Elephants can recognize themselves in mirrors.

the verdict

SUPPORTED

the evidence backs this

Recorded sources

9 sources for · 0 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that elephants can recognize themselves in mirrors?

Yes. Multiple reference and peer-reviewed sources state that elephants pass the mirror self-recognition test, tracing it to the 2006 study of Asian elephants at the Bronx Zoo. A few additional sources mention the finding only in passing.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 9 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 17 Oct 2026

Evidence for · 9

Elephant

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Elephant. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant

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More for · 8

Elephants recognize mirror image of themselves

2024

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Elephants recognize mirror image of themselves. (2024). en.wikinews.org. https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Elephants_recognize_mirror_image_of_themselves

Elephants recognise themselves in mirror | National Geographic

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Elephants recognise themselves in mirror | National Geographic. (n.d.). nationalgeographic.com. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/elephants-recognise-themselves-in-mirror

A very bad wizard : morality behind the curtain

2009

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1970-, S. T. (2009). A very bad wizard : morality behind the curtain. archive.org. https://archive.org/details/verybadwizardmor0000somm

Visual recognition of mirror, video-recorded, and still images in rats

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Visual recognition of mirror, video-recorded, and still images in rats. (n.d.). doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194215

Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius)

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Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius). (n.d.). api.semanticscholar.org. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:256937252

TheEncyclopediaOfHumanBehaviour

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TheEncyclopediaOfHumanBehaviour. (n.d.). archive.org. https://archive.org/details/TheEncyclopediaOfHumanBehaviour

Rebearths : conversations with a world ensouled

2010

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Rebearths : conversations with a world ensouled. (2010). archive.org. https://archive.org/details/rebearthsconvers0000unse

the-world-book-encyclopedia-volume-2-a

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the-world-book-encyclopedia-volume-2-a. (n.d.). archive.org. https://archive.org/details/the-world-book-encyclopedia-volume-2-a

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