Individual innovation is considered one of the hallmarks of intelligence within a species, and elephants are among the animals of long interest to researchers for their complex problem-solving approaches. A study recently published in the journal Animal Behavior details the results of a six-month study documenting the ability of individual wild Asian elephants to access food by solving puzzles that open storage bins.

“This is the first study to show that individual wild elephants have different willingness and problem-solving abilities to obtain food,” said study lead author Sarah Jacobson, a doctoral student in psychology who studies animal cognition at CUNY and the Hunter Center for Graduate Studies. . . College. “This is important information because the way animals think and innovate can affect their ability to survive in environments that are rapidly changing due to the presence of humans.”

A study at Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, used motion-activated cameras to monitor the approach of 77 wild Asian elephants and determine whether they would open three-compartment puzzle boxes of different configurations containing highly aromatic jackfruit.

Depending on the compartment the elephant is interacting with, the jackfruit can be accessed by pulling the chain to open the door towards the elephant, pushing the door so it opens into a chest, or sliding the door to the right. The elephants had to interact on their own to learn how to open the puzzle boxes.

Over time, 44 elephants approached the puzzle boxes and interacted with them, but there were individual differences in how innovative the elephants were. The researchers found that elephants that interacted more frequently and more persistently with the puzzle boxes were more successful in retrieving food from all three compartments in different configurations. In total, 11 elephants unraveled one type of coupe, and eight – two types of coupe. Five elephants solved all three types and were therefore the most innovative.

The study’s principal investigator, Dr. D., a professor of psychology at the CUNY Center for Graduate Studies and Hunter College. “Human-elephant conflict is on the rise due to the loss of natural habitat and the encroachment of agriculture on what remains,” said Joshua Plotnick and Sarah Jacobson. . Dis.Ker. “Studying innovation and problem solving in elephants can help us understand the cognitive flexibility of wild elephants and its potential impact on conservation management and human-elephant conflict mitigation.” Source