Clever Asian elephant scientists call “queen of showering” uses hose to rinse off in incredible footage

Brilliant video shows a clever elephant taking a shower by learning how to use a hose.

Researchers also have evidence that another elephant knew how to turn the water off, possibly as a prank.

A new report, published in the journal Current Biology, highlights elephants’ "remarkable" skill in using a hose as a flexible shower head.

Study co-senior author Professor Michael Brecht, of the Humboldt University in Berlin, said: “Elephants are amazing with hoses. As it is often the case with elephants, hose tool use behaviours come out very differently from animal to animal; elephant Mary is the queen of showering”.

The researchers made the discovery after co-senior author Lena Kaufmann saw Asian elephant Mary showering at Berlin Zoo and captured it on film. The team found that Mary "systematically" showers her body, coordinating the water hose with her limbs. To reach her back, Mary switches to a "lasso strategy", grasping the hose higher up and swinging it over her body.

During shower time, another Asian elephant, called Anchali, started pulling the hose toward herself and away from Mary, lifting and kinking it to disrupt the flow of water.

Prof Brecht said: “The surprise was certainly Anchali's kink-and-clamp behaviour. Nobody had thought that she'd be smart enough to pull off such a trick. I wonder, does Anchali also think this is funny, or is she just being mean?”