Cooperating Comes Easy To Elephants In a series of tests in
Thailand, researchers learned that elephants can cooperate to
solve a problem, as reported in Monday’s edition of Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences. “Elephants are socially
complex,” lead researcher Joshua M. Plotnik, study leader from
the University of Cambridge explained to AP, “They help others
in distress." “They seem in some ways emotionally attached to
each other, so you would expect there would be some level of
cooperation.” However, he added, “I was surprised how quickly
they learned.” Six pairs of elephants were tested 40 times over
two days and every pair figured it out, succeeding on at least
eight of the last 10 trials. The tests involved food rewards
placed on a platform on the ground connected to a rope with the
elephants behind a fence. The elephants, to get the food closer
to them, had to pull the two ends of the rope at the same time
to drag the platform under the fence. Pulling one end resulted
in nothing but rope. In