Nellie’s not such a dumbo jumbo

IT is said an elephant never forgets – and now a study suggests they are selfaware too, adding to growing evidence of their intelligence.

Scientists found Asian elephants realise when they are in the way and move accordingly, suggesting they are one of only a few species to be aware of their own bodies.

Cambridge University experts tied a stick to a rubber mat, before bringing elephants to stand on the mat and encouraging them to pass the stick to a volunteer.

The creatures mostly realised they had to move off the mat to release the stick.

The animals, along with magpies, dolphins and great apes, have in previous studies recognised themselves in mirrors.

But the mat test, adapted from one in which children were asked to push a shopping trolley attached to a mat, is thought to be a better test of self-awareness.

Dr Josh Plotnik, a visiting researcher at Cambridge and founder of charity Think Elephants International, who helped devise the experiment, said: ‘This is a deceptively simple test, but its implications are quite profound. The elephants understood their bodies were in the way, so they stepped aside. This is something that young children are unable to understand until they are about two years old.’

In the test, which involved 12 elephants at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation in Thailand, the animals moved their bodies to complete the task an average of 42 out of 48 times.

When the stick was untethered, meaning there was no need for the animal to move, they did so only three times. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Previous research has also highlighted elephants’ sensitivity, including showing they hold funerals for their dead. Dr Plotnik’s colleague Rachel Dale said: ‘These abilities are highly unusual in animals and very rare indeed in non-primates.’