Clever elephant lifts train barrier to cross tracks

You may have heard that elephants are among the smartest of all animals. And this elephant proved it when it lifted a level crossing barrier that was in its way.

The Asian elephant in West Bengal attempted to cross rail tracks near the town of Jalpaiguri, and knew exactly what to do when confronted with the barrier.

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The entire escapade was captured on CCTV camera filming from the crossing station.

First, the elephant tested the crossing pole blocking his path before lifting it up and over and calmly walking underneath.

The male elephant, who came from Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary, then decided not to make so much effort with the second barrier on the opposite side of the track and simply crushed it underfoot before proceeding on.

The wildlife sanctuary is crossed by the railway line between Siliguri and Malbazar.

And, while this is a cute video, the sad truth is that elephants have been killed by trains in several incidents.

The Asian elephant is distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east.

Since 1986, it has has been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60 to 75 years.