Scientists find African elephants can distinguish visual clues linked to food quantity up to 5 metres away; beyond that, smell may guide their foraging choices

African elephants may use visual clues to judge the amount of food available before choosing where to feed, but their ability appears strongest at close range. Researchers tested four semi-tame adult African elephants by showing them circles printed on canvases. The circles represented different tree canopy sizes and leaf densities, allowing the researchers to test whether elephants could distinguish differences in food quantity.