Editing Elephant (section)

===Intelligence and cognition===
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{{Main|Elephant cognition}}
[[File:Insightful-Problem-Solving-in-an-Asian-Elephant-pone.0023251.s005.ogv|thumb|Elephant rolling a block to allow it to reach food]]
Elephants are among the most intelligent animals. They exhibit [[Mirror test|mirror self-recognition]], an indication of [[self-awareness]] and [[cognition]] that has also been demonstrated in some [[ape]]s and [[dolphin]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Plotnik, J. M. |author2=de Waal, F. B. M. |author3=Reiss, D. |name-list-style=amp |year=2006|title=Self-recognition in an Asian elephant|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=103|issue=45|pages=17053–17057|doi=10.1073/pnas.0608062103|pmid=17075063 |bibcode = 2006PNAS..10317053P |pmc=1636577|doi-access=free }}</ref> One study of a captive female Asian elephant suggested the animal was capable of learning and distinguishing between several visual and some acoustic discrimination pairs. This individual was even able to score a high accuracy rating when re-tested with the same visual pairs a year later.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Rensch, B.|year=1957|title=The intelligence of elephants|journal=Scientific American|volume=196|issue=2|pages=44–49|doi=10.1038/scientificamerican0257-44|bibcode=1957SciAm.196b..44R}}</ref> Elephants are among the [[Tool use by animals|species known to use tools]]. An Asian elephant has been observed fine-tuning branches for use as [[Fly-killing device|flyswatters]].<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Hart, B. J. |author2=Hart, L. A. |author3=McCory, M. |author4=Sarath, C. R. |s2cid=53184282 |year=2001|title=Cognitive behaviour in Asian elephants: use and modification of branches for fly switching|journal=Animal Behaviour|volume=62|issue=5|pages=839–847|doi=10.1006/anbe.2001.1815}}</ref> Tool modification by these animals is not as advanced as that of [[Pan (genus)|chimpanzee]]s. Elephants are popularly thought of as having an excellent memory. This could have a factual basis; they possibly have [[cognitive map]]s which give them long lasting memories of their environment on a wide scale. Individuals may be able to remember where their family members are located.<ref name="cognition">{{cite journal|author1=Byrne, R. W.|author2=Bates, L.|author3=Moss C. J.|year=2009|title=Elephant cognition in primate perspective|journal= Comparative Cognition & Behavior Reviews|volume=4|pages=65–79|doi=10.3819/ccbr.2009.40009|df=dmy-all|doi-access=free|hdl=10023/1612|hdl-access=free}}</ref>

Scientists debate the extent to which elephants feel [[emotion]]. They are attracted to the bones of their own kind, regardless of whether they are related.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=McComb, K. |author2=Baker, L. |author3=Moss, C. |year=2006|title=African elephants show high levels of interest in the skulls and ivory of their own species|journal= Biology Letters|volume=2|issue=1|pages=26–28|doi=10.1098/rsbl.2005.0400|pmid=17148317|pmc=1617198}}</ref> As with chimpanzees and dolphins, a dying or dead elephant may elicit attention and aid from others, including those from other groups. This has been interpreted as expressing "concern";<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Douglas-Hamilton, I.|author2=Bhallaa, S.|author3=Wittemyera, G.|author4=Vollratha, F.|year=2006|title=Behavioural reactions of elephants towards a dying and deceased matriarch|journal=Applied Animal Behaviour Science|volume=100|issue=1|pages=87–102|doi=10.1016/j.applanim.2006.04.014|url=http://www.savetheelephants.org/files/pdf/publications/2006%20Douglas-Hamilton%20et%20al%20Behavioural%20reactions%20of%20elephants%20to%20a%20dying%20matriarch.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511045326/http://www.savetheelephants.org/files/pdf/publications/2006%20Douglas-Hamilton%20et%20al%20Behavioural%20reactions%20of%20elephants%20to%20a%20dying%20matriarch.pdf|archive-date=11 May 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> however, the ''Oxford Companion to Animal Behaviour'' (1987) said that "one is well advised to study the behaviour rather than attempting to get at any underlying emotion".<ref>{{cite book |title= When Elephants Weep: Emotional Lives of Animals|last= Masson|first= Jeffrey Moussaieff|author-link= Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson|author2=Susan McCarthy |year= 1996|publisher= Vintage|isbn= 978-0-09-947891-1 |page= 272}}</ref>