Most of the elephant conversation is hidden from the human ear.
In fact, the pachyderms would constantly communicate with each other, explains animal keeper Thomas Gunther during the show. However, the conversations would then take place via infrasound, which is imperceptible to the human ear.
The method is so effective that elephants can even use it to communicate with each other over a distance of several kilometers – or as in the case of « Elephant, Tiger & Co. » with « Voi Nam » when he is separated from the herd in the stalls of the Leipzig Zoo.
The animals would perceive the infrasound through the sensitive soles of their feet. « This is very important for their communication. If there is any background noise, for example from construction sites, then it is extremely annoying, » explains animal keeper Thomas.
Also interesting: the sounds would be understood by every elephant in the world. To illustrate this, Thomas GĂĽnther plays BBC recordings of the Leipzig elephants. Lo and behold, the animals react after just a short moment.
‘Don Chung’ is a very calm elephant. She doesn’t have to talk much, » says Thomas GĂĽnther about the elephant lady, whom he has known for years.
This also becomes clear when he played the BBC recordings to her. « Don Chung » resigned immediately. « That’s typical, she’s always in reverse. Now, if I approach her with the noise, she would back away too. »
