Elephant memory is key to their survival
Scientists who appear to have forgotten that elephants never forget have conducted more research on the subject.
They claim elephants remember the location of life-sustaining sources of food and water which may be the key to survival for their families during periods of famine and drought.
A study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Zoological Society of London found groups with old females had a lower calf mortality rate during hard times.
These groups were also more likely to travel to areas which could have been visited by a family member over 60 years previously.
"Understanding how elephants and other animal populations react to droughts will be a central component of wildlife management and conservation," said researcher Dr. Charles Foley.
"Our findings seem to support the hypothesis that older females with knowledge of distant resources become crucial to the survival of herds during periods of extreme climatic events.
"It's enticing to think that these old females and their memories of previous periods of trauma and survival would have meant all the difference."
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