Wonder: The Intelligence in Creation: Example, the Elephant

In Thailand I saw elephants who could paint. This morning I read an article in the BBC site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18507515) that explained how one of the secrets behind the intelligence of elephants who can paint is that they have long pregnancies. That allows for the baby elephant’s brain to develop a lot and be able to handle the complexities of living in a complex matriarchal social structure. The female leader elephants have amazing memories—for example, remembering where remote water holes are during dry years. Someone who studied elephants in Africa recounted to me that she found that the female elephants can remember watering spots from 20 years or more before—and the matriarchs lead their followers there during the worst droughts. But, those African elephants have never been domesticated by people, as have the elephants of Asia. So, in spite of being forced to work hard in days gone by, some of the Asia elephants learned to do amazing things like painting!