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Dumb animals?
- Thread starter Rich Z
- Start date
alan
Guest
Yeah, but that's just trial and error and learned behavior. They are fun to watch, but I don't think they have much of a thought process.
You have obviously never had hired workers working for you..... :rofl: I'd take squirrels ANY day.....
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alan
Guest
So you think maybe they rewarded the elephant whenever it made a line in the proper place? How tedious.
Jrgh17
Are we there yet?
No. They probably had a copy of the picture, taught it to follow the outline, and then slowly taught the elephant to reproduce the picture again.
It'd be interesting to know if the elephants produce a unique picture each time, or if they cycle through a couple images...
alan
Guest
That might be possible, elephant's memory and all that.
But then it's not really art, is it? Biggest color copier ever.
Jrgh17
Are we there yet?
I don't know what is more difficult to believe: That the elephant came up with the painting skill spontaneously, or someone was able to train an elephant to paint an image. To train an elephant to do that, think of the concepts it has to be able to grasp........ :crazy01: How could any of them be considered as "instinct"?
Checkerbelly
New member
I saw a show about a gorilla that learned sign language. Its parents were killed by poachers when it was a baby. When researchers asked about its parents, the gorilla signed something about its parents being smashed.
Nanci
Alien Lover
Elephant Paints Self Portrait.
****************************
Remember that African Grey Parrot, Alex, who had a vocabulary of over 100 words? His last words ever were "You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you." He was found dead in his cage the next morning.
Voodoo
User Extraordinaire
I remember Alex. My uncle has an African Grey that really freaks people out with his intelligent use of his vocabulary. Just like Alex, my uncle's bird takes phrases and words he's previously learned and mixes them together to make his own sentences.
My uncle also has two dogs that the African Grey loves to command. He yells for them by name in my uncle's voice. The dogs come running, and the bird asks them if they need to go outside. The dogs will start jumping around, and the bird tells them to get down...then he laughs hysterically as if he understands that he's tricked the dogs into thinking my uncle is going to take them outside.
I've had 15 minute conversations with this bird. You can actually ask "How are you?" and he'll reply with how he feels: I'm great! - I'm tired. - I'm ready to play! I'm bored.
He can also mimic the sound of the phone ringing, the front door closing, the dogs barking, etc. His cage is right next to my uncle's quaker parrot. The Grey talks to the Quaker all the time and calls him by name. The quaker can talk, but not nearly as extensively as the Grey. The Grey tends to get annoyed at the Quaker for the Quaker's lack of vocabulary and love for squawking, and shouts "Shut up!" and other obscenities at the quaker. haha.
Having an African Grey in the room is like being around a 5 year old child with feathers. They're so incredibly smart.
crackerhead
Hug Free Zone
Thank you Don, thank you Rich. I find the video amazing and a little sad. I don't care if it is training or original, the act screams intelligent being. After watching that elephant paint I was struck with thought, "and we lock them in cages, what must they think." To be capable of learning such a complicated task is mind blowing. Take note that he was not a full grown elephant. Try teaching that to a 6yr human. I promise you, it would be no easy task.
Nanci, I met Alex, an incredible being and I mourn his passing. And I've worked with Sara the chimp who learned sign language. Their intelligence is, at times, a little off putting. Alex would correct younger birds when they were in session and he was in his cage. And his tone of voice was nothing short of annoyance. Sara tested every new student sent to work in the lab. She was a brutal taskmaster! Far worse that any prof. Just goes to show you never underestimate any creature.
Terri
Nanci, I met Alex, an incredible being and I mourn his passing. And I've worked with Sara the chimp who learned sign language. Their intelligence is, at times, a little off putting. Alex would correct younger birds when they were in session and he was in his cage. And his tone of voice was nothing short of annoyance. Sara tested every new student sent to work in the lab. She was a brutal taskmaster! Far worse that any prof. Just goes to show you never underestimate any creature.
Terri