Do Elephants Enjoy Painting Pics Of Elephants?

[RobotTeacher]

I was amazed to see elephants showing off their talants last week north of Chiang Mai. These elephants at Maetaman elephant camp use their trunks to paint pictures of elephants! Some pictures have 2 elephants with one on top of the other which indicates the elephant may enjoy painting as it's expressing what it wants and hopes to get soon. A mate.

Other elephants paint roses with many pictures consisting of one elephant holding an over sized red rose with their trunk. Elephants can also play music and play soccer, often with surprising coordination and skill. There is controversy over the treatment of elephants in these camps. Some say they're abused to perform out of fear; others say they're not. The elephants I seen at Maetaman camp look great as they're healthy, fully filled out, very hairy, no noticable bull hook injuries, and have full tusks of ivory while most other camps have gangly skinnier looking elephants with no tusks and dark pale sickly looking skin like those of many begging city elephants.

We know they're specifically trained to perform these acts, call it elephant school, but do they like doing these sorts of things? I know they enjoy the applauding tourists, getting banana snacks, and getting a lot of attention. It seems to compare to teaching a class using candy and other positive re-enforcers for good behavior which can make kids suprise you with their performance and talants as I seen in my 1st year of Korea in a kindy hagwon academy.

Hats off to the elephants who were referred to as the 2nd human by a Thai tour guide. These are truly amazing creatures as long as they're not painted white for a farang wedding. Anyone see any real white albino elephants? Any of you elephant experts that can further enlighten the robots knowledge base on elephantry?

Remember, the robot can't feel negative emotion so it doesn't feed into troll responses. LOL

Edited February 19, 2009 by RobotTeacher

[bkkjames]

I was amazed to see elephants showing off their talants last week north of Chiang Mai. These elephants at Maetaman elephant camp use their trunks to paint pictures of elephants! Some pictures have 2 elephants with one on top of the other which indicates the elephant may enjoy painting as it's expressing what it wants and hopes to get soon. A mate.

Other elephants paint roses with many pictures consisting of one elephant holding an over sized red rose with their trunk. Elephants can also play music and play soccer, often with surprising coordination and skill. There is controversy over the treatment of elephants in these camps. Some say they're abused to perform out of fear; others say they're not. The elephants I seen at Maetaman camp look great as they're healthy, fully filled out, very hairy, no noticable bull hook injuries, and have full tusks of ivory while most other camps have gangly skinnier looking elephants with no tusks and dark pale sickly looking skin like those of many begging city elephants.

We know they're specifically trained to perform these acts, call it elephant school, but do they like doing these sorts of things? I know they enjoy the applauding tourists, getting banana snacks, and getting a lot of attention. It seems to compare to teaching a class using candy and other positive re-enforcers for good behavior which can make kids suprise you with their performance and talants as I seen in my 1st year of Korea in a kindy hagwon academy.

Hats off to the elephants who were referred to as the 2nd human by a Thai tour guide. These are truly amazing creatures as long as they're not painted white for a farang wedding. Anyone see any real white albino elephants? Any of you elephant experts that can further enlighten the robots knowledge base on elephantry?

Remember, the robot can't feel negative emotion so it doesn't feed into troll responses. LOL

First of all, Asimo is Japanese, not Korean so you may want to update your Avatar. Regarding elephants + thailand, did you know that it the # 1 thing that tourists to thailand want to do - ride one. Bet you will sleep better knowing that.

[RobotTeacher]

Wow I didn't know that riding an elephant was the #1 thing tourists come for, but I did ride a couple times in my trips. My #1 reason for touring Thailand several times is to experience tropical nature. Yes, I am a Japanese robot teaching in Korea. I'm not HUBO with a funny Albert Einstein head of Korea so my avatar is the correct robot. When going out into a natural environment such as the beaches, jungles, and rain forests, I have to waterproof myself using tubes of silicone gel! LOL The elephant trekking jostled my wiring, batteries, and chips so I did get a bit confused at some points and thought I was dreaming of electric sheep as I experienced some malfunctioning that required servicing.

[sassienie]

I doubt it.

The same as perfoming animals at a circus, dancing bears, rodeo horses and caged birds.

[scottyd]

Alot of kids don't want to go to school, but they are forced to so they can get a good education, and are grateful in the end that they did. Probably the same for elephants, they don't initially want to paint and shit, but after learning how to they are happy they did.

Why not educate Elephants, or do we want to do what alot of governments do to people, and keep them stupid?

[DP25]

We know they're specifically trained to perform these acts, call it elephant school, but do they like doing these sorts of things? I know they enjoy the applauding tourists, getting banana snacks, and getting a lot of attention.

I'm sure they like it a heck of a lot more than wandering the streets of Bangkok dodging cars, potholes, and electrical wires.

[daoyai]

The test would be to see if the elephant after being trained would then choose to "paint" pictures on it's own, without the mahut there to direct it.

[mogoso]

I'd guess the training is "treat" based. The elephants then would equate the learning and then doing as a way to get a treat. Many of the tourists buy bunches of bananas to feed the elephants, and I'm sure after watching the elephant do a painting for them, might also give the packy a treat.

So I guess its a win for the pachy and also for the mahoot as the elephant gets a little grub he doesn't have to provide.

[JoeThePoster]

I was dreaming of electric sheep as I experienced some malfunctioning that required servicing.

That explains what your left hand is doing.

Edited February 20, 2009 by JoeThePoster

[soiselee]

Our elephants enjoy painting. Some of our youngest elephants love coming to the painting school and try and pick up the brushes etc. Elephants learn in the same way as people, imitation etc. They are not born with innate behaviours. Like kids, if they are having fun while learning they will enjoy it.