National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Elephants Distinguish Human Friends From Foes by Smell


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African elephants have been found to head for the safety of tall grasses upon catching the scent of Maasai clothing, according to a new study. Maasai men occasionally hunt and spear the animals.

Clothing with the scent of the less threatening Kamba men, however, evokes a milder reaction, suggesting to researchers that elephants have learned how to distinguish between different groups of humans based on their danger level.

Photograph by Michael Nichols/NGS