The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project
We were watching this video from YouTube earlier and, being the skeptic I am, I had to look into this. According to Snopes, this is a True Story. Although, it's not quite what it seems.
These domesticated elephants are trained to use the paintbrushes and recreate the same picture, over and over. When they want a new color, they drop the brush. Obviously, they are not able to pick up a paintbrush, so their trainers give them a new one. That is, beyond the repetitive training, the only intervention by humans in the 'painting' process.
The organization that trains these elephants and sells the artwork offers this mission statement:
The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project (AEACP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the diminishing number of Asian elephants left on our planet through its work with domesticated elephants. The AEACP raises funds through donations and the sale of artwork created by elephants in order to fulfill its mission.
Asian Elephants are seriously threatened in the wild, with populations estimated at less than 35,000. I'm not certain that I agree with teaching an elephant to paint, but I do support any efforts to protect these beautiful animals.
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God Bless!
Jules
