Elephant Intelligence

Elephant intelligence is a concept humans have been studying closely especially with the rise of elephant attacks. This blog is not about the elephant at the circus that can throw a ball or balance on their front legs.

This blog is about all elephants and how they may be as smart and emotional as humans.

Here are some interesting reasons on why elephants may be as smart as we are:

1. Elephants use tools such as rocks and sticks found in their natural environment and not just for playing. For example, they use sticks to scratch themselves, shoo away flies and as a weapon to confront enemies. Elephants have used large rocks to short circuit electric fences.

2. When an elephant loses a loved one, they mourn. Elephants mourn by touching the body, watching over the body and making mournful-sounding noises for days. Elephants remember the spot a loved one died and when revisited they pause and exhibit signs of mourning. Similar to how humans mourn at a cemetery.

3. Elephants are self aware and recognize themselves when placed in front of a mirror. Most animals don't recognize themselves in mirror and either seem uninterested or fear it is another animal in front of them. An elephant with a smudge on its face will try to rub it off when it sees the smudge in the reflection.

The above points are no different to what we do as human so maybe elephants are as smart as humans and that the rise of elephant attacks in nothing more than post traumatic disorder and depression.Emotions we as humans would experience if we were hunted or our habitat taken away from us.

- Carolina