Photographs of Asian elephants carrying a pipe at the Berlin Zoo have revealed the great terrestrial animal’s showering behavior and possibly a spontaneous act of destruction, according to a recent study.
Researchers at the Humboldt University of Berlin and the Berlin Zoological Garden studied the use of the water gut tool among three female elephants—Mary, Pang Pha, and Anchhali. Mary, in particular, stood out for her “pipe-bathing technique,” the researchers noted in a Nov. 8 report, published in the journal. Current Biology.
As well as bathing normally—only with her trunk—Mary automatically used her proboscis to pick up water hoses and bathe her body in “many different and purposeful ways,” such as adjusting her grip and posture and pointing at different body parts, the researchers said.
They explained: “Mary used to hold the pipe behind the head, using it as a strong shower head. However, to get back on his back, he grabbed the pipe near the head and threw it on his back, using flexible pipe and ballistics. ” While using the pipe, Mary spent more time showering on the left side of her body. However, the researchers noticed a difference when Mary showered on the trunk. “Many species that show lateralized tool use clearly do not show lateralized preferences for other behaviors, indicating that tool use promotes organization. ,” said the researchers. “Ironically, [Mary’s] choosing aside when washing the trunk does not agree with ‘his body,’” they added.
Mary’s use of this complex tool led researchers to wonder if elephants “have a somewhat accurate understanding of pipes, possibly because of the similarity of their trunks,” study co-author Lena Kaufmann explained in a video clip of the paper.
At one point, Mary’s shower time was interrupted by a seemingly destructive person—little Anchhali. During Mary’s washing, “Anhali began to pull the water hose towards her, lifting and rubbing it, then holding it and squeezing it.” The researchers charted the rate of Anchali’s “bend and roll” actions across different time periods. They found that his ability to block the flow of water increased over time.
As for the intentions of this apparently cunning elephant, the researchers note that although their observations indicate destruction, they do not confirm it. “In control experiments with multiple tubes, it was not clear that Anchhali was directly targeting Mary’s tube,” they explained in the paper.
That said, this latest study provides further evidence of elephants’ ingenuity and intelligence, suggesting that they are not only tool users but can also enjoy the subtleties of playfulness. It’s a reminder of how complex and intelligent these animals are, adding to our understanding of the psychologically rich lives of these amazing giants.
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