Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
theguardian.com
Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
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Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
#2Couldn’t this behavior just be replicated again by giving an elephant some kind of elephant cigarette and seeing what it does?
Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
#3I wonder if perhaps the elephant simply finds the outburst of smoke entertaining?
Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
#4Very interesting. I think it's unlikely that we are the only species that ingests materials/chemicals that make us feel good, aside from providing any nutritional value.
Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
#5Couldn’t this behavior just be replicated again by giving an elephant some kind of elephant cigarette and seeing what it does?
As far as I could tell, this wasn't about getting stimulated by the release/ingestion of chemicals but rather involved zoopharmacognosy, given the "smoke" was produced by expelling a cloud of ash.
I.e. it wasn't trying to get high for the sake of getting high but rather trying to counteract the effects of pathogens.
Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
#6Very interesting. I think it's unlikely that we are the only species that ingests materials/chemicals that make us feel good, aside from providing any nutritional value.
Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
#7Looks like it's playing.
Reminds me of dolphin air rings[1].
Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
#8Couldn’t this behavior just be replicated again by giving an elephant some kind of elephant cigarette and seeing what it does?
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Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
#9Couldn’t this behavior just be replicated again by giving an elephant some kind of elephant cigarette and seeing what it does?
As far as I could tell, this wasn't about getting stimulated by the release/ingestion of chemicals but rather involved zoopharmacognosy, given the "smoke" was produced by expelling a cloud of ash. I.e. it wasn't trying to get high for the sake of getting high but rather trying to counteract the effects of pathogens.
Just because the pathogens that make humans want to get high aren't always merely chemical in nature, doesn't mean they're not pathogens either.
Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts
#10Very interesting. I think it's unlikely that we are the only species that ingests materials/chemicals that make us feel good, aside from providing any nutritional value.
Some bird species eat fermented berries to get drunk.
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141203-drun...