Why do elephants avoid mountains?

Even a small hill is a big challenge for an elephant, so they will avoid steep slopes, a new study says.

(Photo: LiveScience)

Researchers have used global positioning systems to track the paths of elephants in northern Kenya, in the region of about 5,400 thick-skinned animals (such as elephants, rhinos .). They found that the density of elephants decreased significantly in places where there were many slopes.

Are these giant beasts unable to find water here or want to avoid injury? But the researchers calculated that the energy needed to climb the slope was the deciding factor. If you climb 91 meters, it will take you half an hour to eat grass to compensate for lost energy.

"Obviously, climbing is not easy, but must be carefully considered , " the scientists concluded.

The study was done by Fritz Vollrath from Oxford University with Jake Wall and Iain Douglas-Hamilton of Save the Elephants. Scientists believe that these large animals can observe their surroundings in a very different way from smaller ones.

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