[www.telegraph.co.uk]

this was awesome! i got it in an email form from my brother awhile back. so cool
patty

how do u know its real?

and not just juxtaposed?

well, i think its fabulous anyhow

They actually do it, but they are trained. Also the trainers change out the paintbrushes for different colors for them.

That's cool, thanks -- but I already saw it a few months ago. It was popular online a while back... I guess you're the last to see it --

hehe....

oh that is cute

someone changing the paintbrush for them for the color and whatnot

it is always scary when it is the other way around

and the animals try to make us be more like them

can you IMAGINE???? if elephants tried to "train" us to dip our heads into the lakes and then draw water from our nostrils then spew the water out to cool off other things like they do with their own trunks?

i get a headache just thinking about it LOL

i wonder if the elephant was traumatized by being coerced to be like a human

Elephants don't need to display these types of tricks to show me how amazing they are. People exploit them for amusement due to their intelligence and sensitivity, which really disgusts me. I appreciate the fact that this elephant was in the photo was rescued, but none-the-less, it would be best if elephants could just be free to be themselves in the wild. It is so sad. The greatest danger to elephants is destruction of habitat.


Here are some interesting facts about them:

Scientists identified over 50 different sounds they use to communicate to each other. They can also communicate over large distances by sending vibrations through the ground and picking up vibrations through their feet.

They live in matriarch societies, the females stay with the family throughout their life. The family is lead by the oldest female (matriarch). The males separate around puberty (10-14). The males then leave and join a bachelor group of young bulls.

Babies are cared for not only by mothers, but by aunts, cousins, and sisters.

Elephants care for injured or sick members of their family. When members of their family die, they moan, cry and bury them with branches, grass and dirt.

They like to swim and use their trunk as a snorkel.

They have more folds in their temporal lobe than people, indicating an excellent memory.

They are very graceful, they can step on a coconut just hard enough to crack it open but not so hard thy damage the meat inside.

In the wild they walk about 25 miles a day. Unfortunately in captivity they often don’t get close to this, sometimes they are confined to small areas all day.

They live up to 70 years in the wild (a comparable life-span as people). They wean at 2 and go through puberty at 15.

In the wild they eat a huge variety of plants (fruit, fresh grass, leaves, bark and water plants). Unfortunately in captivity they are often fed only hay and grains.

You probably remember stories about elephants breaking their chains and leaving for higher ground, before the tsunami hit (and before people picked up on the danger). Here is an article. [www.expressindia.com]

The Elephant Art project in Asia is a program designed to support elephant rescue projects. It's a compromise, but the elephants involved are living better lives than if they were hunted for ivory or starved to beg money on the streets. Ideals are wonderful, let's work for them - but remember a little practical effort that saves lives and also manages to keep the elephants amused isn't such a bad thing. These beautiful creatures are well fed, safe from hunting & abuse, and show a lot of humans who might be aware of it just how incredible they and their brethren are.