How good is your sense of smell?
Some animals evolved to have heightened olfactory senses. They can detect water moisture with their noses or smells under the soil.
Some can even have a sense of smell so sharp it’s possible for them to detect smells over vast distances.
In this article, we’ll be looking at some of those animals who have an exceptional sense of smell.
Sharks
When it comes to strong olfactory senses, one of the most fearsome animals by far is the Great White Shark.
They’re capable of detecting blood in the water from up to 5 km away, and when they do, they can swim with a top speed of up to 50 km towards the source.
Sharks dedicate up to two-thirds of their brain to sharpen their sense of smell.
Bears
Bears are widely depicted for having a robust sense of smell, and for a good reason!
Despite their smaller brain size (compared to humans), the part of their brain that controls their smell is 5 times larger than humans.
In fact, when it comes to sheer magnitude, a Bear’s sense is up to 2,100 times better than ours.
Their olfactory senses are used to hunt for food, detect danger and also keep track of their Bear cubs in the wild.
To give you a better idea, Bears can detect the smell of an animal carcass from up to 30 km away!
Do you know, there are many different types of Bears in this world?
Kiwi
These flightless birds replace their ability to fly with a sharp, keen sense of smell.
Their nostrils are external and located at the tip of their beaks.
This allows them to search for food that’s beneath the soil or among piles of leaves.
Elephants
African Elephants are also some of the best when it comes to the sense of smell.
It should come as no surprise that their trunks are perhaps their most important tool for survival.
Elephants are especially good at detecting water, capable of doing so from up to 20 km away.
As you can see, these animals have an impressively sharp sense of smell that is multiple times stronger than ours.
Bali Safari Park is home to the Asian Elephants and you can visit and learn more about them in the Elephant Park.
We hope to see you soon!
