"Elephants spray themselves with water, mud or dust all the time, and it’s been shown before that over 80% of observed tool-use behaviours in elephants are actually body care-related," said ...

Lena Kaufmann, of Humbolt University, who filmed Mary, said: “Elephants spray themselves with water, mud or dust all the time, and it’s been shown before that over 80% of observed tool-use ...

The elephant, named Mary, was filmed using her trunk to spray herself with water, methodically lifting her legs and adjusting the hose to clean herself, a skill never before observed in elephants.

An Asian elephant has been not-so-secretly filmed showering with a water hose at a zoo in Germany, in what scientists described as a “sophisticated behaviour” that shows “remarkable skill”.

Mary (L) was washing herself with a hose pipe when her friend Anchali felt mischievous Lena Kaufmann, of Humboldt University, who filmed Mary, said: “Elephants spray themselves with water ...

Lena Kaufmann of Humboldt University, who filmed Mary’s shower, added: “Elephants spray themselves with water, mud or dust all the time, and it’s been shown before that over 80% of observed ...