Keyser wrote:Stooo wrote:In one recent case, that nose for nuance may have been life-saving. It happened earlier this year in the Tsavo region of Kenya, where poachers shot a trio of wild elephants with poison arrows in hopes of getting their ivory tusks. Not only did the elephants escape, but they managed to slog across the countryside to a rare safe place: the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's (DSWT) Ithumba Reintegration Center.
These elephants hadn't personally lived at Ithumba before, but at least one of them knew other elephants who had. That unnamed male had previously mated with two former orphans — named Mulika and Yatta — who were raised at Ithumba and now lead a wild herd of their own. About four years ago, he fathered a baby with each of them, named Mwende and Yetu respectively by DSWT staff.
It may seem unlikely that Mulika and Yatta could share their knowledge of Ithumba with this male, and that he could use that second-hand knowledge to lead his injured friends to safety, but that's exactly what happened, according to DSWT.
"We are sure that Mwende's father knew that if they returned to the stockades they would get the help and treatment they needed because this continuously happens with the injured bulls in the north; they all come to Ithumba when in need, understanding that there they can be helped," DSWT writes in a statement.
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/anima ... human-help
An excellent article.
They are truly magnificent animals - blessed with supreme intelligence and empathy for their friends and families Stooo.
If only they they could talk, hun - as I think that would make all the difference.
They share so much of our cognitive emotions.
