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birth

Elephant calf is born at Zurich Zoo at Easter

2025-04-20 - Zurich, Switzerland.

On Saturday night, a new baby was born at Zurich Zoo: an elephant calf was born. The 19-year-old Farha gave birth to the male cub on Saturday night. The birth went without complications. The elephant calf is already standing and drinking, which is a first good sign, as Zurich Zoo announced on Sunday. "At exactly 2.22 am, the elephant calf fell to the sandy ground of the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park at Zurich Zoo". The calf's father is the 20-year-old bull elephant Thai.


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death

Guruvayur temple elephant Nandini dies at 65

2025-04-12 - Trichur, India.

Nandini was offered to Lord Guruvayurappan on May 9, 1964, by Palliyalil Narayanan Nair of Nilambur. To prevent her condition from deteriorating, a rubber mat was laid for her at Kottumthara four years ago. Nandini collapsed on March 19, during the Aarattu day of the Guruvayur temple festival. Since then, she had been under treatment by expert veterinarians. She had not been eating food for the last few weeks.


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zoo

Sedgwick County Zoo announces first-ever elephant birth

2025-04-12 - Wichita, United States.

The Sedgwick County Zoo announced on Thursday the birth of its first elephant. Talia, the mother elephant, gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Bomani, which means “warrior” in Swahili. According to the zoo, Bomani was standing just a few minutes after his birth. He has been staying close to his mother during this time. For the moment, both Bomani and Talia will remain behind the scenes to bond, nurse, and learn important herd behaviors together. Bomani’s arrival marks a significant mile...


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facility

Elephants aid locals in creating firebreaks in Chiang Mai forest

2025-03-27 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

In a united effort to prevent forest fires, a team of three elephants joined over 20 locals in constructing firebreaks in Chiang Mai’s Mae Taeng district on Wednesday. The initiative, led by Phra Khru Sangkarak Wiravat Wiravattano, a monk from Wat Chedi Luang, aims to safeguard an elephant camp from potential devastation.


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poaching

Wild tusker Kasera Komban found dead in abandoned septic tank

2025-03-27 - Cholamunda, India.

A Wild tusker, known as Kasera Komban, was found dead in abandoned septic tank in Kerala Malappuram. The tusker used to be affectionately called "Kasera Komban" due to its remarkably long tusks, which resembled the arms of a chair, stretching nearly three feet in length. A bullet was found in the body of ‘Kasera Komban’, the wild elephant that died in Cholamunda, Nilambur.


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death

Sedgwick County Zoo announces stillborn delivery of elephant calf

2025-03-18 - Wichita, United States.

The Sedgwick County Zoo announced Monday that 29-year-old African elephant Simunye delivered a stillborn calf following a healthy, full-term pregnancy. This would have marked the first elephant born at Sedgwick County Zoo in its 54-year history. The journey of Simunye’s 22-month pregnancy ended sadly on Friday despite care provided by the elephant care and veterinary teams. Regular prenatal exams and behavioral observations indicated that both mom and calf were healthy with no sign of complica...


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birth

New Elephant Calf "Gauri" Born In Assam’s Kaziranga National Park

2025-03-08 - Guwahati, India.

A female elephant calf took birth in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park. The newborn, named Gauri, is the offspring of an elephant named Phulmai, who resides within the protected area of Kaziranga.


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death

TN: 60-year-old female elephant passes away in Trichy

2025-03-05 - Trichy, India.

A 60-year-old female elephant named Jaini, who was being cared for at the MR Palayam Government Elephant Rehabilitation Centre in Reserve Forest under the Trichy Forest Division, has passed away. The elephant was among 10 female elephants maintained on a 50-acre rehabilitation centre within the forest. Over the past month, Jaini had been suffering from health issues, said Forest officials


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death

A Tribute to Paolo, Amboseli’s Iconic Elephant

2025-02-07 - Amboseli, Kenya.

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Paolo, one of Amboseli’s most famous and cherished elephants. At 46 years old, Paolo’s death marks the loss of a true giant, not only in size but also in spirit. His massive tusks, each weighing over 100 pounds (45 kg), made him one of Africa’s last remaining super tuskers, and his presence will be sorely missed. According to Amboseli Elephant Trust, Paolo was born in November 1979 and was part of the ‘P’ family, one of the largest elep...


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death

ABQ BioPark Heartbroken After Stillbirth of Elephant Calf. Mom, Rozie, is stable and recovering

2024-12-10 - Albuquerque, United States.

Rozie the Asian elephant at the ABQ BioPark gave birth to a stillborn calf early Tuesday morning following a normal, healthy pregnancy term. Rozie is stable and recovering under the close watch of her animal care and veterinary teams.


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death

Sonia, African elephant at Karachi Safari Park, dies suddenly

2024-12-08 - Karachi, Pakistan.

In a tragic incident, Sonia, one of the African elephants at Karachi’s Safari Park, has passed away. Park officials reported that Sonia appeared healthy and was eating normally until her sudden death. Her lifeless body was discovered by staff early in the morning, and a post-mortem examination is planned to determine the cause.


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birth

Asian elephant calf born at the Saint Louis Zoo

2024-11-24 - Saint Louis, United States.

The Saint Louis Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a male Asian elephant calf at 4:32 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. Jade, the Zoo’s 17-year-old Asian elephant, gave birth to a baby boy named Jet by the Elephant Care team. Jet is a gemstone and in line with the Zoo's elephant family history of gemstone names. The calf’s great grandparents are Onyx and Pearl and his mother is Jade.


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medical

Third elephant tests positive for virus at Dublin Zoo

2024-07-10 - Dublin, Ireland.

Dublin Zoo has confirmed that a third elephant has tested positive for a virus which has left two other elephants dead over the last ten days. Eight-year-old Avani and seven-year-old Zinda died from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV), in recent days. The zoo has now said that Asha, a 17-year-old Asian elephant and mother of Zinda, has tested positive for EEHV.


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medical

Houston Zoo Elephant Receives First Ever mRNA EEHV Vaccine

2024-06-18 - Houston, United States. Houston Zoo

Tess, a 40-year-old Asian elephant at Houston Zoo, has been given the first-ever dose of an mRNA vaccine created by virologists at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) to prevent the deadly elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) 1A—a devastating viral disease in Asian elephants worldwide. Over the next few weeks, animal care experts and veterinary staff at Houston Zoo will closely monitor Tess to learn how effective this vaccine is for elephants.


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birth

Blackpool Zoo confirms 2 elephants are expecting babies

2024-04-26 - Blackpool, United Kingdom.

The latest round of pregnancy tests at Blackpool Zoo has revealed that two of its elephants are expecting babies. Mother and daughter Noorjahan and Esha are both pregnant and due to give birth in late 2024. The calves will be the first to be born at the zoo in its 52-year history. Samples were collected twice a week and sent to a cutting-edge research laboratory at Chester Zoo for analysis with the results confirming the two pregnancies.


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death

RIP 2 year old “Chi Pich”

2024-04-02 - Sen Monorom, Cambodia.

There was sad news from Mondulkiri Province, with the death of 2 year old elephant “Chi Pich” being announced. Sources from the Elephant Livelihood Initiative Environment Organization (ELIE) said that the dead elephant, Chi Pich, was 2 years and 6 days old. By the afternoon she was lethargic, went off her food, and then started to have swelling around her face and body, indicating EEHV (Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus)


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death

Popular tusker Mangalamkunnu Ayyappan dies

2024-03-26 - Kochi, India.

Popular tusker Mangalamkunnu Ayyappan, 55, 55, died at Mangalamkunnu in Palakkad on Monday. The elephant owned by M A Haridasan had been under treatment for the past few months.


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birth

Pinnawala Orphanage sees birth of 76th calf

2024-03-23 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka.

The 76th elephant calf was born at the Rambukkana Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on March 20.This baby elephant was born to 32-year-old she-elephant Shanthi and 19-year-old Pandu at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was started on February 16, 1975, with five baby elephants according to the concept of P.B.G.Kalugalla, who was a minister at that time. The first elephant born at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was Sukumaliya, born on July 5, 1984 to she-elephant Kum...


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organisation

SANParks partners with neighbouring nations to benefit communities

2024-03-23 - Pretoria, South Africa.

In the ongoing efforts to curb poaching and snaring of animals within the Zimbabwe and Mozambique borders, South African National Parks (SANParks) is working to create more partnerships with neighbouring countries to provide benefits to communities neighbouring the parks. The Kruger National Park is part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This park links the Kruger with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe and the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.


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birth

Reid Park Zoo welcomes new baby elephant

2024-03-09 - Tucson, United States.

A baby elephant was born at Reid Park Zoo. The zoo said Semba, the facility’s African elephant matriarch, gave birth to a 265-pound calf around 3:31 a.m. Friday, March 8. Reid Park Zoo said the calf, whose sex has not yet been determined, is standing, sticking close to mom, and nursing enthusiastically. The calf is the third born at Reid Park Zoo. The calf joins Semba, big sisters Nandi and Penzi, and allomother Lungile.


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event

Baby elephant in Copenhagen named after Thai river

2024-03-04 - Copenhagen, Denmark.

A female baby elephant in Copenhagen Zoo has been named Chin after the Tha Chin river in central Thailand. The elephant was born last week in the Danish zoo. The zookeepers, who take care of the young elephant, gave it the name after having carefully discussed if it was a good fit. Copenhagen Zoo has a long tradition of keeping asian elephants, and according to the director of the zoo, Mads Bertelsen, the zoo has a special relation to Thailand, as the Thai Royal Family have giftet the zoo multip...


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conflict

This elephant misses his mahout, authorities seek police help

2024-02-29 - Alappuzha, India.

Evoor Kannan, the elephant known for his murderous rage and with a history of killing two mahouts is in a bad mood these days. He had been gentle under the care of his former Mahout Sharath Parippally. When he got transferred in December, Kannan relapsed to menacing temper; snorting in anger and acting aggressively.


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birth

Third elephant calf born in Beekse Bergen

2024-02-20 - Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands.

African elephant Punda has become the mother of a healthy elephant calf after a 22-month pregnancy. This is the third calf born in the Safari Park Beekse Bergen k in four months. Never before have three African elephants been born in a European zoo in such a short time. The young elephant is a girl and has been named Tendai.


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death

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium’s elephant calf dies at age 2

2024-02-15 - Pittsburgh, United States.

The zoo said Tsuni died Thursday after a sudden, brief battle with elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Her EEHV was detected through routine blood testing on Feb. 8, even though she presented no visible clinical signs. The other adult elephants in the ICC herd have sufficiently built up EEHV antibodies as they have aged, so they are at low risk to this disease, the zoo said.


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death

Farewell to Seoul"s oldest elephant passing at age of 59

2024-02-15 - Seoul, South Korea.

The oldest female elephant in South Korea passed away Tuesday at a zoo in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, at the age of 59, zoo officials said Thursday. The female elephant, named Sakura, had suffered from deteriorating health since November last year, primarily caused by ascites and subcutaneous edema. Born in February 1965 in Thailand.


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birth

A star is born: Baby elephant debuts

2024-01-30 - Bangalore, India.

The Bannerghatta Biological Park is brimming with excitement as it welcomes a delightful new addition—a baby boy elephant calf. This adorable arrival brings the elephant count in the Bannerghatta zoo to a total of 26, eliciting joy not only among the visitors but also among the dedicated staff. Both the mother and the newborn are receiving special attention and care to ensure their well-being. The elephant calf, weighing between 120 and 130 kg, adds a heartwarming charm to the zoo’s vibrant ...


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death

Guruvayur Kannan, nine-time winner of elephant race, dies at 62

2024-01-27 - Guruvayur, India.

Elephant Kannan, of the Guruvayur Devaswom Elephant Camp, a nine-time winner of the festival-related elephant race, has passed away. His demise was around 5:30 pm on Saturday. The tusker's age at the time of death is 62 years as per Devaswom records. In August 1985, Kannan was offered to the temple by Balram, a native of Thrissur. With the death of Kannan, the number of elephants in Guruvayur is now 39.


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poaching

A baby elephant is found dead

2024-01-27 - Koh Nhek, Cambodia.

Villagers found a baby elephant dead in Koh Nhek district, Mondulkiri province in the middle of the forest​ on January 26, 2024, suspected of being shot. Mondulkiri Provincial department of environment director Chao Bunthoeun, confirmed that there was indeed a case and he was arranging for an autopsy. He confirmed that the dead baby elephant was about six months old.


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evolution

Discoveries: The Evolutionary Edge of Elephant Trunks and Ancient Giants

2024-01-13 - Beijing, China.

A recent study published in the journal eLife has uncovered new findings on the development of dextrous trunks by indigenous elephants. According to Dr. Shi-Qi Wang, a senior author of the research, the evolution of mandible structure in the ancient Egyptian herbivory Prosecis has been influenced by multiple eco-adaptations. The paper, published in eLife on November 28, 2023, explores the possible co-evolution of the mandible and nose in early elephantiforms.


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poaching

Alleged poaching kills 46-year-old Sumatran elephant in Riau park

2024-01-13 - Pekanbaru, Indonesia.

The Tesso Nilo National Park in Pelalawan District, Riau Province, again lost one of its Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) after a poacher allegedly killed it for its tusks. The 46-year-old elephant, named "Rahman", was found dead by its mahout on January 10, and its left tusk was cut off, according to the national park's head, Heru Sutmantoro when contacted for a confirmation on Thursday (January 11). The poacher might have poisoned the ill-fated elephant before cutting off its l...


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fossil

Celebration of Elephants: A Must-see New Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History

2024-01-11 - New York, United States.

In a narrow but sprawling curatorial space at the uptown museum, The Secret World of Elephants, now opened, tells the story of elephant species and their relatives through life-size models, videos, graphics, and more, a comprehensive look at these intriguing and important animals and the latest scientific thinking about their abilities, environmental roles, social structure, history and future


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conflict

Workshop On Handling Human-Wildlife Conflicts

2024-01-11 - Mysore, India.

In response to the escalating threat posed by leopards, elephants and other wild animals in the Mysuru region, specialised task forces have been established to address the situation. A dedicated Leopard Task Force has been formed in the Mysuru Circle, while an Elephant Task Force has been deployed in the Hunsur area.


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death

Los Angeles Zoo mourns loss of 53-year-old Asian elephant Shaunzi

2024-01-04 - Los Angeles, United States.

The Los Angeles Zoo is grieving the death of 53-year-old Asian elephant Shaunzi. Zoo staff observed that Shaunzi was unable to stand up in her exhibit at around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, according to a statement from the LA Zoo. Zoo veterinarians worked throughout the night to get her back on her feet, but found no success. Shaunzi was sedated and euthanized early Wednesday morning.


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birth

80Kg Kama, Baby Elephant Born at Bali Zoo

2023-12-23 - Ubud, Indonesia.

The Bali Zoo in the Village of Singapadu, Gianyar Regency, welcomed its newest resident on 24 November 2024 with the birth of a “Baby Boy” elephant named Kama. Weighing in at a healthy 80 kilograms at birth, Kama can stand and suckle milk produced by his mother, Nurhayati. A member of the critically endangered Sumatra Elephant subspecies (Elephas maximus sumatranus), Kama’s father at The Bali Zoo is 35-year-old Budi, while his mother Nurhayati is 45. Kama was born on 24 November 2023 at 7:...


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death

Mali, the Philippines’ lone elephant, dies after more than 4 decades

2023-11-28 - Manila, Philippines.

Mali, the country’s lone elephant, confined in a Manila Zoo enclosure for over four decades, died on Tuesday. In a social media address, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuña said Vishwamali, commonly known as Mali, died at around 3:45 pm. Mali was brought to the Philippines from Sri Lanka in 1977 as a gift to then-First Lady Imelda Marcos.


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death

Four-year-old elephant dies in zoo - herpes virus

2023-11-23 - Hamburg, Germany.

A young elephant at Hagenbeck Zoo has died within just two days, probably due to a herpes virus infection. Despite constant monitoring and treatment by the zoo vets, all measures were unsuccessful, the zoo announced in Hamburg on Thursday. The almost five-year-old animal Santosh died on Wednesday. He was born at the zoo on December 24, 2018 and was the youngest elephant in the herd.


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medical

Maryland Zoo Elephant Survives Deadly Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus

2023-11-21 - Baltimore, United States.

Thanks to early detection and intensive therapy, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Md., announced that its 15-year-old African bull elephant, Samson, has survived an episode of a strain of the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV6). Samson survived a different strain of the same virus (EEHV3b) when he was five-years-old. He was the first elephant to be clinically diagnosed with the strain at the time.


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conference

19th International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium

2023-11-14 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The International Elephant Foundation, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Chiang Mai University, the National Elephant Institute, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Kasetsart University happily announce the 19th International Elephant Conservation & Research Symposium to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand on November 14-17, 2023 at the Empress Hotel Chiang Mai.


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birth

Critically endangered Sumatran elephant born in Indonesia

2023-11-13 - Way Kambas, Indonesia.

A critically endangered Sumatran elephant was born in western Indonesia over the weekend, according to officials, weighing about 108 kilograms (238 pounds), the yet-to-be-named male calf was born at the Way Kambas National Park in Lampung province in southern Sumatra, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry said Sunday. The calf was in good health and his mother Riska was being monitored after giving birth on Saturday, the ministry said. Riska had a female calf in 2017.


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relocation

Cincinnati Zoo’s Asian Elephant Herd Just Got a Lot Bigger!

2023-11-08 - Cincinnati, United States.

Four Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), two adult females and their young male calves, arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Sunday, November 5. The new elephants, SheRa, Kabir, Anak, and Sanjay, came from the Dublin Zoo on a joint recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan® (SSP) and its equivalent in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA)


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welfare

Pakistan’s Last Female African Elephant to Be Relocated from Karachi Zoo

2023-11-03 - Karachi, Pakistan.

International animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS has initiated efforts to relocate Madhubala from Karachi Zoo to Safari Park, where she will join fellow elephants Sonia and Malika. A training session has been organized to prepare her for the transition, which will involve transporting her to Safari Park in a crate. Madhubala’s new home is designed to be significantly larger than her current one, providing her with a pool, enrichments, and proper care management


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death

Elephant collapses, dies while training at elephant camp at Bandipur Tiger Reserve

2023-11-01 - Bandipur, India. Vartha Bharati

In a tragic incident, an elephant named Vinayaka, also known as Akkiraja, residing at the Rampura elephant camp in the Bandipur tiger reserve, passed away on Tuesday. The sudden demise occurred after the elephant fell ill and collapsed during a training session at the camp. The exact cause of death is yet to be confirmed, pending the post-mortem report, according to officials from the Forest Department.

Vinayaka, originally captured in the forest areas of Coimbatore in 2021, had l...


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death

The Elephant Sanctuary announces the passing of African elephant Jana

2023-10-25 - Hohenwald, United States.

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee announces the passing of African elephant Jana at the age of 43. Jana was The Sanctuary’s 31st resident. In recent weeks, Jana's declining health and reduced mobility led to multiple falls, severely impacting her quality of life. Due to the irreversible progression of these health issues, her inability to stand on her own, and the escalating pain she experienced, the difficult decision was made, and Jana was humanely euthanized on October 20, 2023.


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birth

In rare incident, female elephant Netravathi delivers baby on Dasara procession day

2023-10-24 - Shivamogga, India.

In a rare incident, Netravathi, a female elephant, which had been brought from the Sakrebaiu camp to Shivamogga, for the Jumboo Savari to be held on Vijayadashami festival day (today), delivered a female baby in the premises of the Vasavi school in the wee hours of Monday.


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conference

44th Annual EMA conference

2023-10-02 - Fort Worth, United States.

The Elephant Managers Association (EMA) is proud to announce the dates for our 44th annual conference, hosted by both the Fort Worth Zoo and Dallas Zoo on October 2 to 5, 2023. The conference will include a trip to both zoos, behind-the-scenes demonstrations at both facilities, two days packed with presentations, a banquet and silent auction, and a post-conference trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.


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death

Oldest captive elephant in Malaysia dies

2023-09-10 - Temerloh, Malaysia.

The female elephant, which died at the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre (PKGK) in Lanchang, was brought to the country from Assam, India in 1974. Lokimala was brought to this country along with three other elephants; Ganesh, La Bahadur and Paul Bahadur to aid in the relocation of wild elephants. Apart from that Lokimala was also involved in entertainment programmes for visitors to the centre.


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birth

Nong Nooch Pattaya celebrates fourth elephant birth this year

2023-08-28 - Pattaya, Thailand.

