“Elephants are amazing with hoses,” says Michael Brecht of the Humboldt University of Berlin. Also, the elephant “Mary is the queen of showering.”
Asian elephants are known for their impressive cognitive abilities, ranging from self-recognition in mirrors to navigating intricate social interactions. Now, researchers at the Berlin Zoo have unveiled another layer of their intelligence: the sophisticated use of water hoses as tools.
The study started serendipitously when Lena Kaufmann, one of the researchers, noticed Mary the elephant deftly using a water hose to shower herself. Kaufmann recorded this intriguing behavior and shared it with her colleagues. The team was surprised to see such precise control, prompting further investigation.
“I had not thought about hoses as tools much before, but what came out from Lea’s work is that elephants have an exquisite understanding of these tools,” Brecht says.
Researchers observed Mary and two other elephants over several months, documenting their …