It’s True!

Elephants engage in name-calling, according to a new report in Nature Ecology and Evolution. Unlike a few other animals — like dolphins and parrots — that respond to others imitating their signature call, an elephant’s name is its own separate word!

Elephnats appear to use specific names for each other. Researchers from Colorado State University (CSU), Save the Elephants, and Elephant Voices used machine learning to identify what part of a call contains that name. Then they isolated that sound and played it back.

Elephants who heard their own name responded! When they heard other elephants’ names they either ignored the call entirely, or reacted minimally.