It is fabled that elephants are very wise creatures. Now to add to this fable, research is proving that elephants speak to each other. Their calls can be differentiated from as to whether they are speaking to each other in a family group or in a group of male elephants. It can also be made out whether they are calm or agitated. They are capable of vocal limitation and they learn from each other. Each family has a specific dialect which can be recognized in terms of an individual belonging to a family. Also, each individual has a different tone.

Rumbles of the male elephant are very significant. From this sound one can learn the size and age of the elephant. Also, when the male elephant comes to a state of ‘musth’, it means that he is ready to mate. This stage lasts for months and they have elevated testosterone levels, which makes them aggressive. There is a specific call to inform other elephants about this state and it is also to call the females and keep other males away.

Elephants communicate like us. They use their ears or use a chemical signal to convey a meaning. This is used in long distance communication and close by groups, which can sense ear flaps, trunk lifts or head raising. All these postures have a meaning. The elephants use their trunk muscles and they have 40,000 muscles in their trunk. Elephants do not have lips as their upper lip is fused with the nose to form a trunk. The elephants are able to modify their pitch and frequency.

Now we come to Ganesh. He has an elephant head and the actual story is that Shiva selected the elephant head because the elephant is considered the cleverest animal. He wanted his son to be worthy of worship by humans. Swami Sivananda said that Ganesh represents Om Pranava… nothing can be accomplished without uttering it. Ganesh has the elephant head as that is the one figure in nature which is in the form of Pranava.

Epitome of wisdom

Ganesh is the first God, Adi Deva. The mouse is a small creature, but the elephant is the biggest of all animals. Riding a mouse and wearing an elephant’s head denotes that he is the Creator of all creatures. Elephants are very wise and Ganesh is therefore an epitome of wisdom. It also denotes the process of evolution. The mouse gradually evolves into an elephant and finally become a man.

Since our environment is being threatened, and the elephant’s habitat is also at risk, they are stressed and their pitch is rising in frequency. It has been observed in a family group which was translocated. The group decided to return to its previous location. Once they were back there, their tone changed. They resumed their harmonious life.

Dear ones, we always return to the subject of reducing our carbon footprints and saving Mother Earth and its inhabitants. Let us pray to Ganesh and ask for wisdom.

Reference: Angela Stoegor, Head of Mammal Communication, Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Aim Hrim Klim

Photo by Anaïs Buan on Unsplash