It's a common saying that elephants never forget, but these magnificent animals are more than giant walking hard drives. The more we learn about elephants, the more it appears that their impressive memory is only one aspect of an incredible intelligence that makes them some of the most social, creative, and benevolent creatures on Earth.
Česta je izreka da slonovi nikada ne zaboravljaju, ali ove veličanstvene životinje su više od ogromnih pokretnih hard diskova. Što više otkrivamo o slonovima, više se čini da je njihova impresivna memorija samo jedan aspekt njihove neverovatne inteligencije koja ih čini jednim od najdruštvenijih, najkreativnijih i najdobroćudnijih stvorenja na planeti.
Unlike many proverbs, the one about elephant memory is scientifically accurate. Elephants know every member in their herd, able to recognize as many as 30 companions by sight or smell. This is a great help when migrating or encountering other potentially hostile elephants. They also remember and distinguish particular cues that signal danger and can recall important locations long after their last visit.
Za razliku od mnogih izreka, ova o memoriji slonova naučno je tačna. Slonovi znaju svakog člana u svom krdu, sposobni su da prepoznaju do 30 drugova vizuelno ili po mirisu. To je od velike pomoći tokom migracija ili susreta sa drugim, potencijalno neprijateljski nastrojenim slonovima. Oni takođe memorišu i prepoznaju određene znakove koji signaliziraju opasnost i mogu da se sete važnih lokacija, dugo nakon što su ih posetili.
But it's the memories unrelated to survival that are the most fascinating. Elephants remember not only their herd companions but other creatures who have made a strong impression on them. In one case, two circus elephants that had briefly performed together rejoiced when crossing paths 23 years later. This recognition isn't limited to others of their species. Elephants have also recognized humans they've bonded with after decades apart.
Ali sećanja koja nisu u vezi sa preživljavanjem su najfascinantnija. Slonovi ne memorišu samo članove svoga krda već i druga stvorenja koja su na njih ostavila snažan utisak. U jednom slučaju, dva cirkuska slona koja su kratko vremena nastupala zajedno radovala su se nakon što su se ponovo srela nakon 23 godine. Ovakvo prepoznavanje nije ograničeno samo na njihovu vrstu. Slonovi su takođe nakon nekoliko decenija prepoznali ljude sa kojima su bliski.
All of this shows that elephant memory goes beyond responses to stimuli. Looking inside their heads, we can see why. The elephant boasts the largest brain of any land mammal, as well as an impressive encephalization quotient. This is the size of the brain relative to what we'd expect for an animal's body size, and the elephant's EQ is nearly as high as a chimpanzee's. And despite the distant relation, convergent evolution has made it remarkably similar to the human brain, with as many neurons and synapses and a highly developed hippocampus and cerebral cortex.
Sve ovo ukazuje na to da memorija slonova seže dalje od reakcije na stimulus. Gledajući unutar njihovih glava, možemo videti zašto. Slon se razmeće najvećim mozgom među kopnenim sisarima, kao i impresivnim encefalizacijskim količnikom. To predstavlja veličinu mozga u odnosu na onu koju očekujemo u skladu sa veličinom tela životinje, a kod slona je ona visoka skoro kao kod šimpanzi. I bez obzira na daleko rodstvo, konvergentna evolucija napravila ga je neverovatno sličnim ljudskom mozgu, sa istim brojem neurona i sinapsi i veoma razvijenim hipokampusom i cerebralnim korteksom.
It is the hippocampus, strongly associated with emotion, that aids recollection by encoding important experiences into long-term memories. The ability to distinguish this importance makes elephant memory a complex and adaptable faculty beyond rote memorization. It's what allows elephants who survived a drought in their youth to recognize its warning signs in adulthood, which is why clans with older matriarchs have higher survival rates. Unfortunately, it's also what makes elephants one of the few non-human animals to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Hipokampus koji je usko povezan sa emocijama potpomaže sećanja tako što pretvara značajna iskustva u dugoročna sećanja. Sposobnost da razazna ovaj značaj čini memoriju slona kompleksnom i prilagodljivom sposobnošću daleko iznad pamćenja napamet. To je ono što slonovima koji su u maldosti preživeli sušu dozvoljava da u odraslom dobu prepoznaju znake upozorenja, zbog čega klanovi sa starijim matrijarhom imaju veće šanse da prežive. Nažalost, isto to čini da slonovi, zajedno sa još nekoliko vrsta životinja, pate od posttraumatskog stresnog poremećaja.
