Page 30 - FWG Issue 5 June 2025

Animals Matter

ELEPHANTS NEVER FORGET, NEITHER WILL I

orking with companion
animals is one thing, but
working with wildlife is
Wanother. Whilst at an Animal
Conference, I was lucky enough to meet
one of our master trainers. I overheard
that he was taking a small group of people
to Limpopo to partake in an exercise
involving elephants! Luckily for me, he
looked and thought he recognised me, so
I was able to enquire as to what he would
be experimenting with elephants. “Colour
discrimination”, he answered. Oh wow!

How amazing an experience would that
be? How would he do that? I knew he didn’t
need more people to join the experiment,
but I couldn’t stop asking him questions.
At the end of day three of the conference,
he approached me to say that he couldn’t
deny my enthusiasm and invited me to go
along. All I had to bring with me was 30kg
of apples, bananas and oranges (for the
elephants), and off I travelled with strangers
to conduct the experiment.

We spent the morning chopping 100kg
of fruit, and placed the elephant treats
into three very large containers. One per
elephant. There were various painted drums
of blue, red, green and white. The research
aimed to see whether we could teach the to identify/not identify a matching colour. enjoying the mental stimulation (not to
elephants to distinguish between colours. In came the first elephant with her handler. mention the fruit), the third elephant
Example: The trainer holds up a green In front of her, she saw the fruit in the became frustrated. He gave us all a beady
barrel and asks the elephant to match the container and the various coloured barrels. look, trumpeted loudly, stomped, and
colour shown by touching the other green The trainer held out a barrel, the elephant promptly left to go back into the bush,
barrel with his trunk. We worked with three looked and started to touch her trunk to leaving a dust cloud in his wake. All creatures
elephants to see whether they exhibited the various barrels. When she touches are sentient beings whose emotional state
any individual differences in their abilities. the correct one, the trainer clicks, and the is as important as their physical state. What
Although this was a very small sample size, handler gives her the fruit as a reward. an exciting three days!
we didn’t have access to any more elephants. (We used clicker training, which marks the
correct behaviour that receives a reward.) This master trainer has since exposed me
And so, with everything in place, the to behavioural issues in an otter, a buffalo,
experiment began. I had the proud position It is important to note that these elephants giraffes, bushbabies and birds. A far cry
of being the timekeeper, calling out every are free to roam, and they participate in the from companion animals. I will always be
minute that passed so the record keeper experiment of their own free will. Whilst grateful for his mentorship, humour and
could record how long each elephant took the first two elephants were learning and wisdom. Thanks Roy!

Jeanette Furstenburg is a certified animal behaviourist. She holds a diploma in Companion Animal
Behaviour (DipCABT) with distinction. She is a member of the COAPE Endorsed Association of Applied Pet
Behaviourists and Trainers International (CABTi), which is a member of the UK Dog Behaviour & Training
Charter 2025. She is part of the International Companion Animal Network (ICAN). In addition, she on the
board of the South African Board for Companion Animal Professionals (SABCAP).

For more information, call 082 445 8422,
email: jeanette@animalsmatter.co.za or visit: www.animalsmatter.co.za

Fourways Gardens • 28 • June 2025