Following Thai tradition, the offspring of Pang Sarai, 22, and Plai Ningnong, 27, was named ‘Plai Boonmak,’ symbolizing ‘Abundant Merit.’ This ceremony expressed heartfelt wishes for the well-being and prosperity of the young elephant. The occasion was particularly significant, as this gentle giant marked the fourth elephant birth of the year and the 108th within Nong Nooch Tropical Garden.


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misc

Baby elephant at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo officially named

2023-08-26 - Omaha, United States.

The baby elephant at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo officially has a name; Amandra. Pronounced “ah-MON-dra,” the name means “strong woman.” The zoo said it was chosen by a donor and their family. Amandra, born to Jayei, joins Eugenia, Sonny, and Mopani as the fourth elephant calf at the Henry Doorly Zoo. A fifth elephant calf is due to be born at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Spring 2024.


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death

Melbourne Zoo herd grieving after nine-year-old elephant dies

2023-08-24 - Melbourne, Australia.

Melbourne Zoo’s nine-year-old elephant Man Jai has died after a sudden illness. The Asian elephant was diagnosed with an incurable disease on Monday after zookeepers noticed lethargy and swelling in his neck. He received antiviral treatments for elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), but his health rapidly declined and he died early on Thursday morning.


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event

Preparations At Palace To House Dasara Elephants

2023-08-22 - Mysore, India.

Preparations are in full swing at the Mysore Palace premises ahead of the arrival of the Dasara elephants. The jumbos will camp here for approximately two months, undergoing training and consuming nutritious food, till the grand Jumboo Savari. Meanwhile, elephants Vikrama and Chaitra, usually part of the Jumboo Savari, will not be participating this year. Chaitra, a 50-year-old Kumki elephant from Rampura Elephant Camp in Bandipur, has been confirmed as pregnant through a mandatory pregnancy tes...


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misc

Poisoned watermelon given to elephant

2023-08-21 - Kataragama, Sri Lanka.

An individual who fed a poisoned watermelon to an elephant called “ Asela” of the Kataragama Abhinawarama temple was taken into custody by the Kataragama police on saturday. However, Veterinary Surgeon, Uva Wildlife Zone Dr.Ananda Dharmakirthi examined the elephant and confirmed that it was out of danger. Police arrested the suspect during investigations of the complaint received from Mahout Thushara Priyadarshana. He told police that the jumbo had developed a pain in mouth when biting the ...


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conservation

How elephant populations are being controlled using contraceptives

2023-08-21 - Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Contraceptives are now being successfully used to prevent elephant overpopulation in South Africa. Approximately 75% of all breeding-age female elephants outside of the greater Kruger National Park had been successfully treated with immunocontraceptives in 47 reserves to prevent overpopulation.


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birth

Baby Elephant Born at Sapporo Maruyama Zoo

2023-08-21 - Sapporo, Japan.

19-year-old Asian elephant Pearl and her newborn baby stand together at the Sapporo Maruyama Zoo in Sapporo. According to the zoo, this is the first time in Japan that an Asian elephant has been born through a more indirect style of breeding, in which zookeepers and veterinarians do not enter the animal’s living space but provide care through a protective barrier.


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welfare

Elephants at Hanoi zoo unchained after electric fence replacement

2023-08-18 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

Two elephants at the Hanoi Zoo have been unchained after electric fences have been replaced anew. Le Si Dung, general director of the Hanoi Zoological Garden company, on Thursday said the two elephants of the zoo have been unchained and are now free to roam within their enclosure. "We just replaced the electric fences, so they can now be unchained," he said.


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relocation

Sak Surin moved to new home in the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre

2023-08-18 - Lampang, Thailand.

The Thai elephant, recently repatriated from Sri Lanka, Sak Surin, was moved to a new home today (Friday), at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang province, after the completion of its 30-days at the quarantine centre. Suratchai Inwiset, director of the National Elephant Institute, said the transfer of Sak Surin to his new home, which is just a stone’s throw from the quarantine centre, went smoothly and took only about half an hour.


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birth

Wuhan Zoo works to build home for new Elephant family

2023-08-16 - Wuhan, China.

Born on June 26, 2022, the male elephant marked the first time that the zoo successfully bred an African elephant. The calf's father, named A Hai, and his mother, named A Nan, came to Wuhan in 1997 from Hainan province. Both of them grew up together at the zoo and are now 27 years old. In September 2020, A Nan got pregnant and after a 22-month pregnancy period, gave birth to the calf at the zoo.


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birth

Baby elephants to be born at Fresno Chaffee Zoo for 1st time ever

2023-08-14 - Fresno, United States.

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo celebrated World Elephant Day with a big announcement. Zoo officials say their female African Elephants are pregnant. They are expected to give birth between September and October 2024. The facilities care team will monitor the expectant mothers and prepare for the calves' arrival.


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relocation

Sak Surin will not be returning to Sri Lanka : Varawut

2023-07-05 - Lampang, Thailand.

It is out of question that Sak Surin, now the most famous elephant in Thailand, will have to return to Sri Lanka, as he is now under the patronage of HM the King, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa on Wednesday. Commenting on a call from a senior monk in Sri Lanka for Bangkok to return the elephant once he fully recovers, Varawut said the matter is not even open for discussion.


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relocation

Tusker Muthu Raja (Sak Surin) airlifted to Thailand

2023-07-04 - Lampang, Thailand.

On 2 July 2023 at 07.00 hrs. the Tusker, Muthu Raja (Sak Surin), was transported from Sri Lanka to Thailand for medical treatment and rehabilitation by Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plane, with cooperation from the Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo, together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand and the relevant authorities of Sri Lanka. The Tusker arrived safely at Chiangmai International Airport, Thailand, on the same day, and later...


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relocation

Ailing jumbo Sak Surin to be brought home

2023-05-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A team of veterinarians and experts will be sent to Sri Lanka next month to prepare for the return of Sak Surin, an ailing and ageing Thai elephant, to Thailand for medical treatment and physical rehabilitation. The team, which will visit from June 6-9, will be responsible for the elephant’s health to make sure it is ready for the journey home. sadi Jatuporn Burutphat, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.He said the Department of National Parks, Wildli...


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medical

Karachi’s second elephant Madhubala catches fatal infection, a month after death of Noor Jehan

2023-05-21 - Karachi, Pakistan.

A month after the death of Noor Jehan, an elephant in Karachi Zoo whose illness revived criticisms of the zoos, a second elephant named Madhubala is sick with a potentially fatal infection. The 18-year-old elephant was living in isolation since April when her partner Noor Jehan died in the most tragic way. Lately, a vets team of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), diagnosed the infection in blood samples of an ailing cow.


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relocation

Iconic Elephant Says Goodbye to Infamous Puerto Rican Zoo

2023-05-15 - Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

In the early evening of May 11, a small crowd gathered in front of the Zoológico Dr. Juan A. Rivero, hoping for one last peek of Mundi, the elephant symbol of the zoo shut down for animal abuse in March. All they could see, however, was the big metal box where she was transported to a sanctuary in the state of Georgia, where she’ll live the remainder of her days. The departure of Mundi, who was born in 1982 and spent the last 35 years at the Zoológico Dr. Juan A. Rivero, marked the bittersw...


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death

Dallas Zoo elephant dies in Herpes

2023-05-09 - Dallas, United States.

The Dallas Zoo made the heartbreaking announcement Tuesday that one of its elephants has died. The 7-year-old African elephant, Ajabu, passed away Monday after a 12-day battle with a viral infection, according to the zoo. The infection is known as elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Ajabu survived a previous infection with EEHV in March 2021. The zoo says that the often-lethal disease is most often found in Asian elephants, but it has begun to show up more in African elephants.


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medical

Former Howdah Elephant Balarama falls sick

2023-05-05 - Hunsur, India.

Balarama, the 67-year-old former Captain of the Dasara Jumboo Savari elephant squad, who had carried the 750-kg Golden Howdah for a record 14 times has fallen sick due to suspected Tuberculosis (TB) and is said to be critically ill.


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birth

Nong Nooch Pattaya welcomes 2nd baby elephant of 2023

2023-04-22 - Pattaya, Thailand.

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden welcomed its second baby elephant of 2023. Park Director Kampol Tansajja presided over the April 20 blessing ceremony for the new calf, named “Plai Chai”, with Phra Khru Kittisophon, abbot of Wat Samakkhi Banphot temple in Bang Saray.


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medical

Vets save elephant carrying stillborn calf at Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru

2023-04-21 - Bannerghatta, India.

Performing a rare surgery, a team of veterinary surgeons saved a 48-year-old elephant at Bannerghatta Biological Park. which had suffered a stillbirt and was on the verge of dying. Suvarna has so far delivered nine calves — the highest the highest number of elephant deliveries at the park.


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birth

Three African elephants at Dutch safari park are pregnant at the same time

2023-04-18 - Beekse Bergen, Netherlands.

Safari park Beekse Bergen is looking forward to welcoming three baby African elephants this year. Elephant bull Yambo impregnated Pina-Nessi, Punda, and Bongi, the safari park said. Punda is the matriarch of the Beekse Bergen herd. She is 31 and pregnant with her fifth calf. “Punda is the biggest elephant cow of the herd with the biggest tusks. She has a really calm character.” Pina-Nessi is nine years old, and Bongi is 17. Both are pregnant with their first calves. The park described Pina-N...


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death

Another Dak Lak elephant dies

2023-03-29 - Buon Don, Vietnam.

A 49-year-old elephant in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has died from illness and exhaustion. The information was given on March 27 by Tran Xuan Phuoc, director of the Dak Lak Centre for Elephant Conservation, Animal Rescue and Forest Protection Management.


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death

Oakland Zoo elephant, Lisa, dies

2023-03-27 - Oakland, United States.

The Oakland Zoo euthanized its 46-year-old African elephant Lisa on March 26, 2023, due to years of health problems. The elephant was afflicted by eye ulcers, arthritis, foot and nail lesions, and more recently, ventral edema, which involved fluid retention leading to vaginal ulcers. She had begun receiving stem cell therapy in November to help with her arthritis. Lisa was one of only 16 female African Elephants 46 years and older in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos.


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zoo

The Dallas Zoo announced the name of its new baby African elephant.

2023-03-18 - Dallas, United States.

This little boy is almost three weeks old, and he has a NAME! Meet... Okubili! His name means "two" or "duplicate" in Zulu, and we think it's perfect for this little one because he is a carbon copy of second-time mom, Mlilo.


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death

Asian baby elephant at Jinan Zoo in Shandong dies of multiple organ failure

2023-03-15 - Jinan, China.

An Asian elephant named Yaqi at Jinan Zoo in East China's Shandong Province died of multiple organ failure on Monday, the zoo announced, breaking heart of netizens. Yaqi would no longer embrace the spring together with us. His departure breaks heart of everyone who loved him," a notice released by the zoo read. Yaqi was an Asian elephant born on June 14, 2020.


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people

The Elephant Whisperers: Indian short documentary is best at Oscars 2023

2023-03-13 - Theppakadu, India.

Shot in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp inside the Mudumulai Tiger Reserve in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, The Elephant Whisperers follows Bomman and Bellie as they care for Raghu, an injured baby elephant who gets separated from his herd. Later, Belli is also given the responsibility to care for Ammu, a female elephant calf.


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birth

Dallas Zoo welcomes 290-pound baby elephant

2023-03-08 - Dallas, United States.

In a historic birth, the Dallas Zoo welcomed a baby elephant to the family late last month, the zoo announced Wednesday. At 290 pounds, the male calf was born Feb. 26 at 2:27 a.m. to one of the zoo’s African elephants, Mlilo — a second-time mom. Both Mlilo and the calf will “stay behind the scenes still for several weeks,” the zoo said, so the best place to see him, for now, will be on social media, where the zoo plans to announce his name next week.


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fossil
In November 2020, Zachary Newell, a researcher at the Center for the Study of the First Americans at Texas A&M, meets with Judy Reandeau Stipe, executive director of the Sequim Museum, and Clare Manis Hatler to discuss the mastodon and its discovery.

Researchers: Sequim artifact oldest bone weapon in Americas. Study confirms date on 13,900-year-old fragments

2023-02-27 - Sequim, United States.

Using 21st century technology to peer into mankind’s history dating back nearly 14,000 years, a team led by a Texas A&M professor has confirmed what researchers believe is the oldest weapon made of bone ever found in the Americas. And, as many Sequim natives recall, evidence for this research was found by accident 4½ decades ago in Happy Valley.


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birth

Fort Worth Zoo celebrates three generations of Asian elephants highlighted by its new addition.

2023-02-24 - Fort Worth, United States.

It’s official, baby Brazos has a brother from another mother as of 2 a.m. on February 23. This healthy 37-inch-tall, 270-pound male Asian elephant calf is the fifth calf born at the Fort Worth Zoo, following the arrival of half-brother Brazos born in 2021, Belle, his mother, in 2013, Bowie in 2013 (Bowie now resides at the Oklahoma City Zoo), and aunt, Bluebonnet, in 1998.


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death

Elephant Moti dies of painful leg injury in India

2023-02-22 - Ramnagar, India.

The 35-year-old elephant Moti passed away on Saturday after suffering a leg and foot injury from being abused his whole life, animal welfare organization Wildlife SOS said. Moti was living in captivity till 2021 when his owner died, local media said. He was then left on his own on the streets to beg in the town of Ramnagar. In January, Wildlife SOS was alerted about the Asian elephant Moti, who had collapsed and couldn’t stand up.


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welfare
Staff care deeply for Asian elephants At Kulen Elephant Forest, Cambodia. Photo credit N. Dubrocard.

Activism or paternalism? The case of elephant-based tourism in Southeast Asia.

2023-02-19 - Brisbane, Australia. Dr Ingrid Suter, Asian Captive Elephant Standards

Western-run NGOs would rather dominate and talk over local communities, deny poor people a legitimate income stream, and continue to dehumanise all Southeast Asian elephant workers as uneducated, ignorant, and inherently cruel. Even the most educated academics and veterinarians in Southeast Asia are dismissed, their scientific research into elephant welfare entirely snubbed by Western decision-makers. Southeast Asian veterinarians and head of university faculties are routinely abused online by W...


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death

43 Year Age Elephant Death Chronology At Aek Nauli Elephant Conservation Camp Simalungun

2023-02-18 - Berita, Indonesia.

The male elephant Dwiki, aged approximately 43 years, was declared dead in ANECC, Simalungun Regency, February 14, 2023 at 06.20 WIB."On December 18, 2022, two Dwiki and Dini elephants were moved from Barumun Nagari Wildlife Sanctuary (BNWS) to Aek Nauli Elephant Conservation Camp (ANECC)," said Rudianto, in a statement obtained, Friday, February 17, as reported by Antara. "The action taken by giving 100 bottles of infusion, medicine and vitamins. However, the condition of the Dwiki elephant wea...


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conflict
People try to control the elephant, which turned violent, in Gorakhpur on Thursday. (PTI)

Elephant tramples 2 women, child to death during religious procession

2023-02-17 - Lucknow, India. Manish Sahu, Indian Express

Two women and a five-year-old boy were trampled to death when an elephant went berserk during a ‘kalash yatra’ (religious procession) at Mohammadpur Mafi village of Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur district on Thursday afternoon.

The deceased were identified as Kaushlaya Devi (46), her grandson Krishna and their neighbour Kanti Devi (55), police said. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination. The procession was being taken out by residents of the village.


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job

Zoo Miami Keeper 2 – Elephants

2023-02-15 - Miami, United States.

Zoo Miami currently has a full time Zoo Keeper 2 position available with the Elephant team. We are searching for a team-oriented candidate that will be engaging and deliver exceptional customer service by creating friendly and positive interactions with all guests and co-workers. This position reports directly to the Animal Care Coordinator of Elephants. This team works with both Asian Elephants and African Elephants.


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people
13 mahouts and cavadis from Tamil Nadu received training in Thai Elephant Conservation Centre on techniques to examine camp elephants for ailments and skin issues, elephant bathing, taking care of baby elephants etc.

13 forest dept. staff from Tamil Nadu complete training at Thai Elephant Conservation Center

2023-02-14 - Lampang, Thailand.

Keeping in mind the well-being of elephants, a total of 13 mahouts (trainers) and cavadis or assistants to mahouts from Tamil Nadu were sent to Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang for training in the scientific management of these animals in captivity. Those sent for training were chosen from elephant camps at Theppakadu in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Kozhikamuthi in Anamalai Tiger Reserve. On their return the 13 men were felicitated at a function held in Vandalur’s Arignar Anna Zoolo...


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facility

Development in East Manatee County could impact Hunsader Farms, Myakka Elephant Ranch

2023-02-14 - Myakka City, United States.

Proposed development in East Manatee County could lead to changes at the Myakka Elephant Ranch in Myakka City. Julia Braren said every piece of land is precious in Myakka City. The Myakka Elephant Ranch is home to endangered species of elephants. It also educates guests on conservation efforts. A developer wants to build nearly 5,000 homes and rezone agricultural land. The proposed development would also add new roads.


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film
The video has gotten over 879.9k views, 4,393 retweets, and over 26k likes since it was uploaded. The footage touched viewers, who praised the elephants’ fast thinking and selflessness in saving the calf’s life.

Viral Video: Elephants Rescue A Drowning Calf In A Pool At Seoul Zoo; Watch Heartwarming Video!

2023-02-14 - Seoul, South Korea. Srushti Gharat

In the video, a small elephant and its mother are sipping water from a pool when the calf slips into it. The mother elephant panics and tries to bring the baby elephant out of the water. Fortunately, another elephant comes to the scene to aid the mother and youngster. The third elephant was observed running furiously behind the compound, attempting to reach the other two elephants and aid them in rescuing the baby elephant. Meanwhile, the baby elephant was straining to keep its trunk above water...


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death

Remembering Ziwadi, Our Gift

2023-02-09 - Nairobi, Kenya.

On the afternoon of 8th February, the Nursery herd gathered for their customary mud bath. As has become her new custom, Ziwadi joined in. She was splashing around and having lots of fun, when she suddenly started to have a seizure. Everything unfolded very quickly. As soon as they saw Ziwadi’s distress, the Keepers leapt into the mud bath. They managed to pull her onto firm ground, but to their horror, she was not breathing. Although the Keepers tried their very best to revive her, it was too ...


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job

Walt Disney World Resort : Animal Keeper Associate: Elephants

2023-02-09 - Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States.

Disney's Animal Kingdom is looking to fill an Animal Keeper Associate position on the Elephant team. You will work closely with a team of keepers to perform daily care of the collection following established guidelines. This is a full-time, hourly position, reporting to the Zoological Managers. This position is with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., which is part of a business we call Walt Disney World Resort.


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relocation

Forest Dept renames PT 7 as Dhoni, to train him as a kumki elephant

2023-01-22 - Palakkad, India.

The rogue elephant till now known as PT 7, short for Palakkad Tusker 7, has got a new name. The jumbo was tranquilised by the Forest Department on Sunday morning and moved into a cage by afternoon. The tusker, who unleashed terror in the Dhoni area of the district and thus made the place famous, will now be called Dhoni.


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event

Rosamond Gifford Zoo holds naming competition for baby twin elephants born last month

2022-11-29 - Syracuse, United States. CNYCentral

The Onondaga County Executive Office has announced details of a naming competition for the rare twin elephants born earlier this year. Members of the community are encouraged to vote on names for the elephants from now until 6:30 P.M. on Thursday, December 1st for their favorite names and the winners will be announced at a subsequent event.


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facility

Elephant audit gets thumbs up

2022-11-17 - Siem Reap, Cambodia. Peter Olszewski, Khmer Times

Retired pachyderm haven Kulen Elephant Forest has notched up another first for Cambodia after becoming an Asian Captive Elephant Standards (ACES) ‘Certified Facility’ as part of a programme coordinated by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

For the past year the elephant park has been thoroughly audited by Aces, the leaders in elephant venue auditing, welfare assessments and camp certification and the link bet...


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death
he KWS said Dida had shepherded her herd through many seasons and challenging time

Kenya"s famous matriarch elephant dies

2022-11-01 - Nairobi, Kenya. Richard Kagoe, BBC News, Nairobi

A Kenyan elephant, thought to have been Africa's largest female tusker, has died of old age, wildlife officials have said.
Dida, also known as Queen of Tsavo, was aged between 60 and 65 years, the upper age limit of an elephant in the wild. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) hailed her as an "iconic matriarch" of the Tsavo East National Park. Famed for her long tusks, Dida was a major tourist attraction at the park, the oldest in Kenya.


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illegal wildlife trade

Ugandan ivory trader sentenced to life in prison

2022-10-21 - Kampala, Uganda.

