Drones Reveal the Sleeping Patterns of Wild Elephants
A drone flying near elephants in Samburu National Reserve
As it turns out, even giants need their rest. For years, scientists assumed wild elephants barely slept. While elephants in zoos will sleep for 4-6 hours, wild elephants were seen to only snatch a few minutes here and there, often standing up, or going for days without sleep. But new bird’s-eye research into the sleep patterns of wild African elephants in northern Kenya has revealed they need more shut-eye than previously thought – and that they may even post a sentinel to keep watch.
At Save the Elephants, we’ve been using drone technology, with support from biosciences company Colossal, to study elephant behaviour from the sky. These drones, equipped with infrared cameras, have allowed us to quietly observe elephants during the day, and most interestingly, at night – something that was nearly impossible before. What we’ve found is changing our understanding of elephant rest.
Drone technology gives us a silent window into the lives of elephants
By flying high and quietly above Samburu’s moonlit savannahs, our team has been able to track and record elephant sleep patterns without disturbing them. They usually begin settling down between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am, with more than half of the elephants we tracked lying down between 1:00 and 3:00 am.
Sometimes the whole herd lies down together. Other times, the matriarch remains standing – perhaps keeping watch – while the calves and other adults rest beside her. It’s a touching scene, and one that no one had ever seen unfold in the wild until now.
A drone-captured image showing elephants’ sleeping patterns
Our observations also show that elephants sleep for longer stretches than previously thought. They lie down for an average of 2.5 hours a night, often in continuous sleep bouts of up to 2 hours. And while they’re known for resting while standing, we’ve now documented that they also rest upright for another 2.5 hours – usually during the day, often under the shade of acacia trees.
This study – one of the most comprehensive ever conducted on wild elephant sleep – is being prepared for publication. It’s a milestone not just for elephant science, but for the power of emerging technologies like drones in deepening our understanding of the natural world.
Stay tuned for the full results and more groundbreaking insights from above the canopy.
Photos by Jane Wynyard / Save the Elephants