By James WoodfordElephants are masters at using a hose – considered a complex tool because of its flexibility, length and the physics of flowing water.Researchers studying three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) at Berlin Zoo were surprised to see how nimbly they manipulated a hose to shower themselves and seemed to understand how to get the best use out of it.

Tool use isn't unique to humans. Chimpanzees use sticks as tools. Dolphins, crows, and elephants are known for their tool-use abilities, too. Now a report in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on

A clever elephant has cleaned up by learning how to use a hose as a shower. Mary, an Asian elephant, was caught on camera showering at Berlin Zoo in Germany. And researchers also have evidence of another elephant knowing how to turn the water off, perhaps as a “prank.”

A pair of elephants at the Berlin Zoo have figured out how to use a hose as a make-shift flexible shower head. Not only do they use the water to get clean, but they have been observed turning the water off,

Urban et al./Current Biology] In a fascinating display of animal intelligence, researchers have documented the sophisticated use of a hose by an Asian elephant named Mary at the Berlin Zoo, as detailed in a recent report in Current Biology.

The manipulation of tools is something widespread across the animal world. While most use them to aid in feeding behaviors, some can even craft their own tools to solve complex problems. New research on elephants has shown one individual to be particularly adept at tool use,