Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:06,834 --> 00:00:10,567
It's a common saying
that elephants never forget,
2
00:00:10,567 --> 00:00:14,884
but these magnificent animals are more
than giant walking hard drives.
3
00:00:14,884 --> 00:00:16,712
The more we learn about elephants,
4
00:00:16,712 --> 00:00:19,178
the more it appears
that their impressive memory
5
00:00:19,178 --> 00:00:22,135
is only one aspect
of an incredible intelligence
6
00:00:22,138 --> 00:00:24,821
that makes them
some of the most social, creative,
7
00:00:24,821 --> 00:00:27,558
and benevolent creatures on Earth.
8
00:00:27,559 --> 00:00:30,498
Unlike many proverbs,
the one about elephant memory
9
00:00:30,498 --> 00:00:32,567
is scientifically accurate.
10
00:00:32,567 --> 00:00:35,091
Elephants know every member
in their herd,
11
00:00:35,091 --> 00:00:39,836
able to recognize as many as 30
companions by sight or smell.
12
00:00:39,836 --> 00:00:41,689
This is a great help when migrating
13
00:00:41,689 --> 00:00:45,318
or encountering
other potentially hostile elephants.
14
00:00:45,318 --> 00:00:49,688
They also remember and distinguish
particular cues that signal danger
15
00:00:49,688 --> 00:00:53,820
and can recall important locations long
after their last visit.
16
00:00:53,820 --> 00:00:58,402
But it's the memories unrelated
to survival that are the most fascinating.
17
00:00:58,402 --> 00:01:01,875
Elephants remember
not only their herd companions
18
00:01:01,875 --> 00:01:06,051
but other creatures who have made
a strong impression on them.
19
00:01:06,051 --> 00:01:10,250
In one case, two circus elephants
that had briefly performed together
20
00:01:10,250 --> 00:01:14,866
rejoiced when crossing paths
23 years later.
21
00:01:14,866 --> 00:01:18,622
This recognition isn't limited to others
of their species.
22
00:01:18,622 --> 00:01:23,339
Elephants have also recognized humans
they've bonded with after decades apart.
23
00:01:23,339 --> 00:01:28,556
All of this shows that elephant memory
goes beyond responses to stimuli.
24
00:01:28,556 --> 00:01:31,316
Looking inside their heads,
we can see why.
25
00:01:31,316 --> 00:01:34,770
The elephant boasts the largest brain
of any land mammal,
26
00:01:34,770 --> 00:01:37,826
as well as an impressive
encephalization quotient.
27
00:01:37,826 --> 00:01:40,759
This is the size of the brain
relative to what we'd expect
28
00:01:40,759 --> 00:01:42,252
for an animal's body size,
29
00:01:42,252 --> 00:01:46,785
and the elephant's EQ is nearly as high
as a chimpanzee's.
30
00:01:46,785 --> 00:01:48,740
And despite the distant relation,
31
00:01:48,740 --> 00:01:53,105
convergent evolution has made it
remarkably similar to the human brain,
32
00:01:53,105 --> 00:01:55,262
with as many neurons and synapses
33
00:01:55,262 --> 00:01:59,821
and a highly developed hippocampus
and cerebral cortex.
34
00:01:59,821 --> 00:02:04,047
It is the hippocampus, strongly associated
with emotion, that aids recollection
35
00:02:04,047 --> 00:02:08,673
by encoding important experiences
into long-term memories.
36
00:02:08,679 --> 00:02:12,394
The ability to distinguish this importance
makes elephant memory
37
00:02:12,394 --> 00:02:16,828
a complex and adaptable faculty
beyond rote memorization.
38
00:02:16,828 --> 00:02:19,949
It's what allows elephants who survived
a drought in their youth
39
00:02:19,949 --> 00:02:22,790
to recognize its warning signs
in adulthood,
40
00:02:22,790 --> 00:02:27,029
which is why clans with older matriarchs
have higher survival rates.
41
00:02:27,029 --> 00:02:31,672
Unfortunately, it's also what makes
elephants one of the few non-human animals
42
00:02:31,672 --> 00:02:34,863
to suffer from post-traumatic
stress disorder.
43
00:02:34,863 --> 00:02:38,437
The cerebral cortex, on the other hand,
enables problem solving,
44
00:02:38,437 --> 00:02:42,003
which elephants display
in many creative ways.
