Elephants console distressed pals by trumpeting sympathetic noises

A new study has revealed that Asian elephants help their pals feel better and console them when they are in distress, using physical touches and vocalizations.

According to lead author Joshua Plotnik, who began the research as a graduate student of psychology at Emory University, the findings are the first empirical evidence of consolation in elephants.

Consolation behavior is rare in the animal kingdom, with empirical evidence previously provided only for the great apes, canines and certain corvids.

Researchers provided evidence that elephants can both recognize themselves in a mirror - a test of self-awareness passed only by some apes, dolphins and magpies - and problem-solve cooperatively.

The current study focused on a group of 26 captive Asian elephants spread over about 30 acres at an elephant camp in northern Thailand. For nearly a year, the researchers observed and recorded incidences when an elephant displayed a stress reaction, and the responses from other nearby elephants.

"When an elephant gets spooked, its ears go out, its tail stands erect or curls out, and it may emit a low-frequency rumble, trumpet and roar to signal its distress," Plotnik said.

The study found that nearby elephants affiliated significantly more with a distressed individual through directed, physical contact following a stress event than during control periods.

The gesture of putting their trunks in each other's mouths is almost like an elephant handshake or hug, Plotnik said.

The responding elephants also showed a tendency to vocalize. In addition, elephants frequently responded to the distress signals of other elephants by adopting a similar body or emotional state, a phenomenon known as "emotional contagion," which may be related to empathy.

The study was published in the journal PeerJ.