Elephants show interest in skulls of their own species

African Elephants have now been studied paying attention to elephant bones. Usually we only think of people who have the ability to think, but elephants have such big brains and they use their trunks like hands.  

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8209-elephants-may-pay-homage-to-dead-relatives.html#.VYZ0n_ntmko


Key Terms
 pay homage 
Humans apart,
 decomposing.
 highly agitated
skull and ivory of long-dead elephants
pick out 
corroborate stories
It begs the question
cognitive abilities 
tactile 
matriarchal society



Questions 
What can elephants do that other animals do not?
Is this type of elephant behavior suprising to you? 
Does this article say how the elephants know about the bones? 
What does this say about their cognitive abilities? 
Why are elephants used as pack animals in the Far East? 
Which other animals do you think are intelligent? 
What can they do? 
How can animals help humans? 



Lesson Plan by Rachael Alice Orbach