The following summary of elephant intelligence would indicate that we’re talking about mental abilities that in some areas, particularly memory, could even surpass our own:
Yeah, it makes me wonder if, in 200 years, we’ll regard elephants as “people.”
All it would likely take, I think, is a reasonable translation of their fairly complex vocalizations into something we could understand, and the communications would open.
It’s clear they have self consciousness and remember their dead - they go back to the bones of their friends, and run their trunks over their teeth, which is the elephant equivalent of a handshake…
Truly amazing, and Snopes confirms authenticity:
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/elephantpainting.asp
The following summary of elephant intelligence would indicate that we’re talking about mental abilities that in some areas, particularly memory, could even surpass our own:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_intelligence
Good find on the Snopes.
Yeah, it makes me wonder if, in 200 years, we’ll regard elephants as “people.”
All it would likely take, I think, is a reasonable translation of their fairly complex vocalizations into something we could understand, and the communications would open.
It’s clear they have self consciousness and remember their dead - they go back to the bones of their friends, and run their trunks over their teeth, which is the elephant equivalent of a handshake…