A Ugandan court has sentenced an ivory trader to life in prison - the longest sentence for such crimes in the country's history. A new law was passed in 2019 that toughened sentences for poaching or trafficking in endangered species. Pascal Ochiba was arrested in January this year with two pieces of ivory, weighing nearly 10kg (22lb). The magistrate said Ochiba, as a repeat offender, deserved life in prison for the future protection of wildlife.


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medical

Albuquerque Biological Park Zoo elephant in danger of losing an eye

2022-10-17 - Albuquerque, United States.

Zoo veterinary staff have known for years that Irene suffers from lens luxation, a condition in which the lens in the eye is dislocated from its normal position, causing discomfort and blurry vision, Dr. Carol Bradford, the zoo’s senior veterinarian said Monday. However, more recent complications may cause Irene to lose her eye completely.


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conflict
It’s estimated there are only around 100 Asian elephants remaining in Vietnam. Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve is one of four locations identified as key to their survival in the country.

In Vietnam, farmers show a willingness to work with the elephant in the room

2022-09-30 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.

Solving human-wildlife conflict is a complex issue and a pressing concern for a wide variety of endangered species, none more so than the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). People living around Vietnam’s Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, however, want to foster coexistence with elephants, not conflict. That’s according to a new study published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation that looks to understand community perspectives on how to solve human-elephant conflict.


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birth

Third baby elephant of the year born at Pattaya garden

2022-09-29 - Pattaya, Thailand.

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The third baby elephant of the year has been born at a botanical garden in Pattaya. The Nong Nooch Gardens Pattaya welcomed the new little member, named “Ply Poa Jai” with a religious ceremony yesterday. Ply Poa Jai was born to his mother “Ply Por Chai” and his father “Phang Fonthip.” Veterinarians said he was born healthy.


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death

Iconic elephant ‘Bandula’ dies at Dehiwala Zoo

2022-09-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

‘Bandula’, the elephant found at the National Zoological Garden in Dehiwala is reported to have passed away today. According to reports, the elephant had suddenly fallen ill and had collapsed twice. Despite being treated by the veterinary doctors at the zoo, the elephant had passed away. The elephant was 79 years old at the time of its demise.


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birth

Nepal: Koshi Tappu, CNP welcome baby elephant same day

2022-08-29 - Katmandu, Nepal.

The elephant named Loktantra Kali at the Koshi Tappu gave birth to a female calf while Saraswoti Kali at the CNP delivered a male calf on Sunday. Nepal is presently home to around 225 indigenous elephants while the number of tamed elephants is 178 (102 tamed from the government level and 76 personal). According to Director General at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Dr Maheshwor Dhakal, both mothers and calves are in a good health condition.


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zoo

Vietnam strives to conserve elephants

2022-08-21 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

A national action plan on elephant conservation in Vietnam for 2023-2032 with a vision for 2050 is being developed. According to the summary report of the General Department of Forestry, the number of elephants in Vietnam has reduced by 95%.In Dak Lak province alone, at least 23 wild elephants died in the period 2009-2016, accounting for about 25% of the total current herd. The central highlands and southern region are the habitat of most elephants in Vietnam.


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conflict
Sheldon Hooper, 27, was charged and killed by a large elephant at a safari park

Elephant owner and elephant killed by landmine explosion at the border of Sagaing Region and Kachin State

2022-08-21 - Indawgyi, Myanmar.

The owner of the elephant and the elephant were killed when a landmine exploded at the border of Sagaing Region and Kachin State on August 15 according to sources. They stepped on the landmine when a return trip from Mansein village, Homalin Township to Indawgyi. “We had to ask for help from the elders of Shan region as we were in the jungle. As there is no hospital in Seizin, we carried them to Indawgyi. The explosion hit his thigh and lower belly. His younger brother was also injured,” sai...


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poaching

Notorious poacher who trafficked in ivory, rhino horns jailed five years

2022-08-20 - Toronto, Canada.

Moazu Kromah, 49, made millions of dollars poaching and trafficking elephant tusks and rhino horns from endangered animals and was ordered caged Thursday in New York. Kromah and two confederates were allegedly members of an African crime syndicate that engaged in a massive wildlife smuggling scheme. They shipped an estimated 190 kilograms of rhino horns and at least 10 tons of elephant ivory worth a whopping $7.4 million. The Uganda-based wildlife trafficker helped poach more than 35 rhinos and ...


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conflict

Elephant in Thailand rips keeper in half after being overworked in hot weather

2022-08-20 - Khuekkhak, Thailand. Lean Jinghui

An elephant in Thailand has reportedly ripped its mahout (elephant rider or keeper) in half after being overworked. According to The Thaiger, the incident happened at a rubber plantation in the Phang Nga province, on the morning of Aug. 17, 2022. Local police from the Takua Thung Police Station were informed of the keeper's death at 11:30am on Wednesday. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers were informed that Pom Pam, a 20-year-old male elephant, had ripped apart his keeper, 32-year-old Supa...


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conflict

India sees more deadly elephant attacks as habitats shrink

2022-08-19 - New Delhi, India.

Elephant-human conflicts have been on the rise in India as a result of habitat loss, and experts say such conflicts could get worse unless forested areas are protected and migration corridors restored. More than 1,500 people have died in elephant attacks in the country in the past three years, with 300 of the animals killed in retaliation, according to government figures, as authorities seek long-term solutions to minimize such incidents.

By various estimates, including those prov...


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event

Howdah elephant Abhimanyu starts carrying 300-kg sand bags

2022-08-18 - Mysore, India.

A week after embarking on a practice walk on Jamboo Savari route, howdah elephant Abhimanyu entered the second phase of training on Thursday. The 300-kg sand bags were mounted on Abhimanyu after performing the rituals at Palace precincts, under the supervision of priest Prahlad. Unlike last two years, when Abhimanyu did it all-from practice to the carrying of 750-kg golden howdah on the D-day of Jamboo Savari within the Palace fort due to the restrictions of Covid-19 pandemic, for the first time...


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medical

Karachi elephants to receive German dental treatment

2022-08-16 - Karachi, Pakistan.

Global organisation, Four Paws have sent their veterinarian doctors to Karachi for the treatment of elephants. The team of four doctors have arrived in Pakistan to treat four female elephants- two of them are in the Safari park, and the other two are at the Karachi zoo. The team comprises Dr Marina Ivanova, Dr Frank Goritz, Dr Thomas Hilderbrandt, CEO of Four Paws Josef Pfabigan, Director Dr Amir Khalil, elephant trainer Mathias Otto and his assistant Agnieszka.


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event
Forest staff performing puja to kumkis Jayanth and Vinayak at Naniyala camp at Ramakuppam in Chittoor district.

Andhra Pradesh: ‘Kumkis’ add a dash of grandeur to I-Day celebrations in Chittoor - Jayanth and Vinayak served the Forest Department for more than two decades

2022-08-15 - Chittoor, India.

Jayanth (65) and Vinayak (52) are kumkis (trained elephants), faithfully serving the Forest Department in Chittoor district for more than two decades. Housed at the Naniyala forest camp in the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary at Ramakuppam, over 100 km from here, these two male tuskers are nearing their retirement stage. Divisional Forest Officer (Chittoor West) S. Ravi Shankar said donors could adopt either one or two kumkis.

While Jayanth was born wild on the elephant corridor along...


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people

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve mahouts will now record their experiences to help understand elephants better

2022-08-14 - Lakhimpur Kheri, India.

Chief conservator of forests and field director, Sanjay Kumar Pathak has decided to document the experiences of these veteran mahouts so that not only the park authorities but other mahouts also benefit. Pathak said when he took charge of Dudhwa as field director in 2020, he decided to document the experiences of these veteran mahouts so that not only the park authorities but other mahouts also benefit.


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fossil

Mastodon bones discovered during West Michigan road project work

2022-08-12 - Grand Rapids, United States.

Several people are working to unearth mastodon bones in a West Michigan field after they were discovered during a road construction project. The bones are expected to be donated to the Grand Rapids Public Museum.


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people
Wasim, the star kumki, with his mahout Eswaran

Meet the mahouts at Theppakadu camp in Mudumalai who have transformed the lives of their elephants

2022-08-11 - Theppakadu, India.

Wasim’s trunk pauses midair as he reaches for a bamboo shoot. His mahout, M Eswaran, calls out a command from a distance and in a split second, the elephant changes course. The shoot is far from his reach, and hangs above a slippery clump of grass: Eswaran had alerted his elephant. The 28 elephants of Tamil Nadu Forest Dept’s Theppakadu camp at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris, are cared for by some of the country’s most experienced mahouts, many of whom have transformed the l...


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birth

Myanmar: Elephant gives birth to rare white calf in Rhakine

2022-08-08 - Rhakine, Myanmar. Team Udayadani

A rare white elephant took birth in western Myanmar. The white elephant was born last month in western Rakhine state and currently weighs 180 pounds (80 kilograms) and its height is 2.5 feet (70 centimeters). The mother elephant is 33 years old and her name is Zar Nan Hia. She resides at the Myanma Timber Enterprise in Rakhine state.


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facility
Visitors up close with the elephants.

A haven for retired elephants

2022-07-18 - Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Travelling north from Siem Reap city on National Road 64 for about 90 minutes you will reach a wooden bridge that will take you to the headquarters of the Kulen Elephant Forest Sanctuary, the home of elephants who have been retired after serving the tourism sector, giving rides to tourists at Angkor Wat.


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conflict

Madhya Pradesh: Elephant held captive in chains after killing its mahout at Panna Tiger Reserve

2022-07-10 - Panna, India.

A 55-year-old elephant is held captive in chains and shackels in the Panna Tiger Reserve after the elephant brutally killed its mahout Budhram Rotiya on Monday, said an official. Ever since its arrival at the Panna Tiger Reserve in 1993, 'Rambahadur', a wild elephant, was trained and looked after by mahout Budhram Routia.


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event

Dasara elephants may be finalised by July 30

2022-07-08 - Mysore, India.

The Forest Department will initiate the process of identifying elephants for Mysuru Dasara-2022 from July 15 onwards and the jumbos for the finale is likely to be finalised by July 30, ahead of the Dasara High-Power Committee meeting. About 14-15 jumbos are likely to be finalised and the jumbo list after their health check-up would be sent to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (wildlife) for approval. On the government’s nod, the dates of Gajapayana are finalised.


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research

Scientists have brought 28,000-year-old woolly mammoth cells back to life.

2022-05-26 - Higashiosaka, Japan. Jackson White

During a remarkable scientific experiment, cells from a woolly mammoth that died over 28,000 years ago began displaying “signs of life.” The cells from the 28,000-year-old specimen began to display “evidence of biological processes” after that. Five of the cells even displayed very unexpected and intriguing outcomes, such as signals of activity that are normally typically seen just before cell division.


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death

Second oldest camp elephant dies in Tamil Nadu

2022-04-27 - Pollachi, India.

Vijayalakshmi, the second oldest camp elephant of the Tamil forest department, died at the age of 71 in the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) on Wednesday afternoon. The female elephant had not been taking fodder properly for the last 20 days due to digestive ailments. A four-member team had been treating the elephant for the last 20 days, due to digestive ailments.






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conference

3rd Asian Elephant Range States Meeting to be held in Nepal

2022-04-27 - Kathmandu, Nepal.

The 3rd Asian Elephant Range States Meeting (AsERSM) will be held in Nepal from April 27. The sole purpose of the meeting is to secure the future of Asian elephants. Delegates from all 13 Asian Elephant Range States are going to be a part of the meeting. The main objective of the AsERSM is to identify the priorities and challenges at a country and range-wide level and to determine how they might best be addressed.


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zoo

Coming Up Trunks: Elephant Superstud Shows Off His Strength

2022-04-25 - Basel, Switzerland.

African bull elephant Tusker, who sired 13 calves at his previous zoo homes, has become a star attraction at Switzerland's Basel Zoo; not for fatherhood, but for his baffling skills in balancing huge tree trunks in his enclosure. At German Zoo Wuppertal, he fathered 13 calves with four different mothers. In 2019, Tusker then moved to the Netherlands to Rhenen. There, too, he fulfilled his duty impeccably, and he is now considered one of the most successful breeding bulls in Europe.


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film

Jawed Karim Posted the First-Ever video on YouTube 17 years ago

2022-04-25 - San Diego, United States.

On 24th April, 17 years ago, a 25-year-old man named Jawed Karim posted the first-ever video on YouTube, launching a service that has since grown to become the go-to hub for video streaming. The low-res, 19-second short video, titled Me at the Zoo, shows YouTube co-founder Karim touring the San Diego Zoo, pointing out elephants’ unusually long trunks. The elephant video has been viewed over 228 million times and has garnered over 11 million comments as of April 2022.


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death

Two male elephants from a well-known wildlife sanctuary in Hazyview die while under sedation

2022-04-25 - Nelspruit, South Africa.

Two elephants, Kasper and Kitso, died while under sedation during relocation efforts from the Lowveld to Kleinmond Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) in the Western Cape on April 23. According to the owner and custodian of the elephants, Craig Saunders, they had been in the care of Elephant Sanctuary, Hazyview for the past 20 years.


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misc

No, Viral Video Does Not Show Muslim Man Attempting To Feed Meat To Elephant

2022-04-22 - Malappuram, India.

The viral video was shared with the claim that the Muslim man from Kerela attempted to provide the elephant with meat to consume. Social media users mocking alleged that it was an attempt to convert the elephant into Islam. In actuality, the video shows Nabeel Kunhappu with his son who was attempting to feed Kolakkadan Mini with coconuts. The incident took place in Malappuram, Kerela.


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film

Elephant Keeper

2022-04-16 - Austin, United States.

Austin, Texas-based activist filmmaker Kate Kirby’s documentary explores the relationship between a mahout and the 60-year-old elephant he tends at a Laotian elephant conservation center.


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facility

More escort elephants must not be allowed at temple festivals: High Court

2022-04-15 - Kochi, India.

The High Court has directed that the government\'s order not to allow more escort elephants than existing ones must be complied with in festivals and other functions at temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board. A division bench comprising Justice Anil K Narendran and Justice PG Ajithkumar passed the order on a petition filed by Ambalapuzha native P Premakumar seeking action against the culprits in connection with the death of the elephant named Ambalapuzha Vijayakrishnan owned by the Devaswom...


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conflict

elephant handler is grabbed by the scruff of the neck and forced to kneel at an elephant’s feet after repeatedly beating the animal in the head with a sharp hook in Thailand

2022-04-14 - Ayutthaya, Thailand.

The keeper Peerapat, 18, pierced Chan's thick leathery skin with the bullhook and caused the elephant so much pain that his legs collapsed. Chan Chao is now being treated by local vets with deep cuts to his head. Video also shows the moment Peerapat was grabbed by the scruff of the neck by the camp's manager and forced to kneel at the elephant's feet and say sorry. Veterinarian Thongthae Meepan, the manager of the attraction, claimed that the wounds on the elephant’s head would be ‘healed in...


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relocation

Botswana to translocate 500 elephants to Mozambique

2022-04-14 - Gaborone, Botswana.

Two years after pledging 500 elephants to Mozambique as a gift, Botswana says the animals are set to be translocated in the near future. This was revealed by President Mokgweetsi Masisi during a three-day state visit by Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi that ends on Good Friday. Last year, it was reported that conservationists had discovered female elephants in Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park which had been born without tusks.


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relocation

Belfast Zoo elephants set to be rehomed at new facility

2022-04-13 - Belfast, United Kingdom.

Two much loved elephants at Belfast Zoo are to leave for a new home the City Council has confirmed on Wednesday. Asian elephants Dunja and Yheeto – both in their 40s - are among the largest residents at the zoo. The article claims falsely the elephants were "rescued" from "from the circus and logging trade".


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conflict

Elephant kills Colombian researcher in Uganda

2022-04-12 - Fort Portal, Uganda.

A Colombian researcher has died after being trampled on by an elephant in Uganda's Kibale National Park. Ramirez Amaya Sebastian, who is based at a university in the US, had been carrying out a routine research in the park forest with an assistant when the incident happened, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The elephant attack at Kibale was the first deadly incident at the park in 50 years, UWA said.


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conflict

Elephant tramples mahout to death in Thiruvananthapuram

2022-04-11 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

A mahout was trampled to death by an elephant that ran amok on Monday at Mukkukada near Navayikkulam in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district. Unni, a native of Vellannoor, was killed by the elephant which was brought to carry timber from a private property in the area. Unni was one of the two mahouts of the elephant. Attempts to tame the elephant were on.


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conflict

Accident in Prague Zoo"s "Elephant Valley" seriously injures breeder

2022-04-11 - Prague, Czech Republic. Raymond Johnston

A Prague Zoo employee was injured by an elephant over the weekend. The 31-year-old zoo employee had to be taken to the hospital for injuries to her pelvis, chest, and arm. The incident took place early on Sunday, April 10. We will add more information after an investigation,” zoo director Miroslav Bobek said on Facebook.


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conservation

Elephant count in Tamil Nadu rose by 800 in five years

2022-04-10 - COIMBATORE, India.

xperts from the Forest College and Research Institute in Mettupalayam have told a committee constituted to probe the reasons for the death of wild elephants, especially young ones, over the past year in Tamil Nadu that 130 elephants may die in Tamil Nadu this year and their population may have gone up by 800 compared to the last census in 2017.


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film

A film on Malasar tribes of Anamalai

2022-04-08 - Pollachi, India.

Malasar, a six-minute conservation film, narrated by actor Nasser, shows not just the sacred bond between elephants and the Malasar tribes of the Anamalai Hills but also the need to protect the tribes, their identity and conventional wisdom. The Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) near TopSlip is exclusively used to train and discipline captive Asian elephants under the native tribes, who have special skills to work with them. Anaimalai is designated as an ‘anthropol...


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facility

Majestic tuskers of Sri Dalada Maligawa

2022-04-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

The chief tusker who represents this Sacred Temple is Indi Raja who is 45-years-old. The tuskers are Sinha Raja, Thai Raja, Jana Raja, Migara, Kaveri Raja, Myan Raja, Buruma Raja and Pulasthi Raja. The other elephants are Kandula, Nalaka and Kadhira. Our chief tusker Indi Raja was donated to the Dalada Maligawa in 1989 aged seven years. He was assigned for Perahera duty when he reached 18 years of age”. Indi Raja was donated by the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.


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circus
This example featured Robert Brothers’ pachyderms - said to be the largest troupe in Europe at the time.

Remembering when giant circus elephants paraded through Cambridge

2022-03-30 - Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Elephants were another iconic symbol of circuses during this era. These images from almost 50 years ago show when these incredible beasts roamed the streets of Cambridge as part of the circus. Rather than coming by road, these elephants arrived by train at Cambridge railway station before embarking on their journey through the city. Crowds young, old and everything in between flocked to the station and lined the streets to witness the giant animals in person. Most commonly seen in Cambridge in t...


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relocation

Seven jumbos intercepted on trucks near Teesta bridge. The animals were reportedly heading to Gujarat from the Northeast

2022-03-30 - Jalpaiguri, India.

The state forest department intercepted seven elephants on trucks from near the Teesta bridge on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town on Tuesday. The animals were found from six trucks reportedly heading to Gujarat from the Northeast. Foresters called up vets who examined the elephants. Five are male, one is female and one is a male calf. Last year, two elephants on trucks stopped at the same spot. They were on the way to a temple in Gujarat. The drivers had valid papers.


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misc

Thailand"s elephants bear the brunt of both boom and bust

2022-03-30 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Elephants are a major engine of tourism in Thailand, which uses nearly three-quarters of the total number of elephants used in tourism in Asia, according to London-based World Animal Protection (WAP), a nonprofit animal rights organization. Before the pandemic, nearly 40 million tourists visited Thailand in 2019 generating some 20% of its gross domestic product. According to surveys conducted by WAP, 28% of visitors rode elephants or intended to when they arrived, suggesting demand for over 11 m...


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birth

Cambodia: Elephant calf welcomed at Mondulkiri sanctuary

2022-03-29 - Sen Monorom, Cambodia.

A rescued elephant called Gee Pael (Pearl) gave birth to a baby girl named Gee Pich (Diamond) on March 25 at the Elephant Valley Project (EVP) sanctuary run by the NGO Elephant, Livelihood, Initiative and Environment (ELIE) in Mondulkiri province. In March 2020, a wild bull came into the EVP sanctuary and ran away with Pearl. They remained together in the forest for two weeks. ELIE staff – in collaboration with the provincial Department of Environment, Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary rangers and ...


