Echoes of Giants: The Intricate Language of Elephants – Londolozi Blog

A few days ago, I was sitting outside my room in the Londolozi village and heard an almighty trumpet of an elephant coming from close to the river. This is not something abnormal to hear, as we know, this is the noise that elephants make but it triggered a thought about whether we could somehow decipher what they were saying. So naturally, I opened up a Google browser and started to do some research into it. So how do elephants communicate and what do we already know about deciphering them?

Trumpeting: Vocalizations as a Form of Expression

One of the most recognizable aspects of elephant communication is their trumpeting. It’s a sound that can convey a myriad of emotions—excitement, warning, or distress. If you’ve been on a safari at Londolozi and spent any time with a herd of elephants you too would’ve heard trumpeting punctuate the air, providing a glimpse into the dynamic social interactions of elephants. Each trumpet echoes through the landscape and is used not only to communicate over large distances but also to maintain the intricate bonds within elephant herds.

Rumbles: The Power of Infrasound

While the trumpeting captures our attention, much of elephant communication occurs below the threshold of human hearing. Infrasound, low-frequency rumbles that travel through the ground, plays a crucial role in the elephant’s communication repertoire. These infrasound calls can cover vast distances, enabling elephants to share information across the expansive terrain. Imagine the wilderness as a network of invisible conversations, with elephants using infrasound to coordinate activities, warn of danger, or simply stay connected with distant members of their herd.

Elephants will communicate with other elephants over short and long distances using low rumbles some not audible to humans.

Body Language: Expressing Emotions Through Movement

When you are next watching a herd of elephants, pay attention to their body language. The position of their ears, the gestures of their trunks, and the movements of their bodies all contribute to their communication. Ears held out may signify excitement or agitation, while ears held back can indicate submission or fear. Trunks are used for intricate gestures, from caressing to disciplining, adding layers of nuance to their interactions. The more closely one observes their body language the more one will understand their subtle gestures to each other.

Chemical Conversations: Scent Markings and Pheromones

Within elephants, communication isn’t confined to audible or visible cues alone. Chemical signals also play a vital role. Elephants leave scent markings through urine, faeces, and glandular secretions, conveying information about their reproductive status, identity, and the presence of potential mates. The riverbanks, where elephants often gather, become not only a watering hole but also an area for these olfactory messages that contribute to the communal understanding of the herd.

Deciphering the Code: Joyce Poole

During my research, I came across a fascinating National Geographic Explorer, Joyce Poole. She has spent almost 50 years watching elephants and trying to decipher all their different ways in which to communicate. She has understood the different pitches within trumpets that could indicate either a calf wanting to suckle, or what it means when an elephant folds its ear or swings its foot.

A young elephant calf suckles as its mother feeds.

Through countless hours spent with specific individuals and herds, she knows them all by sight. When observing the same individuals over such extended periods Joyce has been able to, at least to some degree, understand what all of these different actions mean. These are a bit difficult to describe in words but some of them include:

• High-pitched trumpet from a calf wanting to suckle
• Grumble rumbles with a bit of a waving sound to it indicate that the individual is complaining about something
• Very deep long rumbles when they are being comforted after something that distressed them
• Long trumpet blast when chasing a predator
• Short playful blasts when calves are playing with each other

An elephant calf gives off a high-pitched trumpet to let its mother know that it wants to suckle

So the next time you’re on safari at Londolozi try to pay attention to the different noises and cues that the elephants you see are making and perhaps you will be able to decipher more than you thought you could.