Old elephants may help young ones survive

NEW YORK, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- A U.S.-led study suggests memories of past droughts held by older female elephants might help herds survive modern climate change.

A recent study by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Zoological Society of London provides evidence that experienced elephant matriarchs seem to give their family groups an edge in the struggle for survival during periods of famine and drought.

"Understanding how elephants and other animal populations react to droughts will be a central component of wildlife management and conservation," said Wildlife Conservation Society researcher Charles Foley, lead author of the study. "Our findings seem to support the hypothesis that older females with knowledge of distant resources become crucial to the survival of herds during periods of extreme climatic events."

The study's co-author, Nathalie Pettorelli of the ZSL, added: "Climate change is expected to lead to a higher occurrence of severe drought in Africa and our study suggests that such extreme climatic events may act as a selection force on animal populations. As animals battle to cope certain individuals, such as these grand dames of the elephant kingdom, might become increasingly important."

The research is reported in a recent issue of the Royal Society's journal Biology Letters.