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zoo

No excuse for dumping Limassol zoo animal remains in landfill

2022-03-26 - Limassol, Cyprus. Kyriacos Nicolaou

The Animal Party on Saturday accused Limassol Zoo of dumping dead animals in a landfill in municipal plastic bags instead of properly disposing of them, saying that the responsibility for such a violation “involves many people for whom no excuses can be made”. The party said that such incidents took place in the past as well, citing the death of Julie the elephant at Limassol zoo, whose carcass was also dumped at the Vati landfill.


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zoo
Wendy in the Odessa Zoo on March 26, 2022.

Odessa Zoo in Ukraine opens to visitors for first time since Russian invasion

2022-03-26 - Odessa, Ukraine.

With Russian forces bogged down about 85 miles northeast in Mykolaiv, Odessa has been spared shelling for the last several weeks, encouraging the port city to return to normal life. Stores have reopened and people are back out on the streets. Things aren’t quite normal, of course. But for a brief few hours, children were able to marvel at tigers and elephants and feed the goats.


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smuggle

Vietnamese woman, 40, illegally imported 1,787 elephant tusks from Nigeria to S"pore worth S$3.3 million

2022-03-25 - Singapore, Singapore.

A 40-year-old Vietnamese woman, who is a Singapore permanent resident, imported a 40-feet container consisting of 1,787 elephant tusks from Nigeria to Singapore illegally in 2018. After the container was detained for investigation, 1,787 suspected elephant tusks were discovered within 61 bags weighing a total of 3,480kg. According to 8World News, the ivory's total value was S$3.3 million. Dao Thi Boi was found guilty of an offence under the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act on Mar. 23, ac...


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death

Thailand’s elephant crisis: 22 elephants die during pandemic at Chiang Mai camp

2022-03-24 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Another elephant from Maesa elephant camp in Chiang Mai died on Friday, making it the 22nd elephant to die at the camp in the past two years. Without almost no income from tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic, many camps and sanctuaries have been struggling to provide care and food for the animals. A 50 year old male elephant named Krung Rattana died on Friday just as staff were about to lift him into a truck to seek treatment at the Elephant Conservation Centre in nearby Lampang province. The ...


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wild

Poor waste management transforms dump sites into death traps for Sri Lanka’s elephants

2022-03-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

“We conducted a survey around Sri Lanka and listed 54 garbage open garbage dumps visited by elephants,” Chandana Sooriyabandara, director-general of Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), told Mongabay. “The department has nothing to do with the setting up of these garbage dumps, but we have to eventually deal with them as elephants frequent the dumps. We are trying to minimise the impact, but it is an uphill task as 70 per cent of Sri Lankan elephants can also be found o...


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smuggle

Elephant tusk DNA is used to expose poaching networks

2022-03-22 - Washington, United States.

As genetics reveals how various ivory shipments are connected, the world is learning how organized and extensive the ivory smuggling network really is. A study suggests that poachers credited to three international crime groups likely returned to the same elephant family again and again, then repeatedly used the same shipping company to smuggle the elephant tusks. Testing more than 4,000 elephant tusks from 49 large ivory seizures that were shipped out of Africa between 2002 to 2019 revealed tha...


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zoo

Quebec Senator introduces federal bill to ban having elephants in captivity

2022-03-22 - Quebec, Canada.

Paul Gosselin said the Granby Zoo has been thinking about getting out of the elephant business for the past few years. “Given that, and given the fact we have to agree that the elephant standards are getting more and more tough to keep them in zoological institutions, and given the fact the bill is coming and we supported it, we have decided as a group in Granby to transition out.” He said the zoo’s three African elephants – females Thandi and Sarah and male Tutum – will be moving out,...


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people

Longtime caregiver for Shirley the Elephant, Solomon James, dies at 69

2022-03-16 - Monroe, United States. Ian Robinson

The longtime caretaker and friend of Shirley the Elephant at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, Solomon James, has died. He died on March 9. He was 69. Perhaps best known as the primary keeper and caregiver for Shirley the Elephant, zoo officials remember James as being an affable zookeeper who had just as big impact on the community as the elephant he loved and cared for.


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facility

Thailand: Elephant camp in Chiang Mai put up for sale due to drop in tourists during pandemic

2022-03-15 - Chiang Mai, Thailand. Petch Petpailin

The owner of Mae Taeng Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai made the announcement on Sunday, which was National Elephant Day. Wassana Thongsook, who has been running the camp for 28 years, told Thai media that she has over 40 elephants and needs to spend over 2 million baht per month to care for elephants and pay the staff. She says she’s spent all of her savings and hasn’t had support from the state during the pandemic.


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conflict
Elephants enjoy a buffet of fruit and vegetables during the National Elephant Day celebration at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Pattaya on Sunday

Giant hopes for Elephant Day - Dept strives for ways to reduce conflicts with humans

2022-03-14 - Bangkok, Thailand.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has drawn up a 10-year action plan to mitigate human-elephant conflicts that have occurred wherever elephants and locals share the same habitat, competing for the same resources. The government on May 26, 1998, designated March 13 as National Elephant Day in a bid to raise awareness about the animal's importance to society.


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conflict

Kerala: Rusty tuskers run amok at the slightest of provocation

2022-03-13 - Thiruvananthapuram, India. Dhinesh Kallungal

Around 20 instances of elephants running amok have been reported in the State, especially in Thrissur, Palakkad and Ernakulam districts, in March alone, though not many casualties have been reported in this connection. The workload on the elephants can be judged from the number of elephants available in the State now. The State had around 521 elephants as per the jumbo census in November 2018. But after the census, 75 elephants died, reducing their number to 446. “There is a great mismatch bet...


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death

San Antonio Zoo announces loss of beloved Asian elephant Karen

2022-03-12 - San Antonio, United States.

The San Antonio Zoo announced the death of one of their Asian elephants, Karen, Wednesday afternoon. Karen passed away this afternoon while under the loving care and comfort of her veterinarians and animal care staff. Karen came to San Antonio Zoo in 2016 to join Nicole and Lucky, forming what was lovingly known as “The Golden Girls.” She was 52 years old, outliving the average lifespan of an Asian elephant which is 47.5 according to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.


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trade

African countries call for closure of Japan"s ivory markets because they contribute to poaching

2022-03-11 - Lyon, France. Lenin Ndebele

The African Elephant Coalition (AEC) has called for the closure of ivory markets in Japan, saying they contribute to poaching in Africa. This clarion call was made at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) conference in Lyon, France, which will end on Friday. In 2016, a recommendation was adopted to close ivory markets in ivory-consuming countries such as Singapore, the United Kingdom, China, the United States and Japan.


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medical

Blood Institute’s OKC Zoo gift elevates research, spotlights donation needs

2022-03-11 - Oklahoma City, United States.

The longstanding partnership between the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden and the Oklahoma Blood Institute was newly solidified this week with the donation from OBI of a centrifuge to the zoo’s Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital. The most immediate life-saving opportunities that this centrifuge can provide for the zoo are advancements in the research and treatment of EEHV, a persistent and deadly herpes virus affecting elephants worldwide, both wild and in captivity.


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zoo

Nandankanan Zoo closed for visitors as two elephants stray into zoo

2022-03-10 - Bhubaneswar, India.

Visitors’ entry into Nandankanan zoo was restricted for a day after two wild elephants strayed into the zoological park by breaking the fences near Daruthenga early on Wednesday. The elephants that entered the zoo premises at around 4 am caused minor damage to the plantation area, fodder farm, and sprinklers in the morning. However, no damage has been caused to any enclosure, said Nandankanan deputy director Sanjeet Kumar.


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birth

Mutara Becomes a Mother

2022-03-10 - Nairobi, Kenya.

On the night of 8th March 2022, just as our Ithumba team was getting ready for bed, Mutara and her herd appeared outside the stockades. And... we were delighted to find a newborn in their midst! He was fresh out of the womb — Mutara had clearly given birth earlier that evening — but a picture of health. Mutara decided to spend her first night as a mother around Ithumba, sharing this special moment with Benjamin and the other Keepers who raised her.


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trade
Photo taken on April 5, 2021, shows elephants in Omaruru, Namibia.

Namibia exports 22 elephants to UAE

2022-03-07 - Windhoek, Namibia.

Namibia has exported 22 of the 37 auctioned elephants to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), sold as part of conservation efforts amid an increase in population and rising cases of human-wildlife conflict involving elephants in the southern African nation. "The elephants arrived in UAE early Saturday morning and are reported to be doing well except for one cow which is seemingly weak," said the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda in an emailed statement Sunday. "...


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misc
A past photo of Big Tim. Courtesy Ryan Wilkie

Kenya plans to build Sh47 million monument for Big Tim

2022-03-07 - Namanga, Kenya.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has requested money from the Ministry of Tourism to build a monument in honour of the late Big Tim, a beloved elephant who was one of Africa's last giant tuskers. The Tim memorial would be built in the Amboseli National Park, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala told the National Assembly's Finance committee.


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zoo

A blast-stressed elephant and an abandoned lemur: The war within Kyiv’s zoo

2022-03-06 - Kiev, Ukraine.

Horace the Asian elephant is so terrified of explosions that he’s been put on sedatives. The zebras are being kept inside after they panicked at the sound of shelling and ran directly into a fence. And Maya the lemur is so overwhelmed that she abandoned her newborn baby this week — nearly killing him.


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smuggle
The Cape Town magistrates’ court has fined Cosmus Ziwande R10,000 for unlawful possession of ivory.

Ivory dealer fined for illegal possession of elephant tusks

2022-03-05 - Cape Town, South Africa.

A Zimbabwean has been fined R10,000 in Cape Town for unlawful possession of ivory. Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said Cosmus Ziwande, 38, was sentenced in the Cape Town magistrate's court on Thursday.
Ziwande, who is serving a seven-year jail sentence for tampering with essential infrastructure in Clanwilliam, Western Cape, in July 2021, entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the state. The fine was wholly suspended for five years.


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accident

Other than a few scratches, the circus elephant named Tuffi was relatively unharmed during the incident.

2022-03-05 - Wuppertal, Germany.

Did an Elephant Jump out of a Suspension Rail Car? No word if the elephant had to pay extra for trunk space. The latest Tweet by snopes.com states, 'Other than a few scratches, the circus elephant named Tuffi was relatively unharmed during the incident. ...'


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people

Colchester Zoo elephant keeper speaks about her dream job

2022-03-05 - Colchester, United Kingdom.

CLAIRE Bennett still recalls the day Colchester Zoo’s manager called her into his office and asked if she would like to try working with the elephants. “Since that moment I have never looked back,” admits Claire, who starting working at the attraction in Maldon Road in 1994.


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medical

Baby elephant"s stem cells to help zoos across U.S.

2022-03-02 - Powell, United States.

Frankie the baby elephant could be a lifesaver someday thanks to a project he jump-started the day he was born at the Columbus Zoo last summer. Tissues from Frankie's umbilical cord have been used to create Asian elephant stem cell lines at Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine and on a national scale at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Frozen Zoo.


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welfare

The Elephant In The Courtroom

2022-02-28 - New York, United States.

Habeas petitions are not often heard in court, which was only one reason that the case before New York Supreme Court Justice Alison Y. Tuitt—Nonhuman Rights Project v. James Breheny, et al.—was extraordinary. The subject of the petition was Happy, an Asian elephant in the Bronx Zoo. American law treats all animals as “things”—the same category as rocks or roller skates. However, if the Justice granted the habeas petition to move Happy from the zoo to a sanctuary, in the eyes of the law...


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medical

Vaccine trial for killer elephant virus begins

2022-02-03 - Chester, United Kingdom.

Groups of researchers around the world study EEHV, but Chester Zoo is now taking an important step with the vaccine trial, as the lead scientist behind its development, Prof Falko Steinbach from the University of Surrey, explains. "We know it's almost impossible to prevent infection - we're trying to prevent serious disease and death," he tells BBC News.


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birth

It"s a Boy! Omaha’s Zoo & Aquarium Welcomes Second Elephant Calf This Month

2022-01-31 - Omaha, United States.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is thrilled to announce Claire, a 13-year-old African elephant, gave birth to a male calf at 9:08 p.m. yesterday, January 30, 2022. Mom and calf are doing well. The weight of the calf is unknown at this time. The is the second African elephant calf born at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium this month, January 2022. These two calves are the first and only African elephants born at Omaha’s Zoo and Aquarium.


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people

Three-year-old girl drinks milk from mother elephant in Assam

2022-01-29 - Guwahati, India.

The girl Harshita Bora is from the Golaghat district of upper Assam. She has been found to be playing around with an elephant and drinking its milk. The elephant too understanding the presence of the young girl has shown its motherly side to the young girl.


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medical

Anamalai Tiger Reserve struggles without a dedicated veterinarian

2022-01-26 - Pollachi, India.

The Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) is yet to get a dedicated veterinarian despite being a protected habitat of endangered species such as tiger, elephant, the Nilgiri tahr (also the State animal of Tamil Nadu), Lion-tailed Macaque and home to more than 20 camp elephants. ATR currently has 27 camp elephants at its two elephant camps — Kozhikamuthi and Varagaliyar. The camp elephants require veterinary care when they fall sick or males develop musth.


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birth

"Happy baby elephant" -- Glimpse of newborn elephant in Myanmar

2022-01-24 - Bago, Myanmar.

The two-day-old baby male elephant is seen at the Wingabaw Elephant Camp in Bago region, Myanmar on Jan. 23,


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birth

Taiping Zoo welcomes adorable new baby elephant and spoonbill bird

2022-01-23 - Taiping, Malaysia.

Taiping Zoo welcomed two new members recently, bringing its total population to 1,400 from 140 species. The new babies, an elephant and African spoonbill bird, were introduced to the media today during a preview at the zoo. Taiping Municipal Council president Datuk Abdul Rahim Md Ariff said the elephant and spoonbill bird were born on December 30. “Now the zoo has nine elephants and three spoonbill birds,” he said.


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birth
Camille Clais with the new born elephant baby, 26th of December, 2021. Photo: Pierre-Yves Clais.

Cambodia sensation: As a miracle, 38 year old Ikeo gave birth to a female elephant baby

2021-12-26 - Banlung, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

After being mated with two bulls in 2019, Bak Mai and Bokva, Ikeos breasts became swollen, but an analyze of her prolactin concentrations in November 2020 were low and did not indicate a pregnancy, also unlikely at her age of 38 with a first baby. Therefore it was a miracle, when a female baby was born in the forest at Catien water falls 26th of December. Unfortunately, Ikeo so far rejected her baby, who is named Noel and on 24/7 supervision by Airavata staff.


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death

Asian elephant calf Thorn dies of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus

2021-12-25 - Albuquerque, United States.

Thorn, a three-year-old male elephant at the ABQ BioPark Zoo, died in the early morning hours on Christmas Day from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). BioPark staff began treating Thorn immediately after traces of the virus were detected in a routine blood test on December 15. This virus causes hemorrhagic disease that can be fatal for young elephants. EEHV is the leading cause of death for Asian elephant calves and can strike elephants in the wild and in human care.


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conflict

Mahout critically injured after being gored by elephant in Kochi

2021-12-25 - Kochi, India.

A Mahout was critically injured after an elephant he was giving a shower forward of parading in reference to a temple ritual turned violent and gored him. The Mahout recognized as Ratnakaran (57) of Onakkoor suffered a deep wound on his rib and was rushed to a non-public hospital close by. “The wound caused by the tusk is fairly deep. We have moved him into ventilator,” stated hospital sources. The elephant recognized as Polakulam Vishu Narayanan was dropped at the temple as a part of the pa...


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medical

In Cachar, microchips in elephants for identification, to monitor health

2021-12-24 - Silchar, India.

In order to keep track of elephants and better monitoring of the pachyderms, Cachar Forest officials have started implanting microchips in them. The three-day camp, which began at Sonai Forest office on Wednesday, was next held at Salchapra on Thursday and Sonai and Matinagar of Cachar district on Friday. The camp also consisted of health checkup for the elephants and verification of the owner.


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medical
The left eye of the 35-yr-old tusker

How Kumki Cheran got his eyesight back

2021-12-23 - Theppakadu, India.

Cheran, a kumki elephant who was injured by a care taker, got his vision back, thanks to the efforts of the team led by veterinary assistant surgeon K Rajesh Kumar. The 35-year-old elephant is receiving treatment at the Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). Currently, the animal has got back nearly 80 per cent of his eyesight and it will take a few more months to recover completely.


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fossil
Researchers are using new methods of examining ancient DNA to learn more about the ancient Yukon landsc

Mammoths roamed Yukon 6,000 years ago: new DNA research

2021-12-23 - Hamilton, United States.

A new study examining ancient DNA from the Yukon is changing the timeline for when woolly mammoths and ancient horses roamed the continent. Tyler Murchie, a researcher at the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre in Hamilton, was the lead author on a new paper in the journal Nature on Dec. 8, with new evidence that suggests ancient horses and mammoths may have roamed the Yukon landscape up until 6,000 years ago.


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medical
Elephants revelling at the MR Palayam rehabilitation centre in Tiruchy district on Wednesday

MR Palayam rehabilitation centre, a go-to-destination to treat sick elephants

2021-12-23 - Tiruchy, India.

The Elephant Rehabilitation Centre at MR Palayam continues to grow as a haven for sick pachyderms in the State, with two new elephants in dire health conditions being brought for rehabilitation last week. With this, the elephant population at the centre has increased to eight in three years.A veterinary doctor from Coimbatore monitors the health of each elephant every fortnight and a veterinary doctor from the district visits the camp every single week.


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welfare
Visitors to Thailand

Cruelty debate over zoo exhibition highlights complexities of elephant tourism in Thailand

2021-12-22 - Bangkok, Thailand.

a recent controversy over an award-winning photo of a swimming elephant at Khao Kheow illustrates the friction that exists between some animal rights activists and people who manage elephants in Thailand. Some Thai people see a double standard in how Khao Kheow, and Thailand in general, have become lightning rods for animal-related criticism from the West. They wonder why the elephant swimming exhibitions held at zoos in Germany and Switzerland have drawn minimal criticism despite appearing to s...


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medical

Update on Albuquerque Biological Park Elephant Thorn Tests Positive For EEHV

2021-12-21 - Albuquerque, United States.

The ABQ BioPark continues to provide around the clock care and treatments for Thorn, our 3 year old elephant who recently tested positive for the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV). While the most recent daily test results indicate an escalation in the viral load his treatments continue and we remain hopeful and are confident that together we will have the best chance of helping Thorn through this illness.


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evolution

Fossil track sites on the Cape south coast show ancient evidence of Knysna elephants

2021-12-21 - Cape Town, South Africa. Charles Helm

In the 19th century, a population that came to be known as the “Knysna elephants” (a reference to the nearest big town) were the most southerly group of elephants in Africa. Over time they became the only free-ranging elephants in South Africa. Their numbers were decimated by the ivory market and habitat transformation. Evidence indicates that only one elephant, an adult female in her forties, remains. Now, about 18km from the area that lone elephant occupies, we have found new evidence of h...


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death
Surabaya City legislature

Surabaya Zoo should rectify errors following elephant calf"s death: MP

2021-12-20 - Surabaya, Indonesia.

The Surabaya City legislative body's Commission B member, Alfian Limardi, urged the Surabaya Zoo operator to take requisite steps to address loopholes in the zoo management following the death of an elephant calf named Dumbo. Dumbo, a male Sumatran elephant, was born on July 22, 2019, from a male elephant Lembang and female elephant Doa.


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relocation
Elephants belonging to wildlife researcher Prajna Chowta being shifted from Dubare forest to Ramapura Elephant Camp in Bandipur

Tamed elephants belonging to conservationist shifted to Rampura Elephant Camp

2021-12-16 - Madikeri, India.

The tamed elephants belonging to conservationist and wildlife researcher Prajna Chowta are being transferred to the possession of the forest department. Residents across Dubare alleged that the elephants from Prajna’s foundation often raided the crops and caused immense damage. Following this, in August this year, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden ordered the confiscation of the elephants owned by Prajna.


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medical
Thorn getting temperature taken during a routine check

Albuquerque Biological Park Elephant Thorn Tests Positive for EEHV

2021-12-15 - Albuquerque, United States.

On Wednesday, December 15, a weekly routine blood tests for Thorn, the BioPark's 3.5-year-old Asian elephant, came back positive for a very low level of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV). Out of an abundance of caution, the ABQ BioPark has begun round-the-clock care, including antiviral treatment and observation for symptoms. At this time, the BioPark's animal care team is monitoring his blood values ​​daily.


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relocation

Four palace elephants shifted to Gujarat

2021-12-15 - Mysore, India.

