B. M. (2014). Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) reassure others in distress. PeerJ 2:e278. doi: 10.7717/peerj.278.