In an elephant's brain the ‘temporal lobe’ region, which is associated with memory, is highly developed. This gives it the ability to ‘download’ important survival data.
Long-term memory is very important to elephants, both socially and ecologically. They roam across vast areas and need to be able to navigate directly to water and food.
It's also important for them to recognise individuals within their social network; this ability is particularly evident when they come across a dead elephant.
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They are always very interested in the remains, but my observations suggest that they spend more time investigating the body or bones of an elephant they knew when it was alive than they do those of a stranger, indicating that recognition is evident, even after death.
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