Scientists in Thailand hid fruits in an opaque box; 16 Asian elephants learned to navigate it for rewards and followed it along

• Asian elephants can abandon a familiar way of reaching food when it stops working, as per a new study conducted in Thailand.
• In tests with 16 animals, researchers found evidence of inhibitory control, the ability to hold back an unhelpful response and switch to a successful one in seconds.
• The research, published in PLOS One on September 9, 2026, offered a closer look at how elephants adjust to changing circumstances.