After 13 years apart, the elephants recognized the zoo staff again.

Previous studies have shown that elephants exhibit complex interactions both with one another and with humans. For instance, they are capable of calling each other "by name," choosing a form of greeting depending on whether they have visual contact with their "conversational partner," and even conducting collective rituals related to the death of their kin. There have also been isolated instances where elephants threw stones at their former owner when encountering them years later.

Experts from the Wilhelm Botanical Garden and Zoo, Serengeti Park, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel (all in Germany), and the National Museum of Natural History (France) have conducted a more detailed study on elephants' ability to remember people with whom they have interacted over long periods. The relevant scientific article was published in the journal Zoo Biology.

In the experiment that formed the basis of the research, elephants Bibi and Panya, who moved from the Berlin Zoo to Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen 13 years ago, participated. Near their enclosures, the researchers set up two stands, one featuring items associated with a keeper from the Berlin Zoo or a life-sized photograph of him, and the other displaying a similar stimulus related to a stranger to the animals.

“We contacted former keepers from the Berlin Zoo. For our experiment, they wore a T-shirt for eight hours, which we then used as a source of familiar scent for the elephants. We also recorded short phrases from the keepers and took their photographs,” the study's authors explained.

The researchers hypothesized that if the scent, voice recording, or photo seemed familiar to the elephants, they would be more likely and willing to reach for the corresponding stand. This assumption was confirmed in the case of the T-shirt stimulus.

According to the researchers, the results indicate that elephants can remember at least the scent of their former keepers even after a long time. However, to confirm this, experiments involving a larger number of people need to be conducted.

If elephants indeed retain memories of the people who worked with them for such an extended period, it suggests that these individuals are significant to the animals. Therefore, in zoos, stable relationships with staff can greatly enhance the well-being of elephants.