Masters of Communication

Communication between animals of the same species in the wild is vital for their survival, allowing them to convey important, and often life-saving, information to one another.

Elephants are a relatively common sight around Mhondoro, and it is fascinating to observe these gentle giants as they go about their daily routines. One of the most intriguing aspects of their behavior is how they communicate with each other.

Trunk Touches and Rumbles: Everyday Elephant Communication

Often, you’ll see elephants feeding in large herds, walking up to each other and giving a light touch with their trunks—an affectionate gesture that serves as a way to say ‘hello’ or to smell another elephant. You may also hear them making low, guttural rumbles that most people might mistake for stomach noises. However, these rumbles actually convey specific messages to the group.

Seismic Communication: Reaching Out Over Long Distances

When elephant herds are spread out over large areas, they need a more advanced method of communication. Elephants achieve this through deep rumbles produced by their highly advanced vocal cords. These rumbles travel seismically through the ground and are picked up by other elephants using their feet—up to distances of 8 km away or more.

Elephant feet are perfectly designed for this kind of communication. They are round, flat, and highly sensitive, with a thick layer of cartilage between the bone and the skin of the sole, which helps them detect these seismic messages. Remarkably, these rumbles are inaudible to the human ear, as they fall outside the range of frequencies we can hear.

A Silent Signal: How Elephants Coordinate Their Movements

This advanced communication system explains why you might see a herd feeding peacefully, then suddenly stop, turn, and move off without any apparent signal. Elephants are extremely intelligent creatures, but they are also true masters of communication, able to send and receive messages in ways that we are only beginning to understand.