Four of the six elephants that were under the custody of the erstwhile royal family of Mysuru, have been shifted to Gujarat. The elephants which are in transit, left Mysuru late on Tuesday night and will be housed at Elephant Care Centre at Jamnagar. Seetha, Ruby, Gemini and Rajeshwari are being transported in trucks and the Forest Department veterinarians had certified that they were fit to travel.


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relocation

Salvador Dali And Ashtrays: Why Air India Flew An Elephant To Geneva

2021-12-12 - Cadaques, Spain. Jake Hardiman

In 1967, Air India asked surrealist painter Salvador Dalí, to design a series of porcelain ashtrays for their passengers. Following Dalí’s request for a baby elephant as his payment for the ashtrays, Air India also flew both the trainer and the elephant to Europe from Bangalore/Bengaluru. While Dalí was based in Spain at the time, the elephant’s journey by air only took it as far as the Swiss city of Geneva.


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conflict
The bull elephant known as Phlai Jumbo, 25, is sedated and captured on Thursday night, after earlier killing his mahout in Phipun district, Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Bull elephant stomps mahout to death

2021-12-10 - Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.

Manit Thanabat, 43, of Surat Thani’s Wiang Sa district, was killed at a rubber plantation in tambon Katun by his 25-year-old bull elephant, Phlai Jumbo. The elephant then ran off, but was captured late on Thursday night by livestock officials shooting tranquilliser darts. The elephant was later taken by truck to a controlled area in Wiang Sa district.


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death

Baby elephant owned by Queen of Denmark and King of Sweden dies

2021-12-09 - Kolmarden, Sweden.

What has been quite unknown to most people, however, is that the Swedish King and the Danish Queen, also owns several elephan`s. Now one of the royal elephants has died. The elephant was the son of two elephants that were once given as a gift by another monarch. Prince died on December 7th 2021, to the great sorrow of the king and the zoo staff.


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people

Sri Lanka: Former Director General of Wildlife, Nandana Attapattu, passes away

2021-12-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Dr. Nandana Atapattu, a former Director General of Wildlife and an expert on wild elephants has passed away. According to family sources, he had died at his residence in Purwarama Place, Kirulapone.Dr. Nandana Atapattu, has authored a number of research books on wild elephants in Sri Lanka.


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website
Y Thu Knul captured and tamed 400-500 elephants, why he is called The elephant king in Vietnam. He gave a white elephant to the king of Siam and was given the title Khun Ju Nop (Khunjunob), meaning "elephant Hunting king". He also founded the village Buon Don in Daklak, Vietnam.

Over 500 elephant persons in the latet Add-On on elephant.se

2021-12-04 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

The latest Add-On on website elephant.se, a section with elephant persons, has now over 500 persons, who are interlinked with locations of work. Among the last is Vietnamn most famous elephant trainer Y Thu Knul, who captured and tamed 400-500 elephants and founded Buon Don elephant village in DakLak.


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medical

Baby elephant gets life-saving care after trap and shooting ordeal

2021-12-02 - Pattaya, Thailand.

A three-month-old baby elephant was recovering in this eastern province on Thursday following lifesaving treatment after being shot several times and caught in a hunter's trap. The elephant, whom rescuers have named "Fahsai", meaning "clear sky", was found by passers-by on Sunday with her right foot caught in a trap and gunshot wounds to her shoulder.


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welfare

Vets suggest shifting of elephants from Karachi Zoo to Safari Park.

2021-11-30 - Karachi, Pakistan.

The experts are to submit a report before the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday (today) recommending a number of steps necessary for the well-being of the elephants. Therefore it would be a good idea if they are also shifted to the Safari Park or their present enclosure at the Zoo may be enlarged and modified.


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research

UI professor tackles the development of tusk-less elephants

2021-11-29 - Beira, Mozambique.

A tusk-less elephant phenomenon led a University of Idaho professor to research in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. Ryan Long, an associate professor in wildlife sciences, along with researchers from Princeton University, began their study on tusk-less elephants in 2018. Long, a large mammal ecologist, had already been working with elephants in Gorongosa, starting in 2015. The team collected genetic samples and placed trackers on the elephants to monitor their activity.


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death

What costs captive jumbos’ lives? Lack of income or dearth of exercise?

2021-11-28 - Palakkad, India.

An increase in the frequency of deaths of captive elephants has prompted jumbo lovers to ask two key questions. Without enough festivals in the last two years, have the elephants contracted diseases or developed fitness issues? Mangalamkunnu Haridas, who lost two of his elephants Rajan and Gajendran in as many days, said the captive jumbos were mostly idling in the last two years due to lack of festivals. “Captive elephants need exercise. Mahouts take them out for one or two rounds of walk, bu...


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fossil

Ancient mammoth tusk recovered from bottom of the ocean

2021-11-24 - Monterey, United States.

Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Institute (MBARI) have found and extracted mammoth tusks from a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi), deep in the ocean. According to MBARI, their team discovered 185 miles offshore and 10,000 feet deep in the seamount in 2019. They returned in July 2021 and brought the tusks to the surface. The deep-sea conservation environment for this specimen is different from most we’ve seen elsewhere,” said Daniel Fisher, a paleontologist at the University of M...


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illegal wildlife trade
Suspected poachers sit on the defendant’s benches during their trial hearing at a district court in Aceh Jaya, Indonesia, Monday, Nov. 22, 2021. The court opened the trial against the group of men accused of poaching endangered elephants and trading in illegal ivory, in a case that wildlife conservation groups have hailed as a milestone. (AP Photo/Riska Munawarah)

Trial opens against accused elephant poachers in Indonesia

2021-11-22 - Calang, Armenia.

An Indonesian court on Monday began a trial against a group of men accused of poaching endangered Sumatran elephants and trading in illegal ivory, in a case that wildlife conservation officials have hailed as a milestone. The case includes nine men accused of killing wild elephants by setting electrified wire traps on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and two others accused of buying ivory from the elephant killings.


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death
Hachaliah Bailey (1775-1845), Artist unknown, oil on canvas SHS75.8.1 The William & Nancy Bailey Collection

Why a Farmer from Alfred Killed One of the First Circus Elephants

2021-11-22 - Alfred, York County, United States.

It's an interesting tale that starts with Hachaliah Bailey. Yup, that Bailey, as in the Barnum and Bailey circus. Bailey was a farmer in upstate New York when he bought an elephant for about $1,000. As the legend goes, Old Bet came to York County in July of 1816, where people ponied up the admission price to catch a glimpse. But, according to Historic Hudson Valley, a farmer named Daniel Davis reportedly was offended by the idea of taking money from poor people and decided to fatally shoot Old B...


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relocation

Elephant Nature Park Updates

2021-11-22 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Article about the relocation of Asian female elephant Kamu to ENP.


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medical
To save the life of the baby elephant, wildlife officials today (pictured) had to amputate half of her trunk at the Elephant Training Centre in Aceh Besar, Indonesia

Baby elephant is forced to have her trunk amputated after being snared by cruel poachers and left behind by her herd in Indonesia

2021-11-16 - Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

A baby elephant was forced to have her trunk amputated after being snared by cruel poachers and left behind by her herd in Indonesia. She was rescued on Sunday in Alue Meuraksa, a village in the Aceh Jaya district which is forested, according to Agus Arianto, who is the head of Aceh province's conservation agency. To save the life of the baby elephant, wildlife officials today had to amputate half of her trunk at the Elephant Training Centre in Aceh Besar, Indonesia.


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webinar

17th International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium

2021-11-15 - Azle, United States.

It is with great disappointment that due to the continuing ongoing pandemic we will not be able to meet in person for this year’s International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium. BUT we are planning a multi-day virtual symposium with presentations and opportunities for information sharing and discussion.


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zoo

Three Asian elephants pregnant at Melbourne Zoo

2021-11-13 - Melbourne, Australia.

For the first time in Melbourne Zoo’s history, three Asian elephants have become pregnant naturally and will give birth next year. New mum Mali, who was also born at the zoo 11 years ago, is sharing her pregnancy journey with her 28-year-old mother Dokkoon, as well as 20-year-old Num-Oi.


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people

The list of elephant people is growing!

2021-11-13 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

The latest addition to the Elephant Database, presenteation of elephant people is growing, now over 300 names of legandary Circus trainers, Asian Mahouts, and head elephant keepers in Zoos.


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death

Remembering Karma

2021-11-10 - Mathura, India.

On 10 November 2021, we bid farewell to our beloved Karma. A few days before she passed, Karma collapsed out of exhaustion. Our team would lift Karma up with the help of a crane, without which they feared she would fall again. Despite all efforts, Karma collapsed again, but this time she did not get up. She passed with as much serenity as she had entered the Hospital Campus. Her post mortem report revealed that Karma’s vital organs had slowly been deteriorating. Due to complete respiratory fa...


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conflict

Elephant attacks mahout in ATR

2021-11-03 - COIMBATORE, India.

A mahout was injured in the attack of a camp elephant at the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve near Top Slip on Monday. A Forest Department official said the mahout, Jayachandran (45), was attacked by the elephant when he was taking care of it. Jayachandran was admitted to a private hospital at Pollachi. His condition was stable, the officer added.


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relocation

Assam: Baby jumbo finds new home after mother’s death by electrocution

2021-11-02 - Bankura, India.

A three-month-old male orphan baby of an electrocuted elephant from Assam’s Golaghat district has found a second home at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC).

The centre, the only rehabilitation shelter for wildlife orphans in northeast India, is now the abode of this baby after it was rescued by Golaghat division’s forest team.


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birth
Photo taken on Oct. 20, 2021 shows a newborn Asian elephant calf and his mother Yaming in Kunming Zoo, southwest China

Yunnan, China: Kunming Zoo welcomes a newborn Asian elephant calf

2021-10-21 - Kunming, China.

Yaming, an Asian elephant in the zoo, gave birth to a male Asian elephant calf on Oct. 15, 2021. The new member is in good health and in the period of immune isolation and protection with his mother, unable to meet the public temporarily.


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website

Elephant Glossary and Encyclopedia is renovated!

2021-10-18 - Banlung, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

The Elephant Glossary, started back in 1995, has been repaired, recovered and developed, now with almost 200 terms. They can all be viewed by Alphabetical order, or by Category, and the numbers of characters tell you how much is to read from each article. The articles are also interlinked with elephant individual records and locations, and a good start point to search for more info on each Subject.


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conservation

Keonjhar sees rising elephant deaths

2021-10-08 - Bubaneshwar, India.

Elephants death toll has risen in Keonjhar forest division over the last one year. Sources revealed that when Santosh Joshi was the DFO from 2017 to 2020, 24 elephants had died in Keonjhar forest division spreading shock and surprise among wildlife lovers and environmentalists. However, after the transfer of Joshi to Mayurbhanj, DFO Swayam Mallik had stressed on forest and wildlife conservation and there was no death of elephants during his one-year tenure.


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welfare
Elephants at BEC were found to be just "skin and bones" after the coronavirus pandemic forced the park to close

"Just skin and bones": Bali elephants left to starve

2021-10-07 - Petang, Indonesia. Al Jazeera Staff

Bali Elephant Camp (BEC), a safari-style park, north of Ubud, Indonesia, left more than a dozen elephants to starve, and staff without pay after plummeting ticket sales forced it to close when COVID-19 spread around the world and borders were closed. . “Our friends in conservation say we have some of the healthiest, happiest elephants they’ve ever seen!” the company’s website boasts. But photographs taken by a wildlife veterinarian at the park in May and shared exclusively with Al Jazeer...


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conflict

COPA presents its Second Report containing information on 16 investigations to parliament

2021-10-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Second Report of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) for the First Session of the Ninth Parliament was presented to Parliament today (06) by its chairman, (Prof). Tissa Vitharana, Parliament Communications Department said. The report also focused on the current status of the Muthurajawela wetland and Human-Elephant Conflict, which had been a very controversial matter among the public. The committee report submitted to Parliament states that as a solution to the Human-Elephant Conflict, t...


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blog

Is there any risks when Zoos have Facebook pages?

2021-10-03 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

Lately, I have noticed that Zoos Facebook Pages slowly more and more are taking over Zoos educational role. The latest example is about the elephant Mala in Parc Paradisio. Mala has colic, and hundreds of comments on the zoos Facebook has put the attention to Mala. People upload pictures with candles, pray for her recover etc, as if she was a human relative or a person they had a close social connection to.


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death
Gange attracted elephants during khedda operations. Credit: DH File Photo

Elephant dies at Sakrebailu camp

2021-09-27 - Shivamogga, India. DHNS, Shivamogga

Gange, a female elephant used for khedda operations, died at the Sakrebailu camp in the district on Sunday. "The elephant was not well for the past two years. The condition worsened fifteen days ago. She was not consuming food properly," said Dr Vinay, who was treating the pachyderm. Gange attracted elephants during khedda operations. She was also caught in a similar operation at Kakanakote in 1971 and had given birth to six calves, said Deputy Forest Officer I M Nagaraj.


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relocation

10,000-pound elephant calls Attapulgus home as it moves into South Georgia refuge

2021-09-23 - Attapulgus, United States.

It’s a big day for South Georgia. Bo, a 10,000-pound elephant moved into his new home thanks to Elephant Aid International and George Carden, the person giving Bo a new life. He's the owner of George Carden Circus and spent many years with Bo traveling the world. Bo is the first elephant to step foot on these 850-acres filled with trees and tall grass. It's also the only elephant refuge in South Georgia.


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relocation

NEW ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IN WINSTON

2021-09-16 - Winston, United Kingdom. Brooke Communications

43-year old African elephant Butch, who is over ten-foot-tall, is the newest animal to call the game park in Winston home. Marketing Director Jacob Schlueter said Butch came from another facility where he lost his companions. General Curator Dan Brands said the pachyderm joined the herd on August 31st.


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zoo
Ishini Wickremesinghe is the daughter of Shan Wickramasinghe, the brother of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe

Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens DG resigned over elephant issue: Union

2021-09-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Pamodi Waravita and Ruwani Fonseka

The Sri Lanka Podujana National Zoological Gardens Department Workers’ Union yesterday (9) claimed that National Zoological Gardens Department Director General (DG) Ishini Wickremesinghe has resigned as she is unhappy about a recent court order to release 14 elephants to their original “owners”. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court decision on 6 September directed 14 elephants under the charge of the National Zoological Gardens Department to be released to their original “owners” for regis...


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relocation

South Georgia elephant sanctuary welcomes first resident

2021-09-09 - Attapulgus, United States.

Elephant Refuge North America, an 850-acre natural habitat located in Attapulgus, Georgia, plans to accept its first resident later this month. Bo, a 34-year-old male elephant, is being released by the George Carden Circus after 30 years of performing, Elephant Aid International says. He was born and raised captive in Florida his entire life, but will now enjoy wide open spaces for roaming and play for the rest of his days.


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birth

Twin elephant calves born at Pinnawala

2021-08-31 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka.

For the first time in Sri Lanka's history, twin baby elephants have been born at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The twin calves were born to female elephant named 'Surangi'. Both calves are male. The first calf was born around 4.00am while the second was born around 12.00 noon. This is also said to be the first twin birth in Sri Lankan history among registered elephants in captivity.


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welfare
A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk anoints a temple elephant as a part ritual marking the New Year as per traditions at a temple in Colombo on April 17, 2021.

Sri Lanka prohibits handlers from drunk driving on elephants, bans putting baby elephants to work

2021-08-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Under the new regulations, logging elephants can only work up to four hours a day, while working at night is forbidden. They are also entitled to at least two-and-a-half hours of bathing time each day. The captive elephants must also undergo a mandatory health check-up every six months. Rule breakers could face a three-year prison sentence and have their elephants taken into state custody, reported AFP.


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conservation

Adult tuskers fast disappearing in Odisha: Male elephants account for 18% of total population

2021-08-14 - Bhubaneswar, India.

With the large scale poaching of tuskers over the years, the gender imbalance is fast emerging as a major threat to the elephant population growth in Odisha with the drastic drop in the numbers of adult breeding tuskers. As against 1,902 female species, the male population of elephants stands abysmally low at 344. The conservative figures put adult males including sub-adults at about 150-175 but the large adult breeding males above the age of 20 to 25 could be as less as 80 to 100.


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medical

‘We are hopeful’: Cora the elephant’s health is improving after end-of-life options considered

2021-08-13 - Topeka, United States.

Cora the elephant is improving after concerns over her health had the Topeka Zoo considering end-of-life options. Shanna Simpson, an animal curator at the zoo, said Cora wasn’t eating, had a lot of gas and wasn't moving as much as she used to. The zoo began giving her pain medication, two gallons of mineral oil a day and Gas-X.


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conflict

Human-elephant conflict continues to take heavy toll; 219 jumbos and 89 people so far this year

2021-08-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation has recorded 219 jumbo deaths up to August 11 this year mainly from human-elephant conflict. During the same period, 89 people were killed in elephant attacks. A Senior Department official told The Island that 160 elephant deaths and 56 human deaths had been recorded during the same period in 2020. This is a 30% increase when compared with the 2005–2010 period. It is the highest annual death rate of elephants in the world.”


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medical

Another jumbo dies of anthrax in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve?

2021-08-12 - COIMBATORE, India.

An elephant, which was found dead at Mangalapatti near Thengumaradha in Nilgiris district.on Tuesday, may have died of anthrax, according to the forest department.


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conservation

Scientific approach, local involvement must for conservation: Minister

2021-08-12 - New Delhi, India.

Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said that nature conservation should be taken up with a scientific approach involving the local community. Only technical advances cannot save environment. Without public participation, without traditional wisdom, we cannot carry out conservation," he said, while addressing an event organised by his ministry to mark the World Elephant Day.


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event

Hyderabad: Elephant from Kolhapur to carry Bibi ka Alam

2021-08-12 - Hyderabad, India.

An elephant, Madhuri aged 38 years from Kolhapur will be used to carry the Bibi ka Alam standard during the procession on the 10 of Muharram month scheduled next Friday. The costs involved in bringing elephant for the procession are taken care of by Telangana State Wakf Board following a representation of Riyaz ul Hassan Effandi, AIMIM MLC. Madhuri is expected to reach Hyderabad on Friday and will be housed at Khilwat Palace Aashoorkhana located near Charminar bus stand.


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medical

Wild elephant tests positive for herpes virus in Odisha forest

2021-08-11 - Bhubaneswar, India.

In 2019, five elephants had died within 33 days in Odisha after testing positive for herpes


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wild
Apparently proving the saying that old habits die hard, Rivaldo, an elephant recently released into the wild in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Nilgiris district returned to Mavanallah near his old habitat.

Elephant Rivaldo released into Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, returns to village

2021-08-06 - Udhagamandalam, India.

The villagers reportedly noticed Rivaldo moving around their area in the wee hours of Wednesday, about 40 kms from the camp and alerted the forest department officials.Though the elephant was radio-collared, the movement of Rivaldo could not be traced, may be due to rains and clouds, Forest department sources said.


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death
Maggie

Maggie the elephant, longtime former resident of the Alaska Zoo, has died

2021-08-05 - Anchorage, United States.

Maggie, an African elephant that lived at the Alaska Zoo for 24 years, has died at a wildlife sanctuary in California. She was 41 years old. Maggie died at the Performing Animal Welfare Society wildlife sanctuary in San Andreas, where she lived for 13 years after being relocated there from Alaska. Alaska Zoo director Pat Lampi said in a statement that Maggie touched the lives of many Alaskans and people “all over the world.”


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relocation

TN forest dept may release more camp elephants depending on success of Rivaldo"s rehabilitation

2021-08-03 - Chennai, India.

In a 10-hour operation, the iconic tusker Rivaldo, which was captured and put inside a kraal for nearly three months, was successfully released in Chikala in Theppakadu forest range of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on Monday. It was for the first time such a role reversal from kraal to wild was done in the country. Fitted with a radio collar, Rivaldo's movement is being monitored on an hourly basis. The last live location shows Rivaldo was moving towards Bandipur National Park in Karnataka


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medical

OKC ZOO’S YOUNG ASIAN ELEPHANT, KAIRAVI, TESTS POSITIVE FOR EEHV

2021-07-31 - Oklahoma City, United States.

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden’s dedicated animal and veterinary care teams have begun to treat its youngest Asian elephant, female Kairavi (Kai), 2, for elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), with antiviral medications. A low level of the EEHV1A virus was detected on Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Kai’s blood through routine testing. Despite this, Kai’s behavior and activity level are normal and she continues to show no clinical signs of illness, which are all positive sig...


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book

Battle for the Big Top: P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus by Les Standiford

2021-07-30 - Miami, United States.

