London - The old adage is that they never forget. But elephants are also quick to get the point.
A study found that the animals instinctively understand what pointing means. While this may not seem surprising, they may be the only creature capable of the feat.
Even chimps struggle to understand that something that is being pointed at is of interest.
Scientists at St Andrews University said this suggests elephants are more “cognitively like us” than we realise. It could also help explain why the animals are used in tasks such as logging – despite their size and the potential danger they pose.
Researcher Professor Richard Byrne said: “What elephants share with humans is that they live in an elaborate and complex network in which support, empathy, and help for others are critical for survival.”
The study, in the journal Current Biology, observed African elephants used to give rides near the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe to see whether they would choose to investigate a bucket that was being pointed at or a different one a few feet away.
They chose the correct bucket almost 70 percent of the time – and were just as good at the task the first time they tried as the last, suggesting their ability to understand pointing is genetic. Fellow researcher Anna Smet said: “What really surprised us is that they did not apparently need to learn anything.” - Daily Mail