A new study has found that the animals can keep track of simple quantities and often choose the option with more food, suggesting they have basic math skills.
Researchers from the University of Barcelona, the University of Leipzig, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology carried out experiments with four giraffes at the Barcelona Zoo. Their findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
During the study, the giraffes were shown two containers holding different numbers of carrot pieces. After the containers were covered, researchers either added or removed some carrots while the animals watched. The giraffes were then allowed to choose one of the containers.
The giraffes picked the container with the larger number of carrots in 68 percent of the tests, a result that researchers say is too high to be explained by chance alone.
To make sure the animals were not simply following human movements, the team carried out additional tests. They found that while two giraffes appeared to rely on visual signs from the researchers, the other two consistently chose the container with more carrots, suggesting they were mentally tracking the changes in quantity.
Interestingly, the giraffes performed better when carrots were added than when they were removed. When carrots were taken away, their choices were much closer to random.
The researchers said the findings do not mean giraffes can do mathematics like humans. However, the study suggests they have a basic understanding of numbers and quantities, helping them make decisions such as choosing where to find more food.
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