WASHINGTON: Researchers conducted an experiment to know how elephants could make themselves in reach of inaccessible food sources. They placed a treat-filled scavenger including apples, bamboo shoots, leaves, hay, potatoes and likeminded delectables at distance unreachable by the two Asian elephants at the Kamine Zoo in Hitachi City, Japan. They found that the mammals used their trunks to leaf-blow their snacks closer to them.
The new study by researchers throws light on an amazing capability of elephants to get in reach of inaccessible food sources. They presented a scenario which hindered direct grab of elephants on their food and found that elephants used a method of reminiscent of leaf-blower to move their food into more accessible area. Researchers even measured the length of each respective trunk, the proximity of the food source and the length of each elephantine blow in order to collect quantifiable data.
Surprisingly, researchers even noted individual differences in aptitude of elephants for the technique. The findings add a new technique and a best example of spontaneous behavior among animals in achieving their goals. The findings of the study have been published in the journal Animal Cognition by Japanese scientists from Kyoto University and the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI). Researchers confirmed that elephants blow air from their trunk to get in reach of inaccessible food sources. They added that the air blown through their trunks is relative to the distance of the food.
