These wavelengths are only slightly muffled by forests or grasses. Because hills and trees do little to scatter the infrasonic sounds, they remain audible for two or more miles and can keep the lines of communication humming among elephants and their neighbors. The resulting web of silent chatter allows elephants to wander widely and unpredictably while still keeping in touch. The transmissions also enable elephants to live in a society that requires reliable long-distance information to function properly. Elephants need dependable news from afar because adult males and females normally live apart.
Females remain in the company of their female relatives, while adult males live more independently.
Sometimes, males travel with female groups for a few days at a time. Mostly, though, the bulls wander alone or in the company of other males. Because males and females spend so much time apart, they must rely on long-distance information to tell them when to come together to mate. The elephant's need for extended calling is made even more urgent by its general lack of concern for territory ownership. Neither bulls nor cows claim territories.