Researchers in Barcelona have found that giraffes possess the ability to perform simple numerical reasoning after four giraffes at the Barcelona Zoo successfully completed a series of tests resembling basic mathematics problems.
The study, conducted by scientists from the University of Barcelona, the University of Leipzig, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), was published in a scientific journal.
During the study, four giraffes at the Barcelona Zoo were presented with two containers holding different numbers of carrot pieces.
The researchers then covered both containers while the giraffes watched them either add or remove carrots from each container.
The giraffes correctly selected the container holding the larger quantity of carrots in 68% of the trials, a success rate significantly higher than what would be expected by random chance.
Further Testing with the Giraffes
The researchers conducted additional experiments to determine whether the giraffes were relying on other visual cues.
The results showed that two of the giraffes consistently chose the container containing more carrots, suggesting that they possess a basic capacity for numerical reasoning.
The researchers stated that the performance of these two giraffes indicates “the potential use of more complex mental calculation.”
However, different results emerged when pieces of carrot were removed from the containers. In these trials, the giraffes’ success rate in choosing the container with the greater quantity of carrots was not significantly different from what could be expected by chance.***
