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How do elephants find water?

At Tsavo Trust, we often witness the incredible resilience and ingenuity of African elephants in their quest for water. This article explores the fascinating ways these magnificent creatures locate water in the vast, often harsh landscapes of Africa.

The vital role of water

Water is the single most important compound for life on Earth. Known as the “universal solvent,” it can dissolve most substances and enable key chemical reactions in plant, animal, and microbial cells. In fact, all life on Earth is completely dependent on water to survive, especially mammals. However, through adaptation to harsh environments, Africa’s animals have evolved to cope with water scarcity in different ways.

For example, the gerenuk, commonly seen within the Tsavo Conservation Area, is considered non-water dependent. This means it can survive without drinking water, obtaining all its moisture from the vegetation it eats. This adaptation allows the gerenuk to thrive in dry and harsh environments.

The African elephant, due to its immense size and heavily developed brain, is considered water dependent, usually drinking around 100 litres of water a day! In Tsavo, elephants try not to stray far from the permanent water sources, staying within a 10-15 km radius of known rivers and watering holes. However, in times of drought, when water resources dry up, the African elephant must employ a number of tricks to find water. So, how do elephants find water?

Remarkable sense of smell

Elephants’ sense of smell is unparalleled, with around 2,000 olfactory receptors—vastly more than a bloodhound’s 800. This powerful olfactory system allows them to detect water sources up to 19.2 km (12 mi) away, giving them a crucial advantage during droughts.

Simply being able to sniff out water, gives elephants a remarkable advantage in finding water in times of drought. Interestingly, this isn’t the only survival advantage of their incredible sense of smell, in fact in Angola, elephants have learned to detect the smell of TNT, avoiding dangerous minefields from past warzones.

Hearing nature’s symphony

Water is the lifeblood of the ecosystem, nurturing insects and fish that attract flocks of birds to drink and feast. In Tsavo, we see a variety of mammals, including zebras and rhinos, coming to drink from these life-giving water sources. The presence of water transforms the landscape into a vibrant, bustling haven for wildlife. With this life comes a chorus of sounds: birds chirping, water splashing, zebras honking. An African elephant, with its highly developed hearing, can perceive this jubilant orchestra and recognize it as the sound of water.

Interestingly, through sensitive nerves in their skin and gelatinous growths in their feet, elephants can “hear” vibrations through the ground. Scientists theorize that they can pick up the sounds of a storm from 100 km away, marching toward it in the hopes of finding water. This ability, combined with their acute hearing, enables elephants to locate water sources even from great distances.

Navigational memory

Elephants need to drink water every 2-3 days, so it is very important for them to remember water sources, especially during droughts. These large creatures can travel up to 200 km in a single day in search of food and mates. Given the vast distances they cover, having a clear mental map of water resources helps them pinpoint these sources efficiently, conserving energy.

How Do Elephants Navigate
Elephants are known to travel vast distances in order to find water

The key to remembering water sources is in their highly developed and large brains. A particularly developed part of the brain in African elephants is the hippocampus, which is responsible for converting short-term memory to long-term memory and storing spatial memory used for navigation.

The elephant’s hippocampus is used to remember exactly where permanent water sources are, crucial for surviving times of drought.

Having the capacity to remember water resources is only half the solution, the other half lies in experience, meaning following an older more experienced elephant means you are more likely to find water, this individual is usually the matriarch.

Wisdom of the Matriarch

At Tsavo Trust, we recognize the pivotal role of the matriarch in elephant herds. Older, more experienced matriarchs provide a strong survival advantage, guiding their family groups across vast areas during droughts. Studies in Amboseli National Park have shown that these matriarch-led groups are more successful in finding food and water, highlighting the importance of wisdom and experience in elephant survival.

This idea is supported by a study conducted in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. In 1993, the area experienced a serious drought lasting nine months. The lack of rainfall caused a significant increase in elephant infant mortality, rising from an annual average of 2% to 20%. Researchers discovered that elephant family groups that migrated out of the park were less likely to experience infant mortality. These groups were also more likely to be led by older matriarchs.

Tsavo Trust’s water conservation

Over the past five years (2019 to 2023), Tsavo Trust has successfully constructed 13 sand dams within the Tsavo National Parks—5 in Tsavo East and 8 in Tsavo West. These sand dams are now actively storing sand and water, creating sustainable water sources that support the local wildlife and ecosystem.

World Water Day Sand Dam
A lion by one of the sand dams constructed by Tsavo Trust

Sand dams take advantage of natural processes and provide a long-term robust way of storing water. This water is then accessible to animals that can burrow for it. Elephant, as many of you will know, practice this often, in times of scarcity. We have observed how useful these mechanisms are often, giving elephant, and the animals that follow them, deposits of water that are secured against evaporation or unchecked flowing away.

Join us in protecting the habitat and wildlife of Tsavo Conservation Area. Your contributions help us build more sand dams and ensure a sustainable future for Tsavo’s wildlife. Visit our support page to learn more and get involved.

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