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Tampa: Elephants Never Forget A Bee Sting
Their eyes and soft, sensitive tissues inside their trunks are particularly vulnerable to painful stings, and the experts believe that African elephants (Loxodonta africana) have learned over the centuries. fragrant bees emerge when they are frightened and ready to swarm.
Now, researchers say that this well-honed fear of bees could be used to help repel the majestic beasts in places where they risk conflict with humans
. Scientists have hung white socks filled with bee pheromones, which are chemical cues that bees release from their bodies when they perceive a threat to their hive.
A total of 25 out of 29 Elephants who approached "showed typical signs of heightened alertness, signs of uncertainty, and finally moved away calmly," said the report in the journal Current Biology.
To make sure that it was not just the soc but the smell emanating from them, the researchers hung similar socks that did not contain the pheromones, and found that elephants were curious about socks, picked them up and even tasted them sometimes.
The findings suggest that there might be a cheaper way to prevent conflict.
"Our findings complement previous studies that have demonstrated that active hives of bees can deter example elephants, but can be difficult to implement on a large scale," said lead author Mark Wright. Professor of Entomology at the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences of the University of Hawaii at Manoa
. develop additional tools for sustainable passive management of elephant movements, in order to augment the current approaches used. "
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