Did You Know Elephants Socially Learn Where to Find Their Resources?

Some may think African elephants walk around their habitat looking and looking for food until they come across some. However, this article has reviewed the evidence for specific habitat exploitation in elephants and it is suggested in this article that this represents socially learned cultural behavior.

Victoria Fishlock, Christine Caldwell, and Phyllis C. Lee wanted to study reviewed the evidence in hopes to find a relationship between the use of specific mineral, nutrient and water resources from the elephants and suggest how the common use of specific sites reflects social learning and socially acquired traditions among elephants. The main siting they investigate in is the elephants drinking from the sinkholes. They create these sinkholes by removing the top layer of the sand/mud with their tusk or foot, then they use their tusk to start sucking in the water from the whole. In the article, it states that elephants across Central Africa use this similar process to create their sinkholes to get water.

In conclusion, elephants have equipped this behavior of creating their own sinkholes from social learning according to Fishlock. This behavior is passed down through social learning. In the article, it is stated African elephants are highly attentive and responsive to others. These results show how elephants are an example of social learning in animals. This is important to know if studying animal behavior because these results the questions of hoe elephants know exactly where to get their resources and how to get water.