A comparison of elephant and human behavior in terms of the elements of Human and Elephant cognitive maps has generated several conclusions regarding similarities in structure and content and thus similarities in the structure and content of elephant and human communication. These conclusions were used to design the strategies and tactics for communication with the elephants in this experiment. These similarities become evident in the gestural and vocal communication used between elephant and mahaut. Implicit meaning in the form of social and emotional relationship is very commonly communicated. Elephants often effect human behavior through gesture and vocals.
Communication becomes comprehensible through the narrowness of the work context.
The geography and content of elephant cognitive maps are revealed through comprehension of elephant symbolic communication. Trunk dexterity is more than adequate to produce simple realistic drawings. Elephants sometimes make marks in the dirt while standing in groups and vocalizing. Elephant brains are several times larger than human brains, with many times the cortical area available for higher mental function. Elephants have complex vocal communicaton, behave altruistically toward kin group members and routinely solve difficult problems involving child care, rescue , defense, male combat, matriarchal social relations, finding food and water, location of estrous females etc.