Jim McMahon/Mapman®
Need some help with your math homework? Ask a giraffe!
Researchers from the University of Barcelona in Spain have found that some giraffes can do simple addition. The experts worked with four giraffes at the Barcelona Zoo using carrots, one of the animals’ favorite snacks.
In the experiment, the scientists showed each giraffe two yellow boxes holding the same number of carrots. Then they closed the boxes. Next, they showed the giraffe more carrots. With the giraffe watching, experts added those extra carrots to one of the boxes. Finally, the giraffe got to choose a box. In hundreds of trials, two of the giraffes consistently moved toward the box with the most carrots. (The other giraffes were not as skilled.)
According to researcher Iker Loidi, the two giraffes’ success shows the creatures tallied up the carrots in their minds, something not all animals can do. He thinks giraffes may have developed this skill to help them find food, including locating the areas with the most acacia trees.
“The more we learn about other species, the more we realize how much there is still to discover about intelligence itself,” Loidi says.
—Brooke Ross