Giraffes Show Ability to Perform Simple Addition in New Study

A study published June 26 in Scientific Reports reveals that some giraffes can perform simple addition. Researchers at Barcelona Zoo tested four giraffes—Nuru, Njano, and two others—by showing them containers with varying numbers of carrots, then adding extra carrots to one container. Nuru and Njano consistently chose the container with the most carrots, indicating they could mentally combine quantities. The study, led by Iker Loidi of the University of Barcelona, builds on earlier findings that giraffes can make statistical inferences. However, the giraffes failed at subtraction and more complex tasks. The research challenges the notion that complex numerical cognition is unique to humans and primates, suggesting convergent evolution. Giraffes outperformed at least eight other hoofed mammal species in quantity differentiation. The findings contribute to understanding how cognitive abilities evolved across animals.