She peels bananas: female elephant enchants scientists
13.4.2023
Translation: machine translated
You thought that only monkeys could peel a banana next to us humans? Wrong! A lady elephant from Berlin can do it with her trunk.
It has long been known that elephants are intelligent animals. But Pang Pha, a 36-year-old female elephant from Berlin, is one of the few elephants in the world that can peel bananas. How does she do it? The cunning animal breaks the banana in half with her trunk and then shakes it until the inside falls out.
Here you can see how fast the talented Pang Pha is at peeling bananas:
A team of researchers from Berlin's Humboldt University have studied Pang Pha's behaviour in more detail and published a scientific article in the journal Current Biology. According to the article, it is assumed that the animal learnt the technique from its carers. Targeted training never took place, the researchers report.
The elephant as a gourmet
The study also came to other astonishing conclusions. The team of researchers led by first author Lena Kaufmann found out in tests that the elephant cow actually has something like favourite bananas - namely yellow or green-yellow ones. Pang Pha, who came to Berlin Zoo in 1987 as a gift from the Thai King Bhumibol, finds brown bananas rather unappetising. Incidentally, she only uses the peeling and shaking technique when she is alone. In the company of the other elephants at the zoo, she prefers to dig in and eat as many bananas as possible as quickly as possible. With peel, of course.
The technique was not inherited
In 2012, Pang Pha became a mother - but her daughter Anchali has not learnt her mother's technique. She eats her bananas unpeeled. And according to the study, the other elephants at Berlin Zoo and six African elephants at Vienna Zoo are also unable to peel their own bananas, which for the time being remains the preserve of the gifted Pang Pha.
Source: Zoo Berlin
"Elephantastic!", praises the press
The Asian elephant cow's technology is not only inspiring scientists, but also the international press. The English Daily Mail dedicated an article to her - with the headline 'Elephantastic!
Cover photo: CoreRock/shutterstock
A true local journalist with a secret soft spot for German pop music. Mum of two boys, a dog and about 400 toy cars in all shapes and colours. I always enjoy travelling, reading and go to concerts, too.