Study
Cognitive behaviour in Asian elephants: use and modification of branches for fly switching
Hart, Benjamin L.; Hart, Lynette A.; McCoy, Michael; Sarath, C. R.
Animal Behaviour, 2001
Working elephants were observed switching flies with branches, with records of whether the branch was used as found or modified, and how fly-switching efficiency related to branch size.
- Studied in
- Elephas maximus
- Sample size
- 13 working Asian elephants observed in Nepal
Elephants routinely shortened branches or removed side shoots to produce a more effective switch, and modified branches were associated with better fly control.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
Asian elephants modify objects to improve their function, meeting a standard definition of tool manufacture.
How NatureHQ reads it
Modification is the point. Waving a branch is object use; snapping it to a workable length is manufacture, which is a higher bar and one that few species clear. These were working elephants in daily contact with people, so the possibility of learning from humans cannot be excluded.
- Working animals with lifelong human contact.
- Thirteen individuals at a small number of sites.
- Efficiency measures are observational rather than experimental.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: Elsevier journalsPublished in an Elsevier journal.
doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2001.1815
This reference was resolved automatically against Crossref and OpenAlex on 2026-08-11.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-08-09.