14 DAY TRIAL // A recent US study has proved that elephants have the ability of recognizing their image when looking into a mirror, which puts them in the same group with humans, dolphins and apes previously shown to be able to self-recognize themselves in a mirror.
Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University and the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York - who carried out the research - have closely investigated three female elephants at the Bronx Zoo in New York. The team noticed that, when animals were in front of a mirror, they were able to self-recognize themselves and have not mistaken their image with that of another elephant.
According to experts, one's ability to recognize himself in the mirror is closely connected and points to one's empathic abilities. Empathy is a the ability of putting yourself in someone else's shoes and understanding the way he sees things and the world, the way in which he feels and thinks.
Scientists have previously predicted that elephants may be able to recognize themselves when seeing their reflection in a mirror, as these animals have very complex behaviors and have a high social complexity.
Researcher Joshua Plotnik of the Yerkes Center, who was involved in the study, pointed out: "We see highly complex behaviors such as self-awareness and self-other distinction in intelligent animals with well-established social systems. The social complexity of the elephant, its well-known altruistic behavior and, of course, its huge brain, made the elephant a logical candidate species for testing in front of a mirror."
The findings of the current study have been reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The results of the research are highly important for a complete understanding of elephants' behavior, as previous studies investigating the same ability of the particular animals - to recognize their reflection in a mirror - failed to use large mirrors. Therefore, results of previously ran studies were only partially valid.
On the other hand, Plotnik notes: "Elephants have been tested in front of mirrors before, but previous studies used relatively small mirrors kept out of the elephants' reach. This study is the first to test the animals in front of a huge mirror they could touch, rub against and try to look behind."
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