An Elephant never forgets, it's known for years. But, do you know the secret behind their memory power, particularly when it comes to keeping track on their near and dear ones? It’s pee... seriously!

Researchers in Britain have carried out a study and found that elephants keep tabs on their family members with the help of urine even when they are out of sight, The Daily Telegraph reported here on Wednesday.

According to lead researcher Prof Richard Byrne, “For Urine deposits help them keep constant track of up to 30 other individuals in their large and frequently changing family groups — a memory feat which we can only admire.”

The researchers at the University of St Andrews came to the conclusion after conducting an experiment on African elephants in Kenya. The researchers presented samples of urine from female members of the family to other group members and found the elephants “showed surprise” — reaching out with their trunks to investigate when they encountered urine from an individual, who could not possibly have urinated there.

Urine from unrelated elephants left them unmoved but they also showed a lot of interest when the urine was from a family member who was far away.