Tyke elephant4/26/2023 ![]() We have ridden them, dressed them up in ridiculous attire, beaten them, starved them, and slaughtered them en masse. We even know now that what makes captive elephants happy is not the size of their pen, but whether they live with other elephants, thanks to a landmark collection of papers in the scientific journal PLOS ONE last yearīut our desire to be close to these incredible creatures has led us down some ugly paths. They can have an “aha” moment to solve a puzzle, showed researchers in 2011, by witnessing a young elephant in the National zoo in Washington DC who would move a block wherever she needed it to reach food. They can recognise themselves in a mirror, found scientists in 2006, one of only a few species that do this. Some extraordinary scientific studies in the last few years have revealed just how intelligent they are. “Empathy, enduring family bonds, cooperation, intelligence, long memories, taking care of their environment – to name just a few.” “We see the qualities and characteristics in elephants that we aspire to have ourselves,” says Patricia Sims, the co-founder of World Elephant Day. We are, as a species, generally fascinated by elephants. ![]() Watching her now, it’s hard to imagine Flora – a female African elephant, the largest and arguably most regal terrestrial animal on the planet – dressed up in a silly costume performing in a one-elephant act for 18 years. The Elephant Sanctuary spreads over 2,700 rolling acres.
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