Elephant Voices

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What are they saying?

Category: Elephant Sounds | Date: Dec 12 2007 | By: admin

Hi, it’s Joyce again

Last week I mentioned that I was making some MP3 sound files as stimuli for playback experiments that Petter and I will carry out when we are in Amboseli. I have just completed preparing them and I thought perhaps you might like to listen to one or two. Elephants produce quite a range of trumpeting sounds, but they trumpet only in specific circumstances. For instance, trumpets are associated with play, with social excitement, with anti-predator behavior, and with alarm or surprise.

Inexperienced filmmakers tend to overlay trumpets whenever they have an image of elephants doing anything. An elephant walking slowly along trumpeting is like a person calmly eating dinner while screaming; it looks so out of place!

What we have noticed is that not all trumpets are alike. Trumpets have a different tone and emphasis depending upon what the elephant is doing. Petter and I think that we are pretty good at telling what an elephant might be up to just by listening to the sound of its trumpet. Through the reactions of elephants to playbacks we are going to test whether elephants can tell the difference, too. We wonder how good you are at discriminating. Be aware that these short vocalizations may not play well on your system, and that we are having some technical challenges with audio files on the blog that we will have to look more into.

Elephant 1Elephant 1
Elephant 2Elephant 2

Which one of these elephants do you think was chasing a lion?
Which one was playing?

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11 Responses to “What are they saying?”

Christine C., on 12 Dec 2007

I am going to say the first one was playing and the secong chasing the lion??

Eva Griffin, on 12 Dec 2007

I think it is terrible that they are killing innocent elephants, giraffes, and gorillas for NO reason. I am twelve years old and have dreamed of being a vet since i was about 4 and i am think about starting a charity for giraffes, gorillas, and elephants by sending the countries coal that won’t hurt the trees and for other stuff tell me if this is a good idea or not thank you so so much!

Lisa, California, on 12 Dec 2007

I think Christine’s guess is a good one, so I’ll agree. Lisa

TheTeach, on 13 Dec 2007

Wow! I was watching TV with my morning coffee the other day and low and behold there’s Joyce in Amboseli Park on the show “Champions of the Wild.” I know it was filmed a few years back, so I’ve got to ask about some of the elephant individuals featured in the program. How’s Barbara? And what became of Tuskless’ family? I recall she was shot in a case of mistaken identity. At the end of the program, a young female was assuming the burden of raising two calves and holding the family together. She seemed very young to take on the responsibilities, and the program seemed to imply some doubt as to whether they would make it. I don’t recall the name of that new matriarch or those of the other family members under her care. I also wondered if you were familiar with Echo and her family group, and if they were still around the park. They were featured on the PBS program “Nature”. A researcher by the name of Cynthia (I think) was tracking this group back in the 90’s. Eli and Ebony were two calves being raised by Echo, with Eli having surmounted being born with bent feet. The determination of these creatures and their commitment to their young is nothing short of awe inspiring. I once saw a National Geographic special where a group of female elephants literally got down on their knees to use trunk and bodies to dig a sinking calf out of a mudhole, while other members of the family held at bay, an incursion by a herd of water buffalo. The efforts of the entire family saved the little one from certain death. To top it off, he was an adopted member of the family, having been abandoned months earlier by his own family. I’ll be sharing more of your project’s insights with my social studies students in our Africa geography studies. In answer to the question. I believe elephant 2 was chasing the lion.

ElephantVoices, on 13 Dec 2007

Gosh! Joyce here: So much to answer and so little time! I am tempted not to tell you which trumpet is which yet because I would like to see what others say. I had an idea that perhaps I could use the blog as a way to do a little research…so be patient, please! And as to answering the Teach - you know so much! Yes, Barbara is still alive. I can’t even remember when that film was made….Barb is a wonderful old female and leader of a very large and interesting family. Tuskless’ family really has suffered with Tuskless’ death..perhaps you were talking about Tulip (Tuskless’ tuskless daughter) who had her own calf and Tuskless’ calf to look after and then adopted an unknown infant. That little calf was with her for almost a month - but Tulip was only 14 then and looking after so many young ones and suckling two of them was too much. The infant disappeared and probably died. And Echo! Echo is our study family so we know her and her family incredibly well. Cynthia is Director of the Ambosei Trust for Elephants…the oganization that we work with. So, now things begin to fall into place! Best, Joyce

THERESA SISKIND, on 13 Dec 2007

I THINK ELEPHANT 2 WAS DEFINETLY CHASING A LION! FASCINATING STUDY.

TheTeach, on 13 Dec 2007

Fabulous! Thanks, Joyce, for the thoughtful response and filling in some of the holes on info. I feel like I’m talking to a celebrity here! I mean, this is like just a couple steps away from Dr. Leakey himself!
I know you guys are very busy, especially with your vehicle woes. I will try to send a donation your way as soon as I get some free time to pursue the matter. I really believe in your important work, so expect to here more from me. Best wishes and thanks for responding. -TheTeach

THERESA SISKIND, on 15 Dec 2007

Come on Joyce, we’re all curious to know which trumpet call meant what! I’m still going with #2 as lion related. As an expert in arm chair travels via the National Geographic Channel, I know when I hear an angry elephant! Of course, I flip the channel when an elephant is attacked by lions, just can’t bear to see it…

ElephantVoices, on 21 Dec 2007

Hi All,

OK then, we’ll be back with the answer to the trumpet issue soon:) It’s quite a job to get online here (we have to drive from the camp to the ATE office 10 minutes away), but we will try to upload another “test” before long… Thanks for all the warm words - I will bring them back to Joyce in a few minutes! Cheers, Petter

Maggie, on 07 Feb 2008

Hi Joyce, first let me just say thank you for your fascinating work. My question pertains to the phenomenon of adoption and mother-infant bond in African elephant …these are questions I wish to pursue in grad school. Can you suggest literature/journal publications that pertain to either of these phenomena? Thank you, Maggie.

Joyce Poole, on 12 Feb 2008

Hi Maggie, neither of these topics are my particular specialty. My suggestion for mother-infant bond would be to start with papers by Phyllis Lee. I believe that Marion Gerai may have written some relevant articles, too. You may also like to check out Daphne Sheldrick website for the adoption topic - once the orphans are sent back to Tsavo they are in effect adopted by the older animals. In Amboseli when a mother dies calves are usually looked after, but not necessarily suckled by other members of the family. I did, however, see one case where a young 14 year old female, Tulip, suckled her own infant as well as an adopted infant (from a different family) as well as looking after her orphaned younger sister.

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