Original paintings from an elephant in the Czech Republic are selling for a starting price of $2,000 apiece and may go up in value soon.

At the encouragement of her handlers, Shanti, a female elephant at the Prague Zoo took up painting last year.

Her handlers had seen other elephants do the same on TV and thought Shanti might have a creative streak too.

Shanti has produced twelve paintings so far of which half sold at a gallery in Prague before she stopped.

It is thought a move to a new enclosure at the zoo threw off her routine. "We just have to wait for her next wave of creativity," said Marek Slidberski, curator at Marthi Gallery Prague.

If Shanti does not pick up the brush again soon, her prints have the potential of becoming limited release and could go up in value.

Prague Zoo intends to use the money raised so far selling Shanti's paintings to help an elephant sanctuary in Sri Lanka.