Elephants can play pranks on each other (4 photos + 2 videos)
Berlin Zoo workers witnessed an Asian elephant playing a prank on her friend. German scientists also noted the animal's amazing ability to shower with a hose. 
An elephant named Anchali tried to stop her friend Mary from taking a shower. The animal pinched the hose, thereby blocking the flow of water.
"Do elephants play with each other in the wild?" asks study author Professor Michael Brecht of the Humboldt University of Berlin. "When I first saw Anchalee bending and squeezing the hose, I couldn't help but laugh. I wonder if Anchalee finds it funny or if she's just being naughty?" 
This incident, as well as Mary's showering prowess, were described in a new report published in the journal Current Biology.
The researchers found that the elephant grasps the hose with her trunk and then pours it over her body in a coordinated motion. To reach her back, she uses a lasso technique, lifting the hose as high as she can and swinging it over her body. 
When Mary was given a larger, heavier hose, she chose to spray herself with her trunk.
This discovery is further evidence that elephants use tools to achieve specific goals. Chimpanzees, dolphins, and crows are also known to use tools.
However, what surprised the team most was Anchali's reaction. The two elephants showed aggressive behavior during their bathing. At one point, Anchali began to pull the hose towards herself, lift it and squeeze it to disrupt the flow of water.
"The surprise was definitely Anchali's behavior," says Professor Brecht. "Nobody thought she would be smart enough to pull off such a trick."
