Animals are smarter than we give them credit for.
It’s not only cats and dogs showing off some tricks, even knowing basic addition.
Other animals have their unique way of showing their intelligence in solving problems (i.e., going through an obstacle that stands in their way.)
Others are incredibly talented, which goes beyond what they can do naturally.
Some animals could imitate the primary talents of their humans, like singing and dancing.
These animals often become viral internet sensations – just like this elephant in Thailand.
Suda was only four when the world knew she could paint.
She is one of the first elephants who became famous because of that talent.
Elephants are everywhere in Thailand, and due to illegal logging in the country, some of them were forced to move to the city – not a good place for animals who lives in the wild.
The Maetaeng Park and Clinic started to take them in hoping to provide a safe space.
They started in the early 90s, and to date, they have 80 resident elephants while also helping others in the area.
But it was only in the 2000s that they taught their elephants how to paint, and that’s how Suda’s talents came to be.
Suda and their other elephants were trained to use their trunks to hold paintbrushes.
They were trained to make different strokes that eventually formed into an image of an elephant standing by a tree.
Others were also taught to use bigger paintbrushes to create landscapes and other backgrounds in their painting.
This is why most of their paintings look alike.
In this video, the park had Suda and other elephants draw in front of the crowd.
Her trainer stood beside her, guiding her every move like they taught her how to paint.
Inch by inch, Suda filled the canvas with color.
It seemed like she was making a self-portrait!
She painted away a brown elephant standing in front of a tree with branches full of hearts.
The crowd was very excited with what they witnessed, and she deserved all the aaahs, ooohs, and several applauses.
However, this viral video earned mixed comments from viewers.
Yes, there were a lot who fell in awe of the elephants’ talents.
It’s not every day that we see one, much more one that paints!
But there were a lot of concerns raised about this carnivalesque feat.
Since there are many elephants in Thailand, many of them are also raised for money-making businesses.
Most of them attract tourists, like elephant tours (carrying a tourist at their back) and other talent shows like this one.
Concerns include how these elephants were “trained” to paint.
They fear that some of them may use physical, emotional, or psychological abuse so that they would perform as they are asked and expected.
Many studies and reports have already proved this, and we can only hope for the best for Suda.
At least we are assured that this one is for a good cause.
According to Maetaeng Park and Clinic’s website, these elephant paintings are sold to raise funds for the elephants’ needs.
They spend around $700,000 annually to feed and care for the elephants in their area, and their efforts include rescuing and tending to injured elephants around them free of charge.
Watch Suda’s fantastic talent in the video below. You can also visit their website to see more of her works.
