Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

Samovar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:28:01 GMT

I am thoroughly moved by how amazing God's creation is. Wow!

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

luckystars83 — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:34:46 GMT

Apparantly cats can also paint

youtube.com/watch

http://www.monpa.com/wcp/

www.ehow.com/how_2159744_teach-cat-paint.html

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

Shadeaux — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:14:09 GMT

Regardless of whether this elephant is a real talent, or whether this is the result of exensive training, Im shocked that so many here are so quick to assume that the animal must be abused, or that the paintings have no value.I'm surprised because the alternative to handing this creature a paint brush it to have him out in the forest, helping in the deforestation process, which is what elephants are traditionally used for in Thailand.I don't know about you guys, but I would rather see them with paintbrushes held in thier trunks, than being prodded with hooks to pull downed trees through the forest.

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

joetalty — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:51:53 GMT

This is a wonderful example of example of the existence of God and his love for all creation.

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

Carol M — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:27:40 GMT

Why in the world do we have to abuse animals like this?? This is just disgusting to me. Why can't animals be animals! Who knows how they were trained to "paint" - most likely abused, as are all wild animals trained to do stupid tricks. Think "circus" - horrendous abuse!

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

Stonecarver — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:43:05 GMT

Very good coordination between trainer and animal. Both are quite skilled and have a close relationship. I think it is extremely unlikely that the elephant actually understands the meaning of the marks it is making under the trainer's guidance. Having watched this and other elephant painting videos, it is clear that this is not fake, i.e. not a hand puppet. Elephants have very good proprioception in their trunks, moving them with certainty when self-directed, and the closeup shows an uncertainty of movement indicating precise directions coming from the trainer. It would take some subtle tests, which probably have not been done, to determine whether the elephant knows it has drawn an elephant. My guess is that it does not realize this.

The moral aspects of this: this is a well-trained animal, just as a sheep dog (descended from predator species) is well-trained to do something not inherently natural; and a good riding horse, a flight animal, carrying a potential predator on it back, as well.

One hopes that these elephants are humanely trained. I suspect that they are, just judging by the subtlety of the communication required. Many riding horses are very brutally trained, more recently many are very gently trained, with excellent results.

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

mick-marie — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:38:38 GMT

Just to see both sides of this issue (fake or real) I figured out how this elephant painting could be a fake. What

if there was a picture behind the paper the elephant is painting on. And what if that picture were painted with

magnetic paint. And what if there was a magnet inside the elephants' paint brush. Elephants HAVE been trained to paint abstract pictures...THAT'S something I can believe with no problem. So, what if an elephant

starts to do his abstract painting and because of a strong magnet hidden in his paint brush, his brush is drawn

to the picture behind the paper which, as I said, was painted with magnetic paint. You know, like an "Etch a

Sketch" only instead of a magnetic pen bringing metal shavings to the surface to draw a line you have a magnet hidden by bristles being attracted to the painting behind the paper. If the magnet were strong enough

maybe the elephant would just allow his trunk to go with the flow while he's doing his (otherwise) abstract.

I guess this sounds pretty far fetched but it makes more sense to me than an elephant being able to paint an actual picture. I think someone is pullin' your leg. Up to now, abstracts. And now all of a sudden...pictures?

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

Tachia — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:22:02 GMT

It made me rather sad seeing that video: the Ringling Bros. circus is in town and is not "The Greatest Show on Earth" that's it's set out to be. The circus in general has a history of abusing animals, especially elephants: they are beaten, chained, and worse.

Boycott all circuses and other cheap yet abusive entertainment! Go to www.care2.com and www.circuses.com for more info.

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

IronPalm — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:58:16 GMT

Canary38 - If you just go to YouTube and do a search on "elephants painting", you will have no difficulty finding several videos.

Olin - Watch the vid closely. Yes, it does show the close up most of the time, but there are a couple of "zooms" that do not allow for someone to take over the brush. In addition, how about watching more than one vid - there are others on there that CLEARLY show the elephant doing the painting.

Don't be such a nay-sayer without investigating further; you will come off much better by not being proven wrong.

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

anneshq — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:13:08 GMT

I read an article in the NYT's magazine a while back about how elephants have a collective unconscious and because they have been collectively abused are now retaliating simultaneously throughout their areas of population. For example, they are singling out humans to kill and they are abusing other animals. They gave an example of a young bull raping a rhino. They are a matriarchical species and because a lot of the mature females have been killed there is no one to keep the young juveniles in check. They seem to be mimicking our own society unfortunately. Anyway, when elephants go on a rampage it is for a very good reason and humans should take heed; it is a very ominous sign of our own decay!

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

Backyard Permaculture — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:49:39 GMT

Wow

Now we know who painted the cave walls.

Cave Elephants

Seriously, this is really impressive. The above comment someone made that the painting was done by a Elephant trunk hand puppet is so dense.

Ron

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

Canary38 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:22:54 GMT

The video does not show up! Only a large, empty box is there in it's place with a small red "X" in the upper left hand corner. Disappointed....:-(

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

BJ203 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:35:23 GMT

This is something you'd have to see to believe. But assuming this clip is for real, then one could only describe it as astonishing. Animals are much more intelligent creatures than we give them credit for. It just makes you wonder...................

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

Olin — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:11:34 GMT

FAKE!! You never see the ENTIRE animal while painting. That is somebody's arm disguised as an elephant's trunk. This is BULL!!

re: Did You Know Elephants Can Actually Paint Pictures?

shales — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:25:15 GMT

You can see the handler directing the elephant with touches and pulls to its ear. Every elephant that supposedly draws a self portait is so induced to do it. Don't be gullible. Elephants exhibit elephant behavior and are extremely intelligent and perhaps conscious of their own mortality. But to consider this elephant behavior rather than a trained behaviour is to suspend disbelief.