Elephant Art

This video shows the amazing intelligence of elephants.  I cannot believe how precise they can be.  Amazing!  Their intelligence is definitely overlooked by most people.

I've been doing research and have found sites showing free form elephant art and directed art obtained by a reward system.  I'm hoping that the elephants in the video have been trained with a reward system and have not been hurt in order to make the elephant produce the art but I can't tell.  I'm pretty sure this was filmed at one of the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project places in Thailand.

 

Elephant Art Gallery

This website is a showcase for artworks by the elephant artists at the National Elephant Institute, Thailand. Here you will find only original paintings that are made by elephants, entirely unaided or directed by human hand and influence. There is no fake art for sale here, only the largest and most amazing collection of creative abstracts by elephants available anywhere in the world.

Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project

Vitaly Komar and Alex Melamid are teaching elephants how to paint. It all started when they read reports of the plight of domesticated elephants in Asia, whose numbers have dwindled in recent years from 11,000 to only 3,000. The elephants used to make a good living hauling trees in the logging industry, but deforestation of the countryside has led to bans on teak logging. There aren't many opportunities for 6,000-pound mammals in the Asian job market. The elephants and their keepers, or mahouts, were forced to scrape by on performing tricks for tourists or doing illegal logging work at night. Click here to read more.

Guess the Artists - elephant, gorilla, child or famous artist? Scroll over image to see answer.

     

Thailand is renowned for its natural paper made from tree fibers (known as Sa or Mulberry paper). Whilst passing a paper factory one day Wanchai Asawawibulkij was inspired to try using similar processes on the fiber from elephant dung. After much experimentation using his wife's food processor (he's since bought her a new one, you'll be relieved to hear!), 'Elephant Dung Paper' was finally developed.  Click here to see how the paper is made.  The entire process for making the paper from the end of the elephant to the finishing touches takes about 15 hours. One elephant can produce 115 sheets of paper a day!

 

Thai Elephant Orchestra

 

 

click here to see a video of the Thai Elephant Orchestra

 

Elephants Can Paint Too! by Katya Arnold

 

 

ElephantStay

 

 

A non-profit foundation where you can participate in a program that involves living with, caring for and learning about elephants.  Everyday, you feed, water and bathe your elephant. Guided by English speaking professionals in a program that allows you to form a personal relationship with your elephant.  Here are pictures from another elephantstay-type program.

 

Ele-vision

 

Click here to view pictures taken by a remote camera that was attached to a wild elephants trunk.

 

US Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee

 

 

how you can help - their wishlist

toadhaven.com