Olfactory signalling amongst wild elephants is compared to that of their captive counterparts. Elephants rely primarily on their senses of hearing and smell. Smells in urinary secretions are used to send chemical signals between individuals. Though studies of olfactory signalling are in their infancy, captive elephants have provided valuable baseline data, with hundreds of urinary samples having been taken in known hormonal and behavioural conditions. These can be compared with samples from wild elephants from known familial groups and ecological conditions.

The late Bets Rasmussen from the Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Oregon Graduate Institute came to STE's research camp to do an initial field investigation on urinary volatiles. The fresh urine samples in Samburu could be obtained in the context of known family units and natural behaviour. When an elephant urinates others nearby react and investigate the smell. Bets collected 18 odour samples immediately (within 1-2 minutes) after an elephant urinated. George Wittemyer identified each elephant whose urine was being sampled and assessed the relative status and condition the elephant was in. The field samples from the elephants at Samburu National Reserve were strikingly similar to the odour compounds found in captive African elephants.

Through this work, it can be shown that at the very least similarities between African elephants of the same ages and sex and status can be detected, as well as males distinguished from females. The late Bets Ramussen worked primarily on Asian elephants. The odour compounds found in Asian elephants show distinct differences from their African cousins. Amongst other things, the Asian elephant urine volatiles allowed Bets to distinguish clearly between various stages of musth (pre, early, late and non) and oestrus versus non-oestrus. Though we are still relatively blind to the olfactory world of the elephant, through these studies it is as though we are starting to see - or smell - for the first time…