In Battle for the Big Top, New York Times–bestselling author Les Standiford brings to life a remarkable era when three circus kings—James Bailey, P. T. Barnum, and John Ringling—all vied for control of the vastly profitable and influential American Circus. Ultimately, the rivalry of these three men resulted in the creation of an institution that would surpass all intentions and, for 147 years, hold a nation spellbound.


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medical

Elephant of Guruvayur Anakotta suffers mysterious burn injuries on body

2021-07-28 - Thrissur, India.

The 28-year-old elephant Keerthi of Anakotta (elephant camp) in Guruvayur was found with burn injuries on his head and neck. Injuries on the upper parts of the body remains a mystery to the authorities even after the forest officials visited the place and examined it.Later, the statement of the elephant’s mahouts were recorded. However, they aren’t sure about the cause of injury.


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birth

African Elephant Born at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s International Conservation Center

2021-07-28 - Pittsburgh, United States.

It’s a girl! An African elephant calf was born in the early morning hours of July 18th at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s International Conservation Center (ICC) in Somerset, PA. Both mother and baby are bonding and doing well. The healthy calf was born at just under three feet tall and weighed in at 218 pounds. This is the first calf for new mom, Sukuri, who had no issues during her pregnancy and is very attentive to her newborn. The pregnancy was a result of natural breeding with resid...


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wild

Elephant calf stuck inside septic tank rescued by forest department in Karnataka

2021-07-27 - MADIKERI, India.

The Mathigodu Camp elephant Kunthi was called in for the rescue mission. A rope was tied around the neck of the calf and it was pulled out by Kunthi. We are tracking the herd across Devarapura Sacred Grove limits to reunite the calf with its mother,” confirmed RFO Ashok.


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research

New family of Critically Endangered forest elephants spotted, including three babies

2021-07-27 - Ziama Forest, Guinea.

A previously unknown family of eight African forest elephants were recently captured by camera traps in Guinea.


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wild

He"s back! Hungry wild elephant smashes into the same kitchen in Thailand

2021-07-27 - Hua Hin, Thailand.

A hungry wild elephant in Thailand has smashed his way through the same kitchen wall a month after his first raid. The 40-year-old bull named Plai Bunchuay rammed his head through the concrete building to steal a bag of rice on June 20 in Hua Hin, southern Thailand. Shocked residents recorded the carnage before the damage was repaired by officials.


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relocation

Chinnathambi now a case study for TN forest department

2021-07-10 - Chennai, India.

Two years ago, Chinnathambi, the famous lonely tusker of the Coimbatore forest circle was captured and converted into a captive elephant. Now the gentle jumbo is a case study for the young TN foresters and is one of the disciplined captive elephants maintained by the forest department for foresters to study about the animal conflicts and their rescue operations.


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death

Captured elephant dies in camp at MTR

2021-07-10 - COIMBATORE, India.

A male tusker that was recently captured in Gudalur died at the Abhayaranayam temporary elephant camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Friday evening. The animal, believed to be around 30-years-old, had sustained an injury to the region around the base of its tail three years ago. The injury is believed to have probably been caused as a result of a fight with another tusker.


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poaching

Four elephants died of electrocution in last 30 days

2021-07-09 - Bhubaneswar, India.

Since 2010, around 100 electrocution deaths of elephants have occurred in Odisha. The majority of the electrocution deaths are attributed to live wire poaching. An adult tusker died of electrocution in Talagarh forested areas under the Baantala forest range of Angul district after the animal had come in contact with a live wire. The live wire trap might have been laid out by suspected poachers for the killing of wild elephants.


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misc
Three-year-old Asian elephant calf, named Yishuang, uses the rain forest floor as a make shift

Frolicking three-year-old is the fifth calf to be born at the chinese park"s breeding centre

2021-07-08 - Xishuangbanna, China.

The young calf named Yishuang is the fifth elephant to be born at the park's breeding centre within the approximate 900acre valley that's home to hundreds of the giant mammals. A park spokesperson said Yishuang was born on December 22, 2017 and is developing well after becoming the fifth calf born at their breeding centre.


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relocation

Expert Comment: Rewilding African elephants from Howlett’s to Southern Kenya

2021-07-07 - Kent, United Kingdom. Olivia Miller

The Aspinall Foundation has announced that 13 African elephants are to be flown from Howlett’s Zoo (Kent) to Southern Kenya- Professor Keith Somerville of the School of Anthropology and Conservation’s Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) comments on how this is an expensive, stressful and potentially risky procedure that will get lots of media attention but do nothing of value for elephant conservation.


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research
Legend has it that two elephants are buried beneath Fair Green in Diss

£46k project to tell story of Madame Abdella, elephant "buried in Diss"

2021-07-07 - Diss, United Kingdom.

Diss Corn Hall has received a £46,400 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop and produce a project about the legend of Madame Abdella. The 20-year-old Burmese elephant is believed to have died on and been buried under Fair Green in 1867, while travelling with a menagerie.


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medical
Kottoor Kannan

Baby elephants under treatment for Herpes in Kerala rehab centre stable?

2021-07-07 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Three baby elephants at the rehabilitation centre for pachyderms in Kottur here, who were showing symptoms of Herpes viral infection are stable now, the wildlife department said on Wednesday. The remaining three continued to be under treatment and one of them - a male calf named Kannan, was in a slightly more serious condition. The remaining six calves under the age of 10 years at the centre are also not showing any symptoms of the infection,


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relocation

Kenya questions Carrie Johnson charity’s plan to fly in zoo elephants

2021-07-07 - Nairobi, United Kingdom. Ben Webster

Plans by Carrie Johnson’s animal conservation charity to fly 13 elephants from a zoo in Kent to live in the wild in Kenya have been questioned by the country’s wildlife ministry, which said it was not aware of the scheme. Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife said that relocating and rehabilitating animals from a zoo was “not easy” and expressed concern that neither it nor the Kenya Wildlife Service had been contacted or consulted about the relocation.


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death

Kerala: Second elephant calf dies inside per week as a consequence of Herpes virus at rehab centre

2021-07-06 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

A six-year previous elephant calf died as a consequence of Herpes virus an infection on the rehabilitation centre for pachyderms at Kottur right here, making it the second such casualty there inside one week and three extra calves — Podichi, Aamina and Kannan — are present process IV remedy as they confirmed signs of the virus an infection. Apart from them, six different calves beneath the age of 10 years are beneath statement and have been given prophylactics to stop an infection.


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relocation

Mammoth journey ahead as elephants leave Kent zoo for the Kenyan savannah

2021-07-05 - Hythe, United Kingdom.

A herd of elephants born and raised in a Kent zoo are about to get on a plane to travel almost 4,500 miles (7,000km) to Kenya, in order to reintroduce them to the wild in a first-of-its kind operation. The herd of 13, which includes three calves, were all but one born at Howletts Wild Animal Park, a private zoo near Canterbury. The mammoth mission to “rewild” the elephants is being carried out by the Aspinall Foundation, the Kenya Wildlife Service and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.


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death

Madikeri: Three elephants including baby elephant die in two separate incidents

2021-07-05 - Madikeri, India.

Two adult elephants and a baby elephant died in two separate incidents in Coorg district, here. A male elephant and a baby elephant among them have died at Nagarahole National Park, near Nittur gram of South Coorg. Experts suspect that the male elephant was about 12 to 15 years old and the baby elephant was about a month old. Veterinary doctor Chandrashekar performed the post mortem.


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relocation

Tusker Vikram On Truck Brings Back Gajapayana Memories

2021-07-05 - Mysore, India.

Along with seasoned elephants like Arjuna, Abhimanyu and Harsha, Vikram too is an expert in wild elephant capture operations. As such, he was taken from Dubare Elephant Camp in Kodagu District to Rampur Elephant Camp near Bandipur. Sometime back, he was taken to Ramanagara and Hassan to capture rogue elephants and now he will be at Rampur, said Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Hediyala Division M.S. Ravikumar.


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relocation

Shankar shifted to temporary elephant camp in Nilgiris

2021-07-05 - UDHAGAMANDALAM, India.

Elephant Shankar, which was undergoing training at a kraal in Abhayaranyam in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris for the last four-and-a-half months, was shifted to the nearby temporary elephant camp on Sunday. Including Shankar, there are 12 elephants in the Abhayaranyam temporary elephant camp. The rogue tusker, which killed three people in Gudalur area, was captured from Cherambadi in Gudalur division on February 12. The 35-year-old animal had killed the trio, including a man and h...


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zoo

The forgotten zoo where a housing estate now stands that brought utter chaos to Halifax

2021-07-04 - Halifax, United Kingdom.

Most people in Halifax have never heard of the time the zoo came to town, but it remains one of the strangest sagas in its history. But the star attraction was an elephant who was often seen being taken for exercise in nearby Salterhebble. You can read more about the zoo in "The Halifax Zoo and Amusement Park" by Harry Armitage, and "It Happened Here", by Arthur Porritt.


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death

Kerala: Elephant Guruvayur Madhavankutty dies

2021-07-04 - Thrissur, India.

Elephant Guruvayur Madhavankutty belonging to the Guruvayur Devaswom died on Saturday. According to Devaswom records, the tusker was aged 57. But veterinarians who examined it said it must be older by more years. With the death of Madhavankutty, the number of elephants belonging to the Guruvayur Devaswom shrunk to 44.


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death

West Midlands Safari Park "devastated" after death of African elephant Latabe

2021-07-03 - Bewdley, United Kingdom.

Latabe was just 28-years-old when she passed away after initial findings indicated a 'cardiac issue'. She had arrived at the park in 1998 with another female elephant, five, who she had become a close companion too. "She and Five both arrived at the Park as youngsters 23 years ago, after outgrowing an elephant orphanage in South Africa.


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conflict

‘Operation Baahubali’ pushed as elephant eludes forest officials

2021-07-02 - Chennai, India.

‘Operation Baahubali’, the mission to fit a radio collar to a wild elephant, has been postponed by another 10 days as the animal continues to remain elusive to forest officials. The adult male elephant Baahubali (nicknamed by locals after a Telegu movie character) was found in Mettupalayam, in the foothills of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district a year back.


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medical

Elephant camp in Kerala on alert as calves contract deadly virus

2021-07-02 - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India.

The elephant rehabilitation centre in Kottoor is on high alert following the death of an elephant calf due to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) and the diagnoses of the infection in two others. The first casualty of the deadly virus at the centre was Sreekutty, aged one year and seven months. The calf died on June 28. The State Institute of Animal Diseases, Palode, confirmed the disease on Thursday.


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relocation

Keep Rivaldo in captivity: Vazhaithottam residents

2021-07-01 - UDHAGAMANDALAM, India.

Forest minister K Ramachandran on Wednesday visited elephant Rivaldo, which is put in a kraal at Vazhaithottam check post. “The eight-member expert committee, set up to decide the fate of the elephant, will prepare a report after examining it. We will take a call then,” the minister said and hinted that it may be shifted to an elephant camp. Rivaldo was guided to the kraal on May 5 by forest officials for treatment. The elephant had been wandering in Vazhaithottam and Mavanallah areas in the...


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fossil

Elephants lived in Kent before ice age wiped them out

2021-06-28 - London, United Kingdom.

Remains of the little-known Chatham Elephant or Upnor Elephant - dating back to when Neanderthals inhabitated the land - were found on a site near the River Medway in August 1913. Remarkably, Sydney Turner, of Luton Road, Chatham, stumbled on the bones which were on land owned by the Royal School of Military Engineering.


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death

Kerala elephant calf Sreekutty, whose birthday video went viral, dies

2021-06-28 - Kottoor, India.

It was in November 2020 that Sreekutty, a baby elephant, celebrated her first birthday with a little party thrown on her behalf by the people who took care of her. But seven months later, on June 28, she died, aged one and a half years. Sreekutty, the much-loved elephant calf of the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre in Kottoor of Kerala, left many hearts broken.


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medical

Expert help sought to treat injured elephant

2021-06-27 - Udhagamandalam, India.

Field director of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) K K Kaushal on Saturday wrote twrote to the vice-chancellor of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), seeking service of a veterinarian to examine the injured eye of elephant Cherans the injured eye of elephant Cheran at the Theppakadu elephant camp in Tamil Nadu.


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medical

Kumki ‘blinded’ by mahout’s assistant at Theppakadu

2021-06-26 - Udhagamandalam, India.

Cheran, a kumki elephant at the Theppakadu camp, was blinded by a ‘kaavadi’, or assistant to its mahout, on May 17. The elephant, aged around 35, has been used in many operations to capture or drive away wild elephants in the Western Ghats. It had already lost sight in one eye and depended on the left eye for vision. Disciplinary action initiated against forest staff, says official


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conservation

NATIONAL PARK PROPOSED FOR WILD ELEPHANTS

2021-06-24 - Kunming, China.

In the past month, Ming Qingzhong, a university professor in Yunnan, has been closely monitoring 15 wild Asian elephants that have traveled 500 kilometers north from their habitat in the south of the province. Ming and his team from the Tourism and Culture Industry Research Institute at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics in Kunming, the provincial capital, have proposed building an Asian elephant national park, aiming to better manage and restore the giant creatures' habitats. "Such a na...


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death

Somerset Noah"s Ark Zoo elephant M"Changa dies in attack

2021-06-24 - Wraxall, United Kingdom.

Keepers are "distraught" after a young elephant died in an attack involving another bull elephant, a zoo has said. The 12-year-old African elephant, M'Changa, sustained fatal injuries in the incident at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, in Wraxall, near Bristol. Another bull elephant had gone into the area where M'Changa was sleeping in the early hours of Friday, the zoo said. An investigation and a review into what happened is under way.

Another two bull elephants, named Shaka and Janu, who w...


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research

Engineers surprised by the power of an elephant’s trunk

2021-06-23 - Atlanta, United States.

A 34-year-old African elephant at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia has just taught engineers a thing or two about how to move water. For one thing, she showed that her trunk doesn’t operate as a simple straw. To suck up water, she dilates that trunk — expands it. This cuts how many snorts she’ll need to pull in drinking water or the moisture she uses to hose herself down.


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evolution

2021-06-23 - Palermo, Italy.

A team of UK and international scientists has confirmed that one of the largest land mammals that ever lived lost 8,000kg to evolve into a now-extinct species of dwarf elephant. In addition, the animal that once lived an isolated existence on the Italian island of Sicily also reduced in height by two metres to create a remarkable transformation.

According to information released by the University of York in the UK, the Sicilian dwarf elephant – thought to have become extinct abo...


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conflict

26-member jumbo herd creates panic near Palamaner

2021-06-23 - Palamaner, India.

It is for the first time in recent years that a 26-member herd has appeared on the outskirts of Palamaner, making it tough for the field staff to drive them into the thickets,” he said. The elephant trackers in a bid to tackle the wild herd tried firing crackers. In this process, a cracker exploded in the hand of forest watcher Srihari. The seriously injured worker, with three fingers missing, was rushed to the area hospital.


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conservation

Put a name to tusks and help save Kenya"s elephants

2021-06-22 - Nairobi, Kenya. Otiato Opali

With Ahmed the elephant in mind, Kenya last week launched the Elephant Naming Festival in which people get the chance to adopt an elephant after contributing money toward their chosen animal's conservation. Launching the program, Najib Balala, the cabinet secretary at the Ministry for Tourism and Wildlife, said the elephant-naming initiative will bring greater awareness of the need for conservation and boost tourism.


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birth

Turkey’s Izmir zoo delighted at Asian elephant’s birth

2021-06-22 - Izmir, Turkey.

Begümcan, a 25-year-old elephant, gave birth to a female calf in The İzmir Natural Life Park’s protected facility and delighted zookeepers, zoo officials told reporters. No name has been given to the baby elephant yet. Giving birth after about two years of gestation, Begümcan has two more calves named İzmir and Deniz (sea in Turkish) with Winner, the father elephant.


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conflict

Thailand: A woman heard loud noises in her kitchen. She found an elephant looking for food.

2021-06-21 - Hua Hin, Thailand.

A woman in Thailand made a startling discovery when she heard loud noises coming from her kitchen: There was an elephant that appeared to be looking for snacks. The incident occured in Hua Hin in southern Thailand around 2 a.m. Saturday. The kitchen belonged to resident Ratchadawan Puengprasoppon, according to The Guardian. The elephant, named Boonchuay, poked its head through Puengprasoppon's kitchen wall and proceeded to open drawers and knock down pots and pans as Puengprasoppon filmed it all...


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zoo

When rescued animals bond in a zoological garden

2021-06-19 - Lucknow, India. Subha J Rao

In 2000, Champakali, a pregnant elephant, was brought to the garden from Dudhwa National Park. Around the same time, another elephant had been brought in from somewhere in Rajasthan. The two struck a chord and spent all their time together. “They would eat together, walk together… suddenly Champakali collapsed. Her baby had died. Her friend was inconsolable. We gave medicines to trigger hunger, but he did not eat for 13 or 14 days and died too,” says Kashyap, his voice heavy with emotion.


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relocation

Custody of Tarra the elephant goes to sanctuary founder

2021-06-18 - Tennessee, United States.

After a long legal battle, Tarra the elephant now belongs to Carol Buckley, the founder of the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee.


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misc
A night time picture of the new species, Dendrohyrax Interfluvias, captured via camera trap in Anyigbe-Nyagbo in Ghana

Elephants can add a cuddly new cousin to their family tree. A new species of tree hyrax has been discovered.

2021-06-17 - Anyigbe-Nyagbo, Ghana.

Hyraxes are a cuddly-looking group of small mammals that also happen to be the closest living relatives of elephants and manatees. They’re found across much of Sub-Saharan African and parts of the Middle East. Currently, five distinct hyrax species are recognized. The proposed new species would be a sixth and inhabits the forests between the Niger and Volta rivers, in an area encompassing parts of Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. The findings were published June 15 in the Zoological Journal of...


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death

Elephant Manisseeri Raghuram dead

2021-06-09 - Palakkad, India.

Manisseeri Raghuram, an elephant famous for its magnificent presence during temple festivals in the State, including Thrissur Pooram, died at Ottapalam on Wednesday. The elephant was undergoing treatment for tuberculosis and foot disease for the past several months. It had last paraded for the Paramekavu at Thrissur Pooram.


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death

Hyderabad zoo mourns loss of elephant (83), leopard (21)

2021-06-09 - Hyderabad, India.

The Nehru Zoological Pak (NZP) here announced on Wednesday that it has lost an 83-year-old Asiatic elephant and a 21-year-old leopard due to senility. NZP Curator Subhadra Devi said Rani breathed her last on Tuesday and the post-mortem indicated old age related multiple organ failure as the cause of death. Born on October 7, 1938, Rani was one of the oldest elephants in captivity. Devi said Rani lived its life to the fullest and took food till last day and left without any major physical sufferi...


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birth

Bouncing Baby Boy Elephant, Teddy, Born at the Zoo

2021-05-17 - Houston, United States.

Just two months after baby elephant Winnie was born, there’s a new pachyderm in the herd! Sunday at 8:04 p.m., 37-year-old Asian elephant Tess gave birth to a 391-pound male, and the calf began to nurse within hours. The calf has been named Teddy by the team who have dedicated their lives to the care, well-being, and conservation of these incredible animals.


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zoo

New baby bear, loss of one elephant as Kuwait Zoo remains closed

2021-04-29 - Kuwait, Kuwait. Nawara Fattahova

Kuwait Times toured the zoo in an exclusive visit, which was very quiet. During the visit we received both good and bad news. According to our guide, an adorable dark brown baby bear was born after three previously unsuccessful pregnancies. The sad part is that the female elephant Dalal is all alone, after her male companion died last year.


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birth

Elephant Calf Born in Budapest Zoo

2021-04-29 - Budapest, Hungary.

n elephant calf was born in the Budapest Zoo in the small hours of Wednesday, the zoo told MTI. The delivery went without complications and the calf weighing 80kg stood up and started feeding soon after, the zoo said. The zoo has published videos of the birth on its website and will present the newcomer in a live stream on Thursday.


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culling

Elephant meat distributed to farms

2021-04-28 - Windhoek, Namibia. Arlana Shikongo

THE meat of a 'problem' elephant that was trophy-hunted on Sunday has been distributed among farmers and farmworkers in the Otavi area. Romeo Muyunda, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, yesterday confirmed this. The elephant was made available to be trophy-hunted, much to the dismay of some environmental groups and conservationists, as it was reported to be causing havoc on farms between Otjiwarongo and Otavi.


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relocation

Kusha wins freedom, to be released from Dubare camp

2021-04-28 - Coorg, India.

