Is a elephant memory really so good?

Question

I once heard the story that a man in his 40's was trampled dead by a circus elephant and at first nobody know why but it turned later out that as a young boy the same man was cruel to the elephant.

Answer 1

Origins of the Superiority of Elephant Memory

Besides gender and trauma, there are other reasons why elephants never forget. Elephants remember well because they may record their memories intelligently in the first place.

Considerable evidence demonstrates that elephants are intelligent.

For example, they communicate with a complex combination of sounds, chemicals, touch, movements, and use of their environment. Also domesticated elephants, such as those that belong to a circus, follow directions without difficulty.

The ability of elephants to communicate in a complex manner may also be used to store memories of their experiences accurately in their long-term memory.

In addition, elephants may not forget because, as they age, they acquire more and more experiences that prepare them to learn and remember new experiences more easily. In addition, elephants have large brains. This is not surprising, of course, given how large they are.

In the final analysis, regardless of the superiority of an elephant’s memory, human memory may still be better. Despite their large size, the brains of elephants do not necessarily consist of more nerve cells than do the brains of humans.

Those of us with more cells in our brains than the average elephant may remember better than this elephant.

Also, elephants do not have their memory challenged as much as our memory is challenged. For example, elephants might not recognize as many members of their herd if they encountered them unexpectedly in a shopping center.

http://www.tribstar.com/a_sharper_mind/l...

Elephants remember to take revenge

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/elep...

Answer 2

There are some extraordinary examples of elephant memory out there and I don't doubt your story for a minute.  Being a herd type of animal, elephants need the ability to remember because it helps them sort out who is who, who is "our herd" as compared to "others" and who is in charge of the herd. They also travel great distances, so they need to remember where the next watering hole is, where the good grazing areas are, etc. These traits have served to insure their survival, so the trait gets passed on.  Elephants have evolved to become very intelligent and social animals.

Answer 3

I know someone who has a friend that works with elephants at the zoo and he said that elephants do have really good memory. He said they remember if you're nice to them or if you're mean to them.