“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 creative methods of using water hoses. Mary, in particular, showed remarkable skill, handling the hose almost like an extension of her trunk. Depending on which body part she wanted to reach, Mary adjusted her grip and technique, even swinging the hose like a lasso to spray water on her back.

How an elephant uses a hose

The study revealed that Mary’s behavior was neither random nor playful but rather calculated and purposeful. When presented with hoses of varying diameters, Mary adjusted her technique to optimize water flow, favoring the standard 24-mm hose over others. This indicates she was evaluating the best tool for her needs.

However, the most surprising discovery came from observing another elephant, Anchali. This younger elephant was seen deliberately kinking the hose while Mary was using it, cutting off the water flow. Researchers believe this behavior demonstrates not only tool use but also social manipulation — a kind of “sabotage” that adds complexity to our understanding of elephant cognition.

Shower sabotage

Anchali would kink the hose to cut off Mary’s water supply, suggesting a kind of second-order tool use — using a tool (the hose) not just to accomplish a task, but to interfere with how another elephant was using it. Researchers believe this could be an act of playful sabotage. It would show that elephants not only understand how to use tools but can also manipulate them to impact others’ activities.

“The surprise was certainly Anchali’s kink-and-clamp behavior,” Brecht says. “Nobody had thought that she’d be smart enough to pull off such a trick.”

This is extremely unlikely to be an accident. The elephants are well-trained not to step on the hoses — if they do, the keepers would scold them. So, normally, elephants avoid interfering with the hoses. This strongly suggests that Anchali understood what she was doing, coming up with sophisticated workarounds to interfere with Mary’s showers.

“When Anchali came up with a second behavior that disrupted water flow to Mary, I became pretty convinced that she is trying to sabotage Mary,” Brecht said.

Elephant cognition

The findings from this study are more than just amusing anecdotes about elephants and their shower preferences — they shed new light on elephant cognition.

Elephants are no strangers to tool use. Wild elephants have been observed modifying branches to swat away flies, and they have been known to manipulate objects to access food. However, the use of water hoses as tools in captivity adds a new layer to our understanding of their cognitive flexibility. The hose, with its flexible and controllable water flow, presents a unique challenge. It requires not only physical dexterity but also an understanding of cause and effect — skills that go beyond what is typically expected from non-human animals.

The findings are also important for conservation and ethics.

Asian elephants are an endangered species, facing threats from habitat loss, human conflict, and poaching. Zoo environments and conservation centers have their own ethical challenges, which includes providing animals with stimulating environments. If elephants have this level of cognitive ability, it raises questions about how best to care for such intelligent creatures in captivity, ensuring they are not only physically healthy but also mentally stimulated.

Ultimately, this also poses a deeper question about elephant cognition.

“Do elephants play tricks on each other in the wild?” Brecht asked. “When I saw Anchali’s kink and clamp for the first time, I broke out in laughter. So, I wonder, does Anchali also think this is funny, or is she just being mean?”

Journal Reference: Water hose tool use and showering behavior by Asian elephants, Current Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.10.017. www.cell.com/current-biology/f … 0960-9822(24)01371-X