Elephants use group choruses to communicate social context and emotions

A study conducted in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park has revealed that approximately 60% of elephant grunts are produced as group choruses. These vocalizations, often in low frequencies imperceptible to humans, convey information regarding emotions, social context, and collective actions.

Researchers from Colorado State University, ElephantVoices, and the Earth Species Project analyzed 902 recordings of 84 wild elephants from 39 families, spanning the years 1986 to 2022. By utilizing machine learning techniques, the team was able to separate and analyze overlapping sounds that were previously difficult to study.

The study identified six distinct social contexts for these vocalizations: contact between separated individuals, attempts to initiate group movement, rhythmic sounds during feeding or resting, mother-to-calf communication, greetings between close individuals, and reunions. Notably, the researchers found that elephant voices tend to become acoustically similar during group exchanges, suggesting a process of vocal learning that may help groups coordinate movements.