It’s not just shotgun-wielding neighbors that hate drones. Elephants seem to be especially bothered by the flying devices, regardless of whether they’re directly overhead or far above.
Researchers with Duke University know this for a fact. In early 2016 the team traveled to the West African country of Gabon to observe a herd and track its migration path. The Atlantic reports that they brought three drones, flying above the animals from 25 to 300 feet. The elephants reacted in a number of negative ways: some were visibly irritated, some ran, and some even took trunkfuls of mud and slung them at the drones.
This photo shows the distances kept from a herd by the Duke drone. Even as far away as 300 feet, researchers believe the noise made by drones was disturbing to the animals. (Photo via Duke Humans and Autonomy Lab)
The researchers theorize the elephants were bothered more by the drones’ noise than their actual presence.
A 2009 article from National Geographic detailed how a separate group of scientists discovered the connection between bees and elephants. While full-grown elephants are rarely fazed by any animal, even predators, the sound of Africanized bees was understandably bothersome.
By using camo-clad wireless speakers, a graduate student played the sound of Africanized bees buzzing toward several herds of resting elephants. Within 80 seconds, every elephant was gone.
The problem is a real one, and could affect future elephant research if left unaddressed. Duke’s Humans and Autonomy Lab (HAL) is experimenting with different drones to find ones that emit a different frequency when flying, in order to avoid the interference and undue stress to the elephants.