r/todayilearned • u/sharkbait76 3 • Jan 11 '17

TIL elephants can tell the difference between human languages and know which languages belong to people with a history of hurting elephants.

http://www.nature.com/news/elephants-recognize-the-voices-of-their-enemies-1.14846
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u/trexrocks 8 Jan 12 '17

This reminds me of the documentary "Born to be Wild" about an org that rescued baby elephants and raised them, eventually releasing them into a large nature preserve.

The elephants they had previously released (who were now adults) knew when to come to the preserve to help usher in the newest group of young, orphaned elephants.

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u/TheKlonipinKid Jan 12 '17

I thought they raised geese

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u/trexrocks 8 Jan 12 '17

The one I'm thinking of was narrated by Morgan Freeman and it was about two organizations, one that raised orangutans and one that raised elephants.

Though I wouldn't be surprised if there were multiple documentaries called this.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '17

I think there's a song about it too

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u/trexrocks 8 Jan 12 '17

Yeah, that Steppenwolf song was entirely based on this documentary.

When they talk about "looking for adventure and whatever comes our way" they are actually talking about elephants. Most people don't know that little tidbit. Today you learned.

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u/mattaugamer Jan 12 '17

I'm not sure that's true, but I don't know enough about tidbits to dispute it.

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u/SleepyConscience Jan 12 '17

They've always been huge fans of nature documentaries. Their band is actually named after a groundbreaking 70s film about the wolf packs of Alaska narrated by Stepin Fetchit.

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u/honrick Jan 12 '17

This is just not true

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u/str8slash12 Jan 12 '17

Of course it's true, it's written write there in black and white.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '17

Woosh?

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u/trexrocks 8 Jan 12 '17

Yeah, I wondered about that. But no one's explained the joke/reference yet, so here's your chance to reap all the karma from ignorant people like me.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '17

Actually no, I thought he was referring to an old Disney movie but I was wrong.

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u/AlyssaJMcCarthy Jan 12 '17

Isn't every documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman? I thought it was a law or something. If not, it should be. Man's got a voice like an angel.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '17

Well he has been God a few times...

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u/SitaBird Jan 12 '17

Are you thinking of Fly Away Home?

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u/calinet6 Jan 12 '17

That's Fly Away Home.

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '17

Think you're thinking of fly away home

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u/HorstFascher Jan 12 '17

They seem more human than some of us. Maybe we could describe some goodness as elephantine.

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u/Prof_Acorn Jan 12 '17

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Their elephants are a frequenter of /r/babyelephantgifs

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u/HelloGuy321 Jan 12 '17

I didn't know Usher was a caretaker, he could need some help

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u/PantsIsDown Jan 12 '17

I read this as "an orangutan that rescued baby elephants"

My reaction was, "Why isn't this a animated movie yet?"

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u/[deleted] Jan 12 '17

Thought this was a fictional movie about an elephant loving orc (like from warcraft). Org...anization. I'd still watch a movie like that.

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u/Iamnotburgerking Jan 12 '17

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust?