How elephants use their feet to 'hear' rain storms 100 km away

Dust devils swirl across the dry landscape, throwing clouds of sandy debris up from the parched earth. The heat warps and distorts the air. Vultures squabble over an animal carcass during this blistering drought. In the distance, elephants march across the land in search of much-needed water.

This harsh dry season is a difficult time for the entire herd. The young calves are especially vulnerable, as their mother's milk will dry up if water is not located soon. Fanning their ears to relieve themselves of the heat, they continue to wander, hoping to hear the sound that would spell relief. 

A hundred kilometres away, dark clouds gather and the sky crackles with lightning. Heavy raindrops spatter against the cracked ground, filling once empty pools with water.

This is what the elephants have been listening for. They can hear the storm as low-frequency vibrations — not through the air, but through the ground. In this excerpt of Hunters and Hunted, the first episode of Secret World of Sound, a series from The Nature of Things, we can witness exactly how the elephants are able to do this.

Despite supporting the weight of the largest land animal, the elephant's uniquely designed feet possess an intricate combination of tissues that allow them to locate storms — and water — from 100 kilometres away. 

Nerve endings in the skin and fatty cushions of the elephant's feet are responsive to pressure and movement, especially vibrations. By lifting one foot, they can press the other deeper into the ground and pinpoint the exact direction of the storm vibrations.  

With water at hand, the herd now heads toward the storm. One of the young calves stumbles, but its mother uses her trunk to push it along, encouraging the calf to finish the journey. Using their remarkable ability, these elephants have outlasted the drought.

Watch the video above for the full story.