Ever feel like your department’s a circus? That might not be such a bad thing after all.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have figured out that superb memory isn’t the only skill that elephants possess — they’re also outstanding at basic math equations.

In a rudimentary apple-counting exercise where elephants must choose which baskets add up the the highest number, elephants are able to provide the correct answer at least 74% of the time. Other animals like dolphins and chimps are able to pass many math tests, but elephants excel at distinguishing numbers regardless of their size.

For example, chimps can easily tell the difference between two bananas and ten. When it’s a choice between seven bananas and eight, their ability to discern plummets. So far, the elephants aren’t hitting that same roadblock.

The question that still eludes researchers is why elephants would need to count. Some scientists claim it’s because of their pack-animal nature, where parent elephants would need to keep track of an entire herd.

Tags: Circus, Elephants, Math equations