Quote:

Born Free explains that it is a “myth” that the elephant’s ability to paint is a result of their natural cleverness. Rather, directly refuting Maesa’s story about how their elephants learned to paint, “Elephants endure months of physical abuse to learn how to hold a paint brush, draw a straight line and paint flowers and leaves on trees.”

Like elephants used in the elephant trekking industry, young elephants used for painting must be broken and experience the pain of the phajaan process. Over this time baby elephants are starved, shackled, and beaten, until their spirit is completely broken and will submit to the will of their captors.  Once young elephants have undergone this process they can being learning to paint.

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Shroomism said:

Make no mistake... this is just a way for them to make money from tourists and nothing more. They don't give a single fuck about "demonstrating the elephants have a capacity for learning"

Elephants perform stunts in the circus too. They can use tools. They understand human body language. They show empathy. They mourn their dead. They have ridiculous memory. We already know elephants are intelligent.

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