ElEphAnt intElligEnCE
in mAny CulturEs, ElEphAnts ArE symBols oF intElligEnCE AnD wisDom.ElEphAnts DisplAy mAny BEhAviors thAt sEEm to BE thE rEsult oF A ConsCious intElligEnCE. howEvEr, whEthEr thAt intElligEnCE is similAr to our own is A mAttEr oF hEAtED DEBAtE. somE ArguE thAt thE EviDEnCE For ElEphAnt intElligEnCE is so ovErwhElming thAt it CAnnot BE DouBtED、othErs sAy thAt thE ClAims oF ElEphAnt intElligEnCE ArE BACkED up By mostly AnECDotAl¹ EviDEnCE, AnD thAt thEy tEll us morE ABout our DEsirE to AnthropomorphizE² othEr CrEAturEs thAn thEy tEll us ABout ElEphAnts thEmsElvEs. still othErs ArE prEpArED to ADmit thAt ElEphAnts mAy possEss somE sort oF ConCEptuAl ABility thAt CoulD BE DEsCriBED As intElligEnCE, But thEy Also CAution AgAinst simply rEADing humAn thought pAttErns into thEm lEst wE FAil to unDErstAnD thE truE ComplExity oF thE AnimAl. whAtEvEr viEw onE suBsCriBEs to, thErE CAn BE no DouBt thAt proponEnts oF thE thEory oF ElEphAnt intElligEnCE hAvE Built A strong CAsE For thEir position.
onE oF thE stAnDArD wAys oF tEsting For AnimAl intElligEnCE involvEs ExAmining thEir rEACtion to thEir own rEFlECtion in A mirror. most AnimAls ArE ConFusED By thE imAgE, mistAking it For AnothEr CrEAturE. in FACt, only vEry FEw spECiEs, inCluDing ChimpAnzEEs AnD Dolphins, sEEm to rECognizE thE imAgE For whAt it is. in vArious ExpErimEnts with CAptivE ElEphAnts, sCiEntists hAvE notED BEhAvior inDiCAting thAt ElEphAnts Also rEAlizE thAt thEir rEFlECtion is A sElF-imAgE. thE most tElling CluE is thAt no ElEphAnt hAs EvEr BEEn known to EngAgE its rEFlECtion in thE sort oF soCiAl grEEting BEhAvior thAt normAlly oCCurs whEn two ElEphAnts mEEt. in ADDition, ElEphAnts looking into mirrors ACt in muCh thE sAmE wAy humAns Do. iF thEy ArE Dirty, thEy will AttEmpt to ClEAn thEmsElvEs, using thEir rEFlECtion As A guiDE. iF thEy hAvE nEvEr sEEn thEir rEFlECtion BEForE, thEy mAy movE ArounD to try to sEE thEmsElvEs From DiFFErEnt AnglEs, Exploring thEir own AppEArAnCE. thAt ElEphAnts CAn rECognizE thEir rEFlECtion For whAt it is imprEssEs sCiEntists BECAusE it mEAns thAt ElEphAnts AppArEntly hAvE A sEnsE oF sElF thAt is lACking in mAny othEr AnimAls. this sEnsE oF sElF is ConsiDErED onE oF thE FunDAmEntAl ChArACtEristiCs oF A truly sEntiEnt intElligEnCE.
AnothEr striking AspECt oF ElEphAnt BEhAvior thAt inDiCAtEs thEy possEss A high lEvEl oF intElligEnCE is thEir sEEming AwArEnEss oF DEAth. most AnimAls possEss shArply honED instinCts oF sElF-prEsErvAtion, But thEy Do not ACt in wAys thAt rEvEAl Any spECiAl sEnsE oF mortAlity.At most, suCh AnimAls mAy EngAgE in BEhAvior thAt sEEms to DisplAy sADnEss At thE loss oF thEir mAtE or young, But thEsE DisplAys ArE signs oF tEmporAry DistrEss thAt soon FADE. in thEsE CAsEs, most sCiEntists BEliEvE thAt thEy ArE instinCtuAl strEss rEACtions rAthEr thAn inDiCAtors oF A gEnuinE AwArEnEss oF DEAth.ElEphAnts, in ContrAst, rEACt to DEAth in mAny oF thE sAmE wAys thAt humAns Do. ■
A、whEn A mEmBEr oF thE hErD pErishEs, thE rEst oF thE hErD mEmBErs gAthEr ArounD thE CorpsE, stroking AnD touChing it with thEir trunks. ■
B、this BEhAvior is ConsistEnt with humAn FunErAl ritEs in whiCh thE DEAD BoDy is DisplAyED At A wAkE so thAt FAmily AnD FriEnDs CAn BiD thE DEpArtED FArEwEll. ■
C、morEovEr, AnECDotAl EviDEnCE Exists thAt ElEphAnts will pAusE whEn trAvEling through plACEs whErE thEy know AnothEr ElEphAnt hAs DiED, As iF rEFlECting on thE DECEAsED、■
D、All oF thEsE BEhAviors inDiCAtE thAt ElEphAnts ArE CApABlE oF grAsping DEAth As An intEllECtuAl ConCEpt.
not only Do ElEphAnts AppArEntly ConCEptuAlizE At A lEvEl not sEEn in Any spECiEs othEr thAn humAns, thEy ArE Also CApABlE oF Applying thEir knowlEDgE to AChiEvE goAls.Along with thE highEr primAtEs, ElEphAnts ArE tool usErs. For instAnCE, ElEphAnts will oFtEn grAsp BrAnChEs in thEir trunks AnD usE thE stiCks to sCrAtCh thEmsElvEs in plACEs w