The mother elephant waves her trunk with annoyance. The herd is about to set off for the next waterhole, but her son is nowhere to be seen. Typical! All she can do is call his name: "Kala Nag!"

This is an imagined scenarioAn imaginary situation. The word was originally Italian and referred to the plot of a stage drama.. But according to a new study,¹ it may not be far from reality.

Researchers used AIA computer programme that has been designed to think.  to analyse over 400 calls between elephants in KenyaA country in East Africa with a population of nearly 54 million people. . These ranged from loud trumpeting to rumbles too low for humans to hear. These can reach elephants 6km away.

The AI algorithmAny set of rules followed by a computer. In the context of social media, "the algorithm" refers to the intelligent AI that learns the interests of the user and presents them with posts that it thinks will interest them. picked out sounds that could have been names. The scientists then played these back to the elephants they believed they belonged to.

They wanted to see whether the elephants would react - and they did, "energetically".²

No other creatures apart from humans are known to address each other by name.

The discovery is very important. If elephants are intelligent enough to learn each other's names, they may be able to think in a similar way to us.

Four years ago a champion of animal rights, Steven Wise, brought a court case against a zoo in New York. He argued that an elephant called Happy was being unlawfully detained there and should be moved to a sanctuary.

He referred to the law of habeas corpus. This says that a prisoner must be brought before a court to decide whether their imprisonment is legal. If Wise won, it would mean that Happy was a person in the eyes of the law - and had rights.

Wise lost. But the judge agreed that Happy was "an intelligent, autonomousHaving the freedom to control itself or its life. being who should be treated with respect and dignityCalm and serious behaviour, or the state of being worthy of respect. , and who may be entitled to liberty".³

And public opinion is moving in favour of animals. A poll by GallupAn American analytics company. found that a third of Americans believed they should have the same rights as humans.

Should they have human rights?

Yes: Elephants are very close to us. They have huge brains and impressive memories, and have been found to show grief, compassionShowing feelings of sadness, sympathy and genuine care for other people's suffering. and empathyThe capacity to understand and feel the suffering of others.. The new discovery shows that they even think like us.

No: There has to be something which distinguishes humans from other creatures. If they were given our rights, other animals would follow, and the whole food industry would be in danger.

Or... Animals already have enough rights - almost as many as children. They are protected by law from mistreatment by humans, and they can even be left money in a person's willA document written by someone with instructions for after they die..

Scenario - An imaginary situation. The word was originally Italian and referred to the plot of a stage drama.

AI - A computer programme that has been designed to think. 

Kenya - A country in East Africa with a population of nearly 54 million people.

Algorithm - Any set of rules followed by a computer. In the context of social media, "the algorithm" refers to the intelligent AI that learns the interests of the user and presents them with posts that it thinks will interest them.

Autonomous - Having the freedom to control itself or its life.

Dignity - Calm and serious behaviour, or the state of being worthy of respect.

Gallup - An American analytics company.

Compassion - Showing feelings of sadness, sympathy and genuine care for other people's suffering.

Empathy - The capacity to understand and feel the suffering of others.

Will - A document written by someone with instructions for after they die.