August 10, 2015
Sabu, our bull Asian Elephant,
Scores High on a Two-Year Intelligence Test
August 5, 2015. Courtesy of Chad Reichle.
For the past two years, Sabu — the bull Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus) at
the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — has been the subject of a scientific study to
assess his welfare and behaviors. The two-year study was conducted under the
auspices of Project Dragonfly, a graduate zoology program offered jointly by Miami
University and the Education Department of the Cincinnati Zoo.
Elephants in general are well known for their high intelligence and their very
social natures. The remarkable memories of elephants, their creativity in devising tools
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to solve problems, their ability to recognize themselves in a mirror, their musicality, and
even their individual senses of humor have been well documented, in what is today
called the “science of animal behavior”. ""
But now we have scientific data that proves that Sabu, the bull elephant at the
Cincinnat Zoo, deserves all of those accolades. “Based on the data collected, Sabu
has proven himself very intelligent, inventive, playful, eager to please, very trainable,
and open to enrichment.” says Research Director Joseph Hochbein, a second-year
graduate student in zoology. “Our study even shows that Sabu has a slightly
‘mischievous’ side. All and all, that’s a pretty impressive package,” Hochbein says.
None of this comes as news to Cecil Jackson, Jr — the head elephant keeper at
the zoo and Sabu’s long time trainer. Because of Jackson, the study was made
possible. Jackson welcomed Sabu to the zoo in January 1991 when Sabu first arrived
from the wilds of Malaysia as a young two year old. Jackson is still his keeper and
trainer today, as Sabu looks to celebrate his 26th birthday here at the zoo. “All of us in
the Elephant Reserve know what an exceptional animal Sabu is. But now we can say
that we have the ‘science’ to back it up when we brag about him.” says Jackson. “Even
more important, it is always necessary for a zoo like ours to keep up with modern
discoveries in science,” Jackson adds.
As part of the study, Jackson, along with the other elephant keepers, installed an
overhead spray waterfall in Sabu’s outdoor pool; started to give Sabu his normal diet of
“hay and peanuts” in hanging barrels; and added more “browse” (leaves, branches, and
freshly cut bamboo) to his diet. Sabu, a herbivore like all other elephants, enjoyed the
added browse — which enriched his eating behaviors, according to study data. Also the
hanging barrels required Sabu to extend his trunk fully to get his food, mimicking the
natural behavior of wild elephants when they forage for food in the treetops. And how
about that waterfall?
“The waterfall was a great success” says Hochbein. Sabu’s use of his pool
increased dramatically after its installation, and the waterfall stimulated Sabu’s inventive
and slightly “mischievous” side. “Spurred on by the overhead waterfall, Sabu would be
observed putting his foot over the water faucet near the ground that provides him
drinking water, creating a spray of water from below on his legs and stomach”,
Hochbein noted. Such inventive behavior is a strong sign of Sabu’s high intelligence. It
is also welcome proof that Sabu, as an adult male, is still open to enrichment.
The two-year study and added enrichments serve an important purpose in
today’s world, as elephants are at risk of extinction from illegal poaching of ivory and
loss of habitat. Male elephants, normally solo animals in the wild, are an especially
challenging animal for zoos and animal reserves to protect. The Cincinnati Zoo &
Botanical Garden has a world renowned record for the well-being and longevity of its
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elephants. But Jackson adds, “We intend to try more new things in the days ahead to
further improve Sabu’s well-being in his yard.” Jackson, who has devoted his
professional life to elephants, puts it this way. “At the zoo, we want to provide all of our
animals, but especially our threatened animals, good homes where they are safe, are
well cared for, and are valued.”
As to the future, there are a number of potential ideas under consideration. For
example, elephants have long been known for their musicality. Some zoos have
recently succeeded in enriching their elephants by playing classical music for them, or
even providing the elephants musical instruments for their original compositions.
Jackson, in addition to being an elephant keeper, is the lead vocalist in a regional
bluegrass band. Would Sabu like hearing his trainer singing bluegrass, or maybe even
providing his trainer some musical accompaniment?
Or there’s another idea being floated. Other zoos have tried raising the hanging
barrels that dispense the elephants food to a height just out of the animal’s reach. The
keepers have then placed crates and balls in the yard. In this situation, would Sabu
move the crate or ball over to the hanging barrel, use it as a “tool”, and stand on it to get
to his food? “Based on our observations of Sabu and our data on his intelligence, I
would not bet against him,” Hochbein advises.
Stay tuned for more “science” from our Elephant Reserve, as the study moves
into its next phase.
For more information about our work or to be trained as a volunteer “animal
observer”, you can contact Joe Hochbein, Research Director, at The Seyia Project,. The
group’s motto sums up their goal: “People Helping to Enrich Endangered Wildlife”. You
can contact him at
jjhuofm@fuse.net. Please provide your contact information and put
the word “Sabu” in your subject header.
The Seyia Project
AIP at the CZ&BG
“People Helping to Enrich Endangered Wildlife"
please contact Joseph J. Hochbein, Research Director
For questions or more information,
jjhuofm@fuse.net
