Elephant possess brains that are bigger than any other land animal. What's more, the cortex of an elephant brain has as many neurons as a human brain.
Like humans, elephants must learn about their environment and their ability to learn behavior is formidable. They also also display remarkable self awareness - to the point where they can recognize themselves in mirrors.
The latest surprise about elephants came just this week, when scientists discovered that elephants successfully performed during an experiment commonly used with primates to test their understanding of cooperation. In this particular test, the elephants had to coordinate their efforts so that each could get a bucket of corn. They passed with flying colors.
"In the wild, elephants are known for remarkable displays of helping, empathy and compassion," Joshua Plotnik, a comparative psychologist at the University of Cambridge in England and head of elephant research for the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation in Chiang Saen, Thailand, said. "They are a very social animal, so this demonstration of complex cooperation fits well with what we know about their natural lives."