Wild tusker Kusha, who escapade from Dubare elephant camp into the jungles to find companions had the Forest Department on tenterhooks for months, has won his freedom. His release from the camp was ordered by Forest Minister Aravind Limbavali on Wednesday after a prolonged discussion with the officials. Though captured from the wild near Chettahalli in Madikeri forest division five years ago and put in a Kraal in Dubare and tamed, it did not crush his spirit and he yearned for freedom.


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death

Lucas the elephant has died at age 9

2021-04-14 - Toledo, United States.

The Toledo Zoo on Wednesday said 9-year-old Lucas the elephant has died from a rare viral infection. "After days of heroic care, we have lost our beloved elephant Lucas to a devastating viral disease known as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus," zoo President and CEO Jeff Salier said in a video.


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conservation

India Needs Safe Highways To Protect Its National Heritage Animal - The Asian Elephant

2021-04-13 - New Delhi, India.

The elephant is regarded as India's National Heritage Animal. As per the 2017 census, the country housed a population of 27,312 elephants accounting for about 60% of the world's wild Asian elephant population! From this striking percentage, it appears that the country has managed to conserve its elephants quite commendably. However, the demands of development have led to the wanton destruction and fragmentation of elephant habitats across the country in recent decades. The future of India's wild...


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conflict

Farmers move to occupy a critical elephant corridor in Sri Lanka

2021-04-13 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Earlier this month, more than 300 people gathered near the borders of the Dahaiyagala Wildlife Sanctuary in Sri Lanka’s Uva province armed with axes, long knives, ropes and handheld hoes called mamoties. Their apparent intention: Take control of sanctuary lands and expand their farms.


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relocation

Elephants relocated in Kenya to prevent conflict with humans

2021-04-09 - , Kenya.

Conservation charity Space for Giants’ Human-Elephant Coexistence team joined the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to coordinate an extraordinary ‘drive’ to move a large number of crop-raiding bull elephants and family herds away from farmland in one of the major milestones of the West Laikipia Fencing Project.


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relocation

Thailand"s captive elephants face uncertain future

2021-04-09 - HUAY PAKKOT, Thailand. DENIS D. GRAY

In one of the largest known elephant migrations in memory, many of the country's estimated 3,800 captive elephants trudged out of tourist sites ranging from northeastern Surin Province to the beachside towns of Pattaya and Phuket and the mountains around the northern city of Chiang Mai. One group from Chiang Mai trekked for a week to return to Huay Pakkot, a village 180 km southeast of the city, where the Karen ethnic minority has kept elephants for generations


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death

Baby elephant dies rejected by family at Swedish zoo

2021-04-09 - Borås, Sweden.

A two-week old elephant has died after being rejected by her family following the birth of another elephant calf, Sweden's Boras Zoo announced Friday. "Despite three days of intensive care with a vet and carers at her side night and day the little animal left us today," the zoo said in a post on Instagram showing keepers surrounding the mammal.


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research

Elephant count set to go up at Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary

2021-04-08 - Jamshedpur, India. Jayesh Thaker

The elephant count at Dalma wildlife sanctuary is all set to pep up during the census as foresters have spotted around 20 calves inside the sprawling 192 sq km sanctuary, 30 km from Jamshedpur. There are 155 elephants at Dalma reserve.The elephants had migrated to the jungles of West Midnapore and Bankura in neighbouring Bengal in August-September last year.


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poaching

CBI begins probe into death of elephants, poaching in forests of Tamil Nadu

2021-04-08 - Madurai, India.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a probe into alleged poaching and killing of elephants in the forests of Tamil Nadu, an issue raised by wildlife activists over the years. Several elephants have been electrocuted or killed by poachers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the last few years.


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death

Injured Kerala elephant dies days after it was deemed ‘fit’ for temple fest

2021-04-08 - Ambalapuzha, India. Neethu Joseph

It was the efforts of a few kind-hearted people that helped rescue Ambalapuzha Vijayakrishnan, an injured captive elephant in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, from being paraded in a temple festival, something for which officials had deemed the tusker ‘fit’. Unfortunately, on Thursday, the 51-year-old elephant, owned by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), succumbed to its illness. According to activists who had been closely monitoring the elephant, it had not been taking food properly for the...


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welfare
Anne the elephant will not be retiring to France, say her keepers at Longleat

A decade after her rescue, ‘Britain’s loneliest elephant’ will not retire to France, despite campaign effort

2021-04-08 - Warminster, United Kingdom.

An elephant called Anne, who spent 55 years performing in the circus before she was rescued in 2011 and brought to Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire, will not retire to France, her keepers have said. Uprooting her from familiar surroundings and people she has learnt to trust over more than a decade, and transporting her to a new, unknown location with the prospect of being left in the company of other elephants she does not know, in the hope it will somehow markedly improve her living conditions...


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culling

Botswana allows hunting of 287 elephants

2021-04-06 - Gabarone, Botswana.

Botswana's authorities have issued 287 elephant-hunting licences as the hunting season resumed after it was suspended last year due to the pandemic. Hunters may shoot 287 elephants this season, Director of the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Kabelo Senyatso said in an interview. The hunting season runs from April 6 to September 21.


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relocation
Five unemployed elephants and their owners begin walking from Pattaya to their native province of Surin, in tambon Nong Prue of Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, on Tuesday.

Jobless Pattaya elephants begin 500km walk home

2021-04-06 - Pattaya, Thailand.

Napalai Mai-ngam, 26, said five years ago she had brought her relatives and their tamed elephants from Surin to work at an elephant resort in tambon Lam Huay Yai of Bang Lamung. After waiting in vain for tourists near Pattaya for more than a year, five elephants and their owners are heading back to their northeastern home province of Surin – a 500km journey, on foot.


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wild
Some of the 38 wild Elephants recently spotted in Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province.

Cambodian Ministry urges protection for Asian elephants

2021-04-05 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The Ministry of Environment has called on residents of Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province to not disturb the wild elephants there as well as participate in their protection. The call came after a herd of 38 wild elephants was spotted and photographed by residents at the sanctuary on March 31.


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relocation

Tusker Kusha Put Into Kraal At Dubare Camp

2021-04-04 - Coorg, India.

Kusha, the 27-year-old male elephant that went missing from Dubare Elephant Camp in Kodagu district, has been put in Kraal now. Kraal is a wooden log enclosure into which elephants are driven to be tamed and Dubare Camp has many such Kraals. Kusha, in a ‘Musth’ condition, had ventured into the forests after breaking his heavy chain one-and-a-half years ago in search of a mate and had not returned. He was caught last week and was brought to Meenukolli. Being separated from its mate using for...


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circus

Armpits, the circus and more: A dozen historic photos taken on April Fool"s Day: 1963: RINGLING BROS. CIRCUS ELEPHANT

2021-04-01 - New York City, United States.

A Ringling Brothers Circus elephant walks out of a train car as young children watch in the Bronx railroad yard in New York City, April 1, 1963. The circus opens in Madison Square Garden April 3 for a 40-day engagement.


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circus

A Craven diary: When Buffalo Bill and performing elephants and lions came to town

2021-04-01 - Craven, United Kingdom. Lesley Tate

ROBERT Brothers Mammoth Zoo Circus was preparing to give Craven folk the time of their lives 75 years ago in 1946. Amongst the 20 ‘star acts’ were Buffalo Bill ‘ in person’ and Marharannne, an Indian performing elephant.


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death

Chhattisgarh: Elephant calf found dead; tall claims of effective conservation plan under scanner

2021-03-31 - Raipur, India. AVDHESH MALLICK

Chhattisgarh which witnessed, death of 157 wild elephants from 2001- June 2020 has witnessed death of one more baby elephant in the forest circles of Dharamjaigarh of Raigarh district. State Government data reflects between 2013-18, around 250 people have lost their lives in man-elephant conflict. Meanwhile, the state also holds a record of death of 100 elephants in the period.


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relocation
Kusha was recaptured at Meenukolli Reserve Forest limits

Notorious jumbo that escaped from Karnataka elephant camp recaptured after a year

2021-03-30 - MADIKERI, India.

The elephant Kusha, which had escaped from the Dubare elephant camp over a year ago, has been recaptured by the forest department. The 29-year-old male elephant is now in the Meenukolli Reserve Forest area and will soon be shifted back to the Dubare camp with the efforts of four other tamed male elephants -- Dhananjaya, Prashantha, Sugreeva and Lakshmana


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conservation

Total 843 jumbo deaths in past 10 years in Odisha: Forest minister

2021-03-30 - BHUBANESWAR, India. Sujit Kumar Bisoyi

As many as 843 elephants have died in Odisha in the past 10 years due to various reasons, said state forest and environment minister forest and environment minister Bikram Kesha Arukh on Tuesday.


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death

Tusker Valiya Kesavan of Guruvayur Temple dies

2021-03-30 - Thrissur, India.

Popular elephant, Guruvayur Vailya Kesavan, belonging to Guruvayur Devaswom died on Monay morning. As per the official records, the elephant was 52 years old.


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conservation

Why Zim trades in elephant, other wildlife

2021-03-28 - Harare, Zimbabwe. Tinashe Farawo

ZIMBABWE has a proud history of successful elephant conservation and is one of the key elephant range states and home to the second-largest elephant population after Botswana. The country has an elephant population estimated at 84 000, according to the last census conducted in 2014. ZimParks has been unable to generate enough resources to support its conservation operations.


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conservation

African elephant species now Endangered and Critically Endangered - IUCN Red List

2021-03-25 - Gland, Switzerland.

Following population declines over several decades due to poaching for ivory and loss of habitat, the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is now listed as Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Before today’s update, African elephants were treated as a single species, listed as Vulnerable; this is the first time the two species have been assessed separately for the IUCN Red List, followin...


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conservation

83 Wild Elephants killed since January 2021 – Sri Lanka Officials

2021-03-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

83 wild elephants died so far in 2021, said the Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation Somaratne Vidanapathirana at a media briefing on Wednesday. The Secretary said the deaths were caused by electrocution, shootings, various explosive material, falling into wells, train accidents, and natural causes.


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culling

World’s Biggest Elephant Herd Opened for Hunters to Kill 287

2021-03-24 - Gaborone, Botswana.

Botswana is offering rights to shoot 287 elephants as the southern African country, which has the world’s biggest population of the animals, tries to breathe life into a hunting industry stalled by the Covid-19 outbreak. Botswana’s neighbors including South Africa and Zimbabwe allow elephant hunting. The hunting season will begin April 6.


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medical

Veterinarian team treats wounded female Sumatran elephant in East Aceh

2021-03-23 - Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

This wild Sumatran elephant was found abandoned in a forest near Srimulya Village in Peunaron Sub-district, East Aceh District, Aceh Province, in mid-March and received medical treatment on early Sunday (March 21), Anhar, the forum's veterinarian, noted: "The elephant is estimated to have been injured two or three weeks ago," Anhar remarked, adding that the local villagers, however, informed the FKL officers in Langsa District on March 16.


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circus

Elephant duel sparks chaos at Russian circus: Spectators flee their seats as beast floors its rival and tries to trample her at the side of the ring

2021-03-22 - Kazan, Russian Federation.

Elephant trainers tried desperately to separate the brawling giants after an Indian female named Jenny butted another named Magda and knocked her to the ground. She then tried to trample her floored rival at the edge of the ring, prompting the audience to abandon their seats and pour out of the circus in Kazan.


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zoo

Man Enter Elephant Cage with 2-Year-Old daughter

2021-03-21 - San Diego, United States.

Jose Manuel Navarrete brought his 2-year-old INSIDE a caged elephant habitat at the San Diego Zoo and fumbled the kid trying to make a run for it. he had to pay a price for his stupid stunt. He was arrested by San Diego PD and booked on child endangerment charges.


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fossil
5 elephant species lived 8M years ago in central Turkey

Five elephant species lived 8M years ago in central Turkey. Complete elephant skull belonging to Choerolophodon Pentelici, ancestor of elephants, found in Kayseri province

2021-03-20 - Ankara, Turkey.

Oksan Basoglu, a professor of archeology at Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University, who is heading excavations told that five different species of elephants, were found. Basoglu underlined that the most interesting piece among those found was a complete elephant skull fossil belonging to Choerolophodon Pentelici, known as elephants' ancestor. "This is the only sample fully uncovered. The species is also significant. It's a rare species in the world," he said.


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smuggle

Police track India-Nepal elephant trafficking. As safari tourism collapses, Nepali captive elephants are being sold illegally to buyers in India

2021-03-19 - Sauraha, Nepal. Alisha Sijapati and Tufan Neupane

A domesticated elephant used for safaris in Chitwan National Park which was being illegally transported to India in contravention of the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) is being tracked by Nepal police at the border. The 50-year-old female elephant belongs to Jungle World Resort, and is named ‘Ashakali’. A video of the truck showed its number to be: ना ४ ख २८२७.


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medical

Claire, a 12-year-old elephant at Omaha"s zoo, is pregnant and due in 2022

2021-03-19 - Omaha, United States.

Claire will give birth to a roughly 200-pound bundle of joy in late January or February next year. Callee, the baby’s father, came to Omaha about two years ago from the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama. The news is good for the zoo’s seven-elephant herd, said Dennis Pate, CEO and executive director of the zoo. It will allow the animals to maintain their herd.


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zoo
Elephants beat the summer heat in gigantic swimming pool in Pune

Elephants beat the summer heat in gigantic swimming pool at zoo in Pune

2021-03-19 - Pune, India.

Agigantic swimming pool has been constructed for two elephants at a zoo in Pune. The pool has been built at the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Katraj. Meera and Janaki, two female elephants in the park, enjoy in the pool every single day as seen in the pictures. Tajjudin, the trainer of the two 25-year-old elephants, explained how he has been taking care, nurturing and training the animals since the past 18 years. The 55-year-old trainer said that his forefathers have been in Pune since the las...


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death

El Paso Zoo"s elephant Juno dies after cancer fight

2021-03-19 - El Paso, United States.

Juno the elephant of the El Paso Zoo has died at 53 after fighting breast cancer, the city reported Friday morning. On April 16, 2002, the City Council voted 4-2 to bring another elephant to the El Paso Zoo. Juno, a then 8,000-pound 35-year-old female, arrived later that month, donated by the Center for Elephant Conservation of Polk City, Florida, which is affiliated with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.


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people
Cambodia Hotel Association’s Siem Reap president David-Jaya Piot with an elephant. Supplied

Accommodating elephants and tourists in Siem Reap

2021-03-18 - Siem Reap, Cambodia. Peter Olszewski

In 2003, David’s parents tried to launch an elephant sanctuary and retirement camp at Kbal Spean, but the project was shelved. Then, during David’s one-year sabbatical in Cambodia, the idea was reborn, and, as David says: “The Angkor elephant rides had no place in the future, and so it was a good time to change.” The project was initiated in October 2017 and the sanctuary opened three years later in December 2019, after the arrival by truck of the two eldest elephants – Chi Tan and Sam...


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people

Beauty And The Beast: The Wild History Of Female Animal Trainers; Barbara Woodcock: The Elephant Trainer

2021-03-17 - Ruskin, United States.

Barbara Woodcock’s career began in the 1930s as a child working with her parents at their small operation, Marlowe’s Mighty Hippodrome. Educated as a leopard trainer and aerialist, her career took a major U-turn after meeting William “Buckles” Woodcock, her future husband. From 1982 to 2000, they performed with the Big Apple Circus, adding their children to the shows.


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people

In pictures, after 12 years, an elephant was reunited with his doctor

2021-03-16 - Rayong, Thailand.

In Thailand, according to “RT”, a wild elephant was able to identify the veterinarian who treated him 12 years ago, Patarabol Manion, and extended his proboscis to touch the veterinarian’s hand during an unexpected reunion, according to the “Daily Mail” newspaper.


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death

Elephant calf found dead in MTR

2021-03-16 - Udhagamandalam, India.

A two-year-old female elephant calf was found dead in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). “Pug marks of a tiger were found close to the location where the carcass was found. A tiger could have attacked and killed the elephant, a forest official said.


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conflict

Thrissur Pooram: Tusker Ernakulam Sivakumar to replace Thechikottukavu Ramachandran.

2021-03-16 - Trichur, India.

Thechikottukavu Ramachandran, the celebrity tusker of Thrissur Pooram, will not take part in the festival vilambaram ceremony this year. Ernakulam Sivakumar owned by the Cochin Devaswom Board, will replace Ramachandran. The committee took the decision as the forest department has restricted the parading of Ramachandran. Forest department has imposed a ban on parading the elephant after it ran amok and killed two people at Guruvayur in February 2019.


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relocation

Rescued baby elephant sent to safari park

2021-03-12 - Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

The three-month-old female calf, weighing 121 kg, was handed over to safari park authorities on Wednesday. It was found abandoned beside Monkhali canal under Shaplapur beat office of Huiyakkong range of Cox's Bazar South Forest Division.


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conservation

6150 hectares allocated for elephant reserve

2021-03-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Mahaweli Authority has said that 6150 hectares of land were given to the proposed Hambantota Wild Elephant Management Reserve. The Authority stated that 2250 hectares have been set aside for further development in the proposed reserve. “This land is extremely suitable for development,” Osmond De Silva, the Resident Project Manager of the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority said. It states that the relevant wild elephant management zone will be gazetted under the Wildlife Ordinance.


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birth

Houston Zoo welcomes new baby elephant

2021-03-11 - Houston, United States.

The mother and her newborn, who has not yet been named, will undergo continued post-natal exams and spend several days bonding before they join the rest of the elephants. This is the first calf for Tupelo, whose pregnancy was the result of artificial insemination since she is related to all the male elephants at the zoo.


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death

Sri Lankan Tusker Rewatha found dead in Kala Wewa

2021-03-09 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

A Sri Lankan Tusker Rewatha, named by Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader MP Sajith Premadasa, has been found dead. It has been reported that the Tusker found in the Balalu Wewa wildlife forest reserve in Kala Wewa, had died due to electrocution.
The majestic Tusker of Sri Lanka is said to have been electrocuted by unauthorized electric fences set up for the protection of illegal farmlands within the forest reserve.


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trade

Texas zoo cancels controversial deal to buy African Lion Safari elephants for $2M

2021-03-05 - Fort Worth, United States.

A spokesperson for the Fort Worth Zoo said this week that the permit to import Emily and Nellie from Canada was withdrawn last year "following an internal decision" from management, and "those two elephants" would not be imported. According to the Fort Worth Zoo permit for application, the planned sale price was $2 million, plus a $200,000 bonus if Emily produced a calf, as long as it lived for more than 60 days.


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job

Noah"s Ark Zoo Farm: Animal Keeper - Elephant Section (Permanent Role)

2021-03-03 - Bristol, United Kingdom.

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced, motivated individual to join our committed and friendly team of animal keepers. We are looking to recruit an experienced animal keeper with at least one year of keeping Elephants into our progressive protected contact Elephant Section which is acting as Europe's premier African Elephant Bull facility.


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job

Experienced elephant keeper

2021-03-01 - Blackpool, United Kingdom.

With its new multi-million-pound elephant facility ‘Project Elephant Basecamp’ opened in 2018 award winning Blackpool Zoo is currently looking to fill a keeper position within its Elephant Section. The successful candidate will be working in a protected contact keeping system.


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zoo
Wendy the elephant lived at Bristol Zoo Gardens until 2002

Bristol Zoo to close

2021-02-28 - Bristol, United Kingdom.

Earlier this week, Bristol Zoo announced plans to turn its car park into housing. This came after the Bristol Zoological Society announced at the end of November the closure of its Clifton site, with plans to relocate the attraction to its Wild Place Project site in South Gloucestershire to create a 'world-class zoo and safeguard the future of the organisation'.


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research
Thermal camera in operation at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

How 30,000 elephant "selfies" will help in conservation

2021-02-26 - Bedfordshire, United Kingdom.

Zoo keepers have compiled the world's largest collection of thermal images of elephants. The pictures show elephants in every pose as they play, eat and hang out in their enclosure at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.
The 30,000 "selfies" are being used in a conservation project to help save endangered elephants.


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conflict
Man was cleaning stables when he was hit by female, knocking his head against bars of enclosure

Elephant kills Spanish zookeeper with one hit from trunk.

2021-02-26 - Santander, Spain.

The female elephant weighing around 4,000kg (8,800lb) hit the 44-year-old with her trunk on Wednesday morning at the Cabarceno Natural Park near the northern city of Santander, the zoo said. The man was rushed to hospital where he died from his injuries some three hours later.


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welfare

Madras High Court calls for policy to prohibit future ownership of Elephants by private individuals, temples; seeks State response

2021-02-23 - Madras, India.

