The Communication of Elephants
Although it may seem that humans are the best at communication since they use languages, animals also communicate in different ways. Elephants are a great example of this. They may seem to move their body parts ( 18 ). However, this is not true. They show their emotions and what they want to do by using body movements such as moving their ears, waving their long noses, and using certain body positions.
Elephants are big animals, but they try to make themselves look even bigger when they face a threat. They do so by spreading their ears and raising their heads. ( 19 ), when they show that they accept the others’ authority, they pull their ears back and put their heads down. Not only do they express their own emotions, but they also feel the emotions of others. For instance, if another elephant is upset, they will gently touch its nose to calm it down.
While some communication tools are easily observed by people, elephants also use a method that people cannot see or hear. That is, they use low sounds because lower sounds can reach farther than higher sounds. By using them, they can send messages to others ( 20 ). They can inform others of the presence of enemies or rival groups and gather friends when they find water or food sources. Mothers can also help their baby elephants feel calm and safe by letting them know where they are from a distance.
Ifugao people live on Luzon Island in the Philippines. The name Ifugao comes from ipugo, which means “from the hill” in the local language. As its name suggests, they live on a steep mountain slope. This means that it is difficult for them to use large areas of land for growing rice and other crops. Due to ( 21 ), they have practiced creative ways. Ifugao people made rice fields on the slopes of the mountain, which looked like stairs.
The idea of ( 22 ) is at the center of the Ifugao people’s traditions. Following this idea, the rice fields are created along the shapes of the mountains. Instead of bringing water for farming from the foot of the mountain, they use water that flows naturally from the top of the mountain. Since machines cannot be used in the stair-like rice fields, planting and harvesting are annual events in which the community helps each other. Through these events, the younger generation learns about the farming traditions in the community.
However, young people from the island recently moved to the city. Helping each other in the community is no longer working well. The people remaining on the island need to make money to support themselves. Some of them cleared forest areas to make their own vegetable fields and took away natural water sources from the rice fields. ( 23 ), a large quantity of the rice fields was damaged because of the lack of workers and water. Therefore, some efforts are being made to keep the rice fields in good condition.