45
00:02:42,003 --> 00:02:44,464
They also tackle problems cooperatively,
46
00:02:44,464 --> 00:02:49,079
sometimes even outwitting the researchers
and manipulating their partners.
47
00:02:49,079 --> 00:02:53,086
And they've grasped basic arithmetic,
keeping track of the relative amounts
48
00:02:53,086 --> 00:02:56,722
of fruit in two baskets
after multiple changes.
49
00:02:56,722 --> 00:02:59,625
The rare combination of memory
and problem solving
50
00:02:59,625 --> 00:03:03,061
can explain some of elephants'
most clever behaviors,
51
00:03:03,093 --> 00:03:06,068
but it doesn't explain some of the things
we're just beginning to learn
52
00:03:06,068 --> 00:03:07,983
about their mental lives.
53
00:03:07,983 --> 00:03:12,078
Elephants communicate using everything
from body signals and vocalizations,
54
00:03:12,078 --> 00:03:15,809
to infrasound rumbles that can be heard
kilometers away.
55
00:03:15,809 --> 00:03:21,348
And their understanding of syntax suggests that
they have their own language and grammar.
56
00:03:21,348 --> 00:03:25,982
This sense of language may even go beyond
simple communication.
57
00:03:25,982 --> 00:03:29,033
Elephants create art by carefully
choosing and combining
58
00:03:29,033 --> 00:03:31,648
different colors and elements.
59
00:03:31,648 --> 00:03:36,656
They can also recognize twelve distinct
tones of music and recreate melodies.
60
00:03:36,656 --> 00:03:39,205
And yes, there is an elephant band.
61
00:03:39,205 --> 00:03:42,103
But perhaps the most amazing thing
about elephants
62
00:03:42,103 --> 00:03:45,507
is a capacity even more important
than cleverness:
63
00:03:45,507 --> 00:03:50,582
their sense of empathy,
altruism, and justice.
64
00:03:50,582 --> 00:03:54,457
Elephants are the only non-human animals
to mourn their dead,
65
00:03:54,457 --> 00:03:58,241
performing burial rituals
and returning to visit graves.
66
00:03:58,241 --> 00:04:01,577
They have shown concern
for other species, as well.
67
00:04:01,577 --> 00:04:05,353
One working elephant refused
to set a log down into a hole
68
00:04:05,353 --> 00:04:07,541
where a dog was sleeping,
69
00:04:07,541 --> 00:04:11,428
while elephants encountering injured
humans have sometimes stood guard
70
00:04:11,428 --> 00:04:14,637
and gently comforted them
with their trunk.
71
00:04:14,637 --> 00:04:17,759
On the other hand, elephant attacks
on human villages
72
00:04:17,759 --> 00:04:21,406
have usually occurred right after
massive poachings or cullings,
73
00:04:21,406 --> 00:04:23,708
suggesting deliberate revenge.
74
00:04:23,708 --> 00:04:25,711
When we consider all this evidence,
75
00:04:25,711 --> 00:04:28,676
along with the fact that elephants
are one of the few species
76
00:04:28,676 --> 00:04:31,208
who can recognize themselves in a mirror,
77
00:04:31,208 --> 00:04:32,934
it's hard to escape the conclusion
78
00:04:32,934 --> 00:04:37,224
that they are conscious,
intelligent, and emotional beings.
79
00:04:37,224 --> 00:04:42,194
Unfortunately, humanity's treatment
of elephants does not reflect this,
80
00:04:42,194 --> 00:04:45,924
as they continue to suffer
from habitat destruction in Asia,
81
00:04:45,924 --> 00:04:50,807
ivory poaching in Africa,
and mistreatment in captivity worldwide.
82
00:04:50,807 --> 00:04:53,069
Given what we now know about elephants
83
00:04:53,069 --> 00:04:56,365
and what they continue to teach us
about animal intelligence,
84
00:04:56,365 --> 00:04:58,693
it is more important than ever to ensure
85
00:04:58,693 --> 00:05:03,697
that what the English poet John Donne
described as "nature's great masterpiece"
86
00:05:03,722 --> 00:00:00,000
does not vanish from the world's canvas.
7650
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.