An Elephants Family Refuses To Share A Big Mirror With A Leopard (Short Version

𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲! 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲!
In a remote area of the Gabonese forest, 12 km from the equator and 10 km from the Atlantic Ocean, outside a national park, Anne-Marie et Xavier Hubert-Brierre have been observing the reaction of wild animals as they catch sight of themselves in large mirrors (250cm x 120cm) with motion sensors camera traps the couple installed 9 years ago. This innovative idea attracted the attention of primatologists, behaviour specialists whose studies on self recognition have, until now, been carried out in laboratories, on wild animals in captivity who are accustomed to the presence of humans. Wild animals come and go as they please in front of our mirrors and stay as they like both day and night.
For humans self recognition is not immediate: in the case of the very young child a period of “mirror training” guided by the reassurance of the mother is necessary.