Safari park's jumbo-sized artist

Five the elephant has so far produced more than 50 paintings Enlarge Image

A 16-year-old African elephant has surprised her keepers with a passion for painting.

Five, who lives at the West Midland Safari Park in Bewdley, Worcestershire, has so far painted more than 50 works of art, the park said.

Staff said they left a paintbrush in Five's enclosure one day and she picked it up and appeared to try painting.

She has now learnt to pick up the brush when her keeper says "paint" and puts it down again when she is told "OK".

A spokeswoman for the safari park said that Five would continue to paint in different colours until she was satisfied with the finished work.

The spokeswoman said: "To date she has painted in excess of 50 works of art, in a unique style that wouldn't look out of place in any contemporary art exhibition."

Five was one of three African elephants at the park who were rehomed from a private elephant orphanage in South Africa in 1998.