Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label empathy

Elephants Show Empathy To Each Other

Asian elephants show empathy like humans, apes, dogs, and certain birds. When members of the herd sense stress in another elephant they make sounds, use their trunks and other touching actions to show they are supporting and caring for the stressed member. This is the herd tendency of a species that relies on each other for survival.  Researchers watched the elephants for some time to see how they act and interact with each other. Stressors come from their environment and can include anything from potential predators to mating partners.   When an elephant becomes stressed they erect their tails, flare their ears, and sometimes make other sounds and motions.  The behavior is part of their ability to protect each other and keep order within their herd. When stress occurs other elephants rally around to protect the stressed individual. This helps in ensuring mutual protection among the members and developing a protective collective stance. Likewise, elephants were known to cel