Elephants have long fascinated scientists and animal lovers alike with their intelligence, emotional depth, and intricate social lives. A new study now adds another compelling dimension to our understanding of these remarkable animals: their ability to communicate with intention through gestures. This research, led by Vesta Eleuteri and a team from the University of Vienna in collaboration with institutions including the University of St Andrews and the City University of New York, offers evidence that elephants use a variety of deliberate gestures to express specific goals — particularly when interacting with humans.

While much of the existing research on elephant communication has focused on vocalizations and chemical signals, this study shifts the spotlight to their physical gestures. Eleuteri, a PhD candidate, explains that although elephants are known to make numerous body movements in different social contexts, the intentional use of these gestures had not been systematically studied until now. The findings suggest that elephants are not only capable of using gestures purposefully but also adapt their behavior based on the response they receive, a hallmark of intentional communication.

In the study, semi-captive elephants were observed using 38 distinct types of gestures to request apples from humans. These included reaching out with their trunks or swinging them toward the food or the person holding it. What stood out was the elephants’ persistence: if they received only part of what they wanted, they continued gesturing. If they received nothing, they often changed their gestures to clarify their request. These behaviors align with criteria used in developmental psychology to assess intentional communication in human infants, such as audience awareness, persistence, and elaboration.

The concept of “goal-directed intentionality” — the ability to communicate a desired outcome to another individual — was once thought to be uniquely human. Over time, research has shown that great apes and some other primates also use a wide range of gestures for specific purposes, such as requesting grooming or initiating play. However, intentional gesturing in non-primates has been documented in only a few species, and typically with limited variety and context. This makes the elephants’ diverse and flexible use of gestures particularly significant.

I found this detail striking: elephants, despite being evolutionarily distant from humans — our last common ancestor lived more than 100 million years ago — exhibit communication behaviors that parallel those of our closest primate relatives. This convergence suggests that complex communication systems may have evolved independently in multiple lineages, shaped by the demands of navigating rich social environments.

Eleuteri notes that elephants live in complex societies where they form relationships ranging from kinship bonds to alliances and friendships. The ability to convey specific intentions through gestures likely plays a vital role in managing these interactions. Observations of wild elephants support this idea, although systematic studies are still needed to confirm whether wild populations use the same gestures as their semi-captive counterparts or if different groups have developed distinct gestural repertoires.

The researchers observed that elephants tailored their gestures depending on whether the human recipient was paying attention. For instance, if a person wasn’t looking, the elephant might use a tactile gesture rather than a visual one. This level of audience awareness is another indicator of intentional communication. The elephants also demonstrated the ability to elaborate when their initial gesture didn’t yield the desired result, similar to how a person might clarify a request if misunderstood.

One especially memorable example came from an elephant named Pfumo, who used a unique gesture — blowing a leaf into the air — to attract attention. While playful, this behavior also underscores the creativity and individuality that can emerge in animal communication. Whether such gestures are shared across populations or are specific to certain individuals remains an open question that the researchers hope to explore further.

The next phase of the team’s work involves analyzing thousands of video recordings from wild elephant populations in South Africa. Their goal is to catalog the gestures used in natural settings and determine the meanings behind them. This effort could reveal whether elephants have different “gestural languages” depending on their social or geographic context, much like dialects in human language.

Understanding how elephants communicate is not only a scientific pursuit but also a conservation imperative. As Eleuteri points out, recognizing the cognitive and emotional lives of animals can foster empathy and support for their protection. The more we learn about the ways elephants express themselves, the better equipped we are to ensure their well-being in both wild and managed environments.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence that challenges long-held assumptions about what separates humans from other animals. It also highlights the importance of studying animal behavior with the same rigor and nuance we apply to human psychology. In doing so, we gain a deeper appreciation of the shared capacities that connect us across species lines.

Read more at independent.co.uk