The cerebral cortex, on the other hand, enables problem solving, which elephants display in many creative ways. They also tackle problems cooperatively, sometimes even outwitting the researchers and manipulating their partners. And they've grasped basic arithmetic, keeping track of the relative amounts of fruit in two baskets after multiple changes.
S druge strane, cerebralni korteks omogućuje rešavanje problema, što slonovi pokazuju na mnogo kreativnih načina. Takođe, oni probleme rešavaju kooperativno, ponekada čak i pređu naučnike ili izmanipulišu svoje partnere. Shvataju osnove aritmetike jer znaju relativno stanje voća u dve korpe nakon višestrukih izmena.
The rare combination of memory and problem solving can explain some of elephants' most clever behaviors, but it doesn't explain some of the things we're just beginning to learn about their mental lives. Elephants communicate using everything from body signals and vocalizations, to infrasound rumbles that can be heard kilometers away. And their understanding of syntax suggests that they have their own language and grammar. This sense of language may even go beyond simple communication. Elephants create art by carefully choosing and combining different colors and elements. They can also recognize twelve distinct tones of music and recreate melodies. And yes, there is an elephant band.
Retka kombinacija memorije i sposobnosti rešavanja problema može objasniti neke od najpametnijih ponašanja slonova, ali ne može objasniti neke stvari koje smo tek počeli da otkrivamo o njihovim mentalnim životima. Slonovi komuniciraju koristeći sve od jezika tela i vokalizacije do infracrvenih tutnjava koje se mogu čuti kilometrima daleko. Njihovo razumevanje sintakse ukazuje na to da oni imaju sopstveni jezik i gramatiku. Ovaj smisao jezika može ići dalje od jednostavne komunikacije. Slonovi stvaraju umetnost tako što pažljivo biraju i kombinuju različite boje i elemente. Oni isto mogu da prepoznaju 12 različitih muzičkih tonova i da ponove melodije. I da, postoji bend slonova.
But perhaps the most amazing thing about elephants is a capacity even more important than cleverness: their sense of empathy, altruism, and justice. Elephants are the only non-human animals to mourn their dead, performing burial rituals and returning to visit graves. They have shown concern for other species, as well. One working elephant refused to set a log down into a hole where a dog was sleeping, while elephants encountering injured humans have sometimes stood guard and gently comforted them with their trunk. On the other hand, elephant attacks on human villages have usually occurred right after massive poachings or cullings, suggesting deliberate revenge.
Ali verovatno najiznenađujuća stvar u vezi sa slonovima je sposobnost još važnija od pameti: njihov osećaj za empatiju, altruizam i pravdu. Slonovi su jedine životinje koje oplakuju preminule, imaju rituale sahrane i vraćaju se da posete grobove. Takođe pokazuju zabrinutost za druge vrste. Jedan slon je odbio da spusti panj u rupu u kojoj je spavao pas, dok slonovi koji naiđu na povređene ljude ponekad čuvaju stražu i nežno ih teše svojom surlom. S druge strane, napadi slonova na sela obično su se dešavali odmah nakon velikih lovokrađa što ukazuje na promišljenu osvetu.
When we consider all this evidence, along with the fact that elephants are one of the few species who can recognize themselves in a mirror, it's hard to escape the conclusion that they are conscious, intelligent, and emotional beings. Unfortunately, humanity's treatment of elephants does not reflect this, as they continue to suffer from habitat destruction in Asia, ivory poaching in Africa, and mistreatment in captivity worldwide. Given what we now know about elephants and what they continue to teach us about animal intelligence, it is more important than ever to ensure that what the English poet John Donne described as "nature's great masterpiece" does not vanish from the world's canvas.
Ako uzmemo u obzir sve ove dokaze, zajedno sa činjenicom da su slonovi jedna od retkih vrsta koje mogu prepoznati svoj odraz u ogledalu, teško je pobeći od zaključka da su slonovi svesna, inteligentna i emocionalna bića. Nažalost, tretiranje slonova se ne odražava na ovo jer su oni meta razaranja staništa u Aziji, krivokrađe slonovače u Africi i maltretiranja u zarobljeništvu širom sveta. S obzirom na to šta znamo o slonovima i šta nastavljaju da nam otkrivaju u vezi sa inteligencijom kod životinja, bitnije je nego ikada da se postaramo da ono što engleski pesnik Džon Don opisuje kao veliko "remek-delo prirode" ne nestane sa svetskog platna.