The Madras High Court on Tuesday opined that a uniform policy should be put in place to completely prohibit future ownership of elephants by individuals or temples and to bring all elephants under the care of the Forest Department.


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evolution

First million-year-old DNA extracted from Siberian mammoth teeth

2021-02-17 - Stockholm, Sweden.

For the first time, preserved DNA has been recovered from animal remains over a million years old. The DNA belonged to two mammoths that lived around 1.2 million years ago. “Instead of there being one species [or lineage] of mammoth up in Siberia around 1-2 million years ago, it now looks like there are two,” says Love Dalén at the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm, Sweden. The genetic sequences change our understanding of mammoth evolution. They reveal that, at that time, Siberia was ...


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relocation
20-year-old jumbo ‘Shankar’ getting lifted onto a truck following a successful capture by the forest department near Gudalur in the Nilgiris; four Kumkis - Kalim, Sujai, Vijai and Srinivas - were used

In the can: Elephant Shankar captured after two months

2021-02-13 - COIMBATORE, India.

The two-month operation by Forest department to capture elephant Shankar bore fruit on Friday with officials capturing the 20-year-old wild tusker near Gudalur in the Nilgiris. A team of veterinarians headed by K Asokan, Forest Veterinary Officer of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, veterinarians G Vijayaragavan and K Rajeshkumar shot the tranquilizer dart at the wild elephant, which killed three persons last year, at Tenth Line at Cherampadi.


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facility
 A view of the elephant training centre in Konni that houses the elephant museum. The museum will be opened on February 19.

Konni: Full-scale museum will showcase the unique relationship between humans, elephants

2021-02-09 - Pathanamthitta, India.

The building that houses the museum, which was originally opened in 2006 by displaying an elephant skeleton and implements associated with the training of captive elephants, was awaiting renovation for the past several years.


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medical
‘Andal’ and ‘Premi’ from Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam

Elephants begin journey to Thekkampatti for 48-day retreat

2021-02-08 - Thekkampatti, India.

Elephants from temples across Tamil Nadu began to descend on Sunday morning for the 48-day jumbo retreat at Thekkampatti camp on the banks of river Bhavani in Coimbatore. A pet project of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, the rejuvenation camp started way back in 2003 to provide adequate rest for jumbos with nutritious food and medical treatment.


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birth

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve Invites People to Name Newborn Elephant, Announces ‘Surprise Gift’

2021-02-08 - Salukapur, India.

The calf was born on February 3, more than two years after 10 elephants were translocated from Karnataka to Dudhwa tiger reserve's South Sonaripur range. Teresa is the first cow to conceive after the translocation in May 2018. Last year, a wild bull elephant who had gone 'musth' came near the camp searching for a mate. Teresa was released and returned after four days.


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research

Study suggests how elephants became big and cancer-resistant

2021-02-08 - Buffalo, United States.

Though many elephant relatives harbor extra copies of tumor-suppressor genes, the scientists found that elephant genomes possess some unique duplications that may contribute to tumor suppression through genes involved in DNA repair, resistance to oxidative stress and cellular growth, aging and death.


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medical

Rajasthan Govt Orders Removal Of 20 Medically Unfit Elephants From Tourist Rides At Amer Fort

2021-02-08 - Jaipur , India.

The Rajasthan Government on Monday ordered the removal of 20 medically unfit elephants from tourist rides at Amer Fort in Jaipur. 3 elephants had tested positive for tuberculosis (TB), 11 elephants had one eye blind, along with other ailments for the rest of the elephants, read the release by the Rajasthan Government. The team of veterinary department at the zoo had been constantly monitoring the health of these elephants since July 2020.


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fossil

A Unique 125,000-Year-Old Elephant Fossil Found

2021-02-06 - Isle of Wight, United Kingdom.

Two brothers living in England and interested in fossil hunting as an amateur found a fossil on the beach of Isle of Wight. While this fossil is thought to be an elephant fossil dating back 125,000 years, researchers also showed great interest in this discovery.


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birth

Baby elephant born in North Sumatra"s Tangkahan CRU

2021-02-04 - Medan, Indonesia.

A 35-year-old elephant, named "Sari," gave birth to this female calf, weighing 69 kilograms and 108 centimeters in height, in the Tangkahan Conservation Response Unit (CRU), Mount Leuser National Park (TNGL) in Langkat District, North Sumatra. There are now fewer than 1,700 Sumatran elephants (elephas maximus sumatranus) left in the wild, according to some reports.


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relocation
The photo of Aameena trying to wake up her dead mother was a heart-wrenching sight for all.

Elephant calf found near dead mother befriends all at rehab home

2021-01-30 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Aameena, the wild elephant calf found near its deceased mother elephant at Kallar has been shifted to Kottoor elephant rehabilitation centre. The calf calf easily got adjusted to her new home. The mother elephant died after getting electrocuted from a metal line which passes through the forest range.


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conservation

Sri Lanka to conduct elephant census after 10 years

2021-01-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation will conduct an island-wide elephant census this year after a decade to determine the exact number of the animals in the country, local media reported on Monday. Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation Bandula Harischandra said an elephant census was last conducted in 2011 and it was estimated that Sri Lanka had 5,179 tuskers, reports Xinhua news agency.


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death

Last trumpet for Thula Thula’s Frankie

2021-01-26 - Empangeni, South Africa.

STAFF, medical teams and anti-poaching personnel at Thula Thula Private Game Reserve are mourning the passing of their beloved matriarch elephant, Frankie, one of seven elephants that arrived at the private game reserve in 1999, when Nana was matriarch. Test results confirmed Frankie had liver damage, and despite a combination of medications and daily feedings, her condition didn’t improve.


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relocation

Horowpothana Holding Ground report: Search for missing elephants in July

2021-01-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Pamodi Waravita

The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) would be conducting an investigation at the Horowpothana Elephant Holding Ground (HEHG) in July this year on the circumstances claimed in the National Audit Report for 2020. According to the report, although the HEHG was originally constructed to retain 30 rogue elephants as a solution to the human-elephant conflict, by 2019, 52 elephants had eventually been released to the ground. However, at the time the elephant census of the report was conducted ...


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film

Video of an Elephant Massaging a Woman with its Trunk Goes Viral

2021-01-18 - New Delhi, India.

In the video, one can clearly see the woman lying comfortably on a low bed as the elephant is standing near her and massaging her back. The video was shared by a Twitter user named Aamir on Saturday (January 16) and ever since then it has garnered thousands of views, hundreds of likes, comments and retweets. However, the location of the video is not known yet.


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facility

During the pandemic, elephants take a break in Myanmar

2021-01-18 - Taikyi , Myanmar. ZON PANN PWINT

As beaches, hotels, pagodas and even walking tours were starved of tourists for most of last year, the pandemic has also taken its toll on the nation’s many elephant camps – which were once a popular weekend activity for animal lovers. About an hour and a half outside Yangon, Winga Baw Elephant Conservation Camp is one such place. It is a popular place for Yantonites wanting to visit a baby pachyderm sadly orphaned by hunters.


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conflict

WALSAPUGALA PROTEST DEMANDS ELEPHANT RESERVE GAZETTE

2021-01-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

On Monday (18) locals from Walsapugala, Hambantota decided to take to the streets demanding the Proposed Wild Elephant Management Reserve in Hambantota, be included in the government gazette. The Walsapugala village in Hambantota is a village in the frontlines of the Human-Elephant conflict, and for many years the people in this village have been living in fear for their lives.


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conflict

Man-Animal Conflict: IFS Officers will go for Online Training, says Assam Forest Minister

2021-01-18 - Guwahati, India. Sentinel Digital Desk

Amid repeated incidents of man-animal conflict being reported from different parts of Assam, a five-day training session have kick-started started in Guwahati on Monday for about 35 forest officials, mostly Indian Forest Service (IFS) officials to train them and help respond better in man-animal conflict situations. The training session is being organized by Assam Agriculture University and the College of Veterinary Science. Notably, the session was inaugurated by Assam Forest Minister Parimal S...


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film
Road comedy, with Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Dom DeLuise and Sally Field Charlotte

Smokey and the Bandit II (1980)

2021-01-17 - Jupiter, United Kingdom.

The maverick haulier must overcome a crisis of confidence when he and his friends are hired to transport a pregnant elephant to Texas, a mammoth task that proves far from easy. The Asian elephant in Smokey and the Bandit II, was portrayed by Cora. Cora was during the film rented from the owner Bill and Cindy Morris of Elephant Encounter.


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conflict
Mahout Vishnu with elephant

Angry elephant hurls mahout to death in TVM

2021-01-17 - Aruvippuram, India.

An aggressive elephant threw its mahout away in a fit of rage resulting in his death. The second mahout identified as Kollam native Vishnu (21) died in the attack by the elephant. The incident took place on Saturday evening at Ayayil Kariyilakulangara temple. The elephant named Gowrinandan, owned by the local festival committee, turned aggressive when he was being to the temple.


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birth

Three new baby Asian elephants born in SW China"s Yunnan

2021-01-16 - Yunnan, China.

At the Xishuangbanna Tropical Zoo, an Asian elephant named Ya Long also gave birth to a baby weighing 95.4 kilograms on January 14, after 21 months and 19 days of pregnancy. "It took the baby elephant about 20 minutes to get up. Now, its breathing and other physical signs are normal," said Ji Yang, a veterinarian of the Xishuangbanna Tropical Zoo.


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zoo
Karl Mogensen pets Asha, an African elephant at the Natural Bridge Zoo. The USDA has cited the zoo for allowing visitors to ride Asha without her handler always nearby.

Natural Bridge Zoo fined for animal welfare violations

2021-01-15 - Natural Bridge, United States.

The fifth violation involved Asha, the zoo’s prized elephant, and regulations that require dangerous animals such as lions, tigers, bears and elephants to be under the control of an experienced handler during public exhibits. Visitors sometimes rode, photographed or fed Asha without her handler always being nearby, according to the USDA.


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circus

Gerry Cottle dead: Circus legend who ran away at 15 is killed by coronavirus

2021-01-14 - Bath, United Kingdom. Vikki White

Gerry Cottle, who died in hospital in Bath this week aged 75 after contracting coronavirus, became one of Britain’s best known kings of the Big Top. From virtually nothing he went on to run a string of circuses all over the world. Cottle retired from travelling entertainment in 2003 and bought Wookey Hole Caves in Somerset, adding a clown museum and circus school to the tourist attraction


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conflict

Forest department in Nilgiri"s Mudumalai Tiger Reserve warns tourists, locals of wild elephant Rivaldo

2021-01-12 - COIMBATORE, India.

Apart from tourists and people in Masinagudi, those in Mavanallah, Bokkapuram, Vaalaithottam and Sigur buffer areas of the MTR, have started taking selfies with Rivaldo after parking their vehicles on the road. Apart from causing traffic congestion, it also disturbs the animal


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people

Rangers Accused of Demanding Cash to Return Marauding Elephants to Murchison Park

2021-01-10 - Masindi, Uganda. Michael Ojok

According to Jalon Lakony Opiyo, every time elephants invade the area, each member of the village which has around 2000 households contributes 1000 shillings for the rangers to rescue them and their properties.


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welfare

Citing health of animals, Centre says stop elephant rides at Jaipur Amer Fort

2021-01-06 - Jaipur, India. Deep Mukherjee

Ride operators however, say that they ensure care for the elephants and that closing down the rides would be unfair to mahouts. “How is it fair for this report to say that the elephant rides should be done away with," asked Abdul Aziz, president of the Haathi Malik Vikas Samiti.


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organisation

India Forest Dept. uses elephants for tracing leopards in Koppal

2021-01-04 - Koppala, India.

Two days after a person who was away for cattle grazing at Virupapura Gaddi Islet in Gangavathi taluk was killed by a leopard, the Forest Department officers have introduced two elephants — a male and a feminine — from Sakrebail Elephant Camp in Shivamogga district and carried out a combing operations for leopards on Sunday.


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misc

Giants roam near Yangon

2021-01-04 - Yangon, Myanmar.

Khaing Khin Sein lives at the Myaing Hay Wun Elephant Camp, which is located between Taik Kyi and Okekan township in the Yangon Region. More than 30 elephants reside at the Myaing Hay Wun Elephant Camp, which became a tourist attraction whilst the city’s lockdown orders came into force.


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conflict

DRONE TECHNOLOGY TO CHASE ELEPHANTS

2021-01-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation has taken steps to use drone technology to chase away elephants; the pilot project of this initiative is currently underway in the Naula Rathgammana area in Matale, wildlife officials said on Saturday The pilot project is conducted together with the Sri Lanka Army Research Unit and Sri Lanka Navy, M.S.R.C. Marasinghe, the Director of Operations at the Department of Wildlife Conservation told News 1st.


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smuggle

Smugglers jailed as China"s "biggest ever" illegal ivory network smashed

2021-01-02 - Beiiing, China.

Seventeen people have been jailed -- including two for life -- for running China's largest ever ivory smuggling ring, moving millions of dollars of tusks from west Africa into the mainland's vast domestic market. A court in the southern city of Guangzhou on Tuesday handed long prison terms to 17 people involved in smuggling over 20 tons of ivory worth more than 1 billion yuan (US$156 million).


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relocation

Rejected Elephant Calf Shifted To Kapilash Rescue Centre

2021-01-01 - Berhampur, India.

The elephant calf, rejected by its herd in Sunapur village on the outskirts of Berhampur has been shifted to Kapilash rescue centre in Dhenkanal district. The baby elephant was part of the herd which sneaked into the locality and subsequently entered Tampara lake causing extensive damage to prawn enclosures and fishing boats. Meanwhile, the calf got stuck in marshy lake pond and suffered injuries.


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misc
Sheila is bathed by Denise Austin and her mother Irene in their back yard on Whitewell Rd

Baby elephant was taken into North Belfast home to save her from Nazi bombs

2020-12-29 - Belfast, Ireland. Sammy Edwards


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event
https://www.kmov.com/news/happy-28th-raja-st-louis-zoo-to-celebrate-raja-the-elephants-birthday/article_e431c516-47fc-11eb-88d2-77050db8ee0f.html

Happy 28th, Raja! St. Louis Zoo to celebrate Raja the elephant"s birthday

2020-12-26 - St Louis, United States.

One of the St. Louis Zoo's most beloved residents will be turning another year older Sunday. Raja the elephant will turn 28 and you're invited to celebrate him - virtually. The zoo will stream a video of Raja starting at 11 a.m. on their Facebook and YouTube pages and you can celebrate him from the comfort of your couch.


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facility

Ohio gives $1.5M to help fund new elephant home at Cincinnati Zoo

2020-12-26 - Cincinnati, United States.

The Cincinnati Zoo is one giant step closer to building a new home for the elephants. The Cincinnati Business Courier reports the state of Ohio is kicking in $1.5 million to help fund the new Elephant Trek. It's part of a $150-million expansion. Once complete, the elephants will have overhead feeding stations, ponds, a stream, mud wallows and five times the space to explore.


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research

Third elephant radio-collared in Uttarakhand

2020-12-24 - Dehradun, India.

The Uttarakhand forest department on Thursday radio-collared a third elephant in the state this year and released it in a forest near Haridwar to keep track of its movement during the Maha Kumbh fair scheduled there from next month. Chief wildlife warden JS Suhag said the elephant, who is around 40-year-old, is part of a herd of around six to seven elephants that frequently ventures into human habitations.


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zoo

Gujarat to Have ‘One of The Biggest Zoos in the World’ With Dragons, Lions, And Other Exotic Species

2020-12-21 - Jamnagar, India.

Spread across 250 acres, Jamnagar in Gujarat will have one of the biggest zoos in the world in terms of number and species of animals in one place. As per details uploaded on the Central Zoo Authority, the mega zoo, to be called ”Greens Zoological Rescue and the Rehabilitation Kingdom” will be spread over 250.1 acres.


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death
Popular baby elephant Chabakaew died on Wednesday at the Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary in Bueng Kan province

Baby jumbo Chabakaew dies in park

2020-12-11 - Tambon Ban Tong, Thailand.

Chabakaew, a baby elephant saved after falling into a septic tank last year and taken care of by park officials, died on Wednesday at the Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary in Bueng Kan province. They suspect the calf may have died from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV), or bad bacteria in its digestive system.


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medical
A zoo employee reaches out to Baby Batu during the Asian Elephant Extravaganza at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse on August 22, 2015. Batu, a 5-year-old elephant, tested positive Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, for elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus — the virus responsible for half of the deaths of calves who die in zoos. His baby brother, Ajay, died of the virus on Tuesday. Batu died days later.

Second young elephant dies at Syracuse zoo. Batu, 5, died 3 days after brother Ajay

2020-12-11 - Syracuse, United States.

Batu, a five-year-old elephant at Syracuse’s Rosamond Gifford Zoo, died today, Batu, pronounced BAA-two, was 5 years old. His younger brother, baby Ajay, died on Tuesday — about a month before his second birthday. Both young elephants died of elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus, the biggest killer of young Asian elephants.


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poaching

12 elephants killed in Tanzania by poachers

2020-12-10 - Dodoma, Tanzania.

At least 12 elephants have been killed in Tanzania in the past three months in what the country’s national parks watchdog has described as a new wave of poaching. John Nyamhanga, TANAPA’s assistant conservation commissioner for law enforcement and strategic security, said 10 of the elephants were killed between September and November along the Tarangire-Ngorongoro-Manyara ecosystem.


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circus

Arrival of Billy Smart"s Circus in Weymouth in 1961

2020-12-10 - Weymouth, United Kingdom.

These pictures were taken in 1961 and show Billy Smart's Circus arriving in town. They were taken by the bridge opposite Knightsdale Road by the Marsh, where the Big Top would be pitched and the circus would be held. There seem to be four elephants in the picture, coming through the tunnel trunk to tail carrying some rather fancily dressed elephant riders who are waving to the crowds.


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conflict

Sri Lanka ranks as the country which killed the largest number of Elephants in the world – COPA

2020-12-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has earned the dubious ranking as the country where the largest number of Elephants are killed because of the Human-Elephant conflict, a Parliamentary Committee has heard as evidence of an increase in the intensity of the conflict was presented by experts. This country is also ranked number two globally where humans have died in conflict with wild Elephants, testimony led before the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) heard according to a statement released by the Parliament’s Office...


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death

Syracuse’s Rosamond Gifford Zoo announces death of baby elephant

2020-12-10 - Syracuse, United States.

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is mourning the sudden death of its baby elephant, Ajay. The Syracuse zoo announced that its youngest elephant calf died Tuesday from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV), a lethal strain of herpes that largely affects young Asian elephants. Ajay would have turned 2 next month.


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people

Rajasthan CM Announces Rs 4.2 Cr Relief For Elephants And Caretakers

2020-12-09 - Jaipur, India.

“An amount of Rs 4.2 crore will be distributed to the caretakers of elephants (mahouts) and their families, responsible for their upkeep. The relief is for the elephant and mahouts living in Jaipur's Haathi Gaon (Elephant village). The money has been issued from the CM Relief Fund and aims to improve the condition of elephants and their caretakers. The money will be distributed through the ‘Elephant welfare fund’. Under this relief, around 95 elephants living in the elephant village will b...


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medical
Forest officials had found the carcass of a sub-adult female aged nearly 10 years in the Soraipung range of the Joypur reserve forest in Dibrugarh district on December 3.

Carcass of wild elephant in Assam tests positive for Anthrax

2020-12-09 - Dibrugarh, India.

The carcass of a wild elephant found inside Joypur reserve forest in Assam’s Dibrugarh district last week has tested positive for Anthrax, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) said Wednesday. Though the highly infectious disease caused by the bacteria called ‘Bacilhus anthracis’ had earlier been detected in cattle in the state, this is likely to be the first confirmed case of Anthrax in wild elephants in Assam. Forest officials had found the carcass of a sub-adult female aged nearly 10 years ...


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evolution

Why do elephants and tigers still roam in India? Study offers clues

2020-12-08 - Delhi, India.

Tropical Asia and Africa are the only regions on Earth that retain diverse populations of large, land-dwelling mammals, such as elephants, rhinos, and big cats. A new study co-authored by Yale researcher Advait M. Jukar suggests that the persistence of mammalian megafauna in the Indian Subcontinent is related to the great beasts’ long coexistence there with homo sapiens and other human ancestors.


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relocation

His brother electrocuted, elephant captured after 21 months of free run

2020-12-07 - Kanha, India.

THE Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has captured the elephant whose brother died of electrocution near Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh on November 27. Kanha Tiger Reserve Field Director S K Singh told The Indian Express, “The elephant was caught in Kanha range in the core area of the tiger reserve around 4 pm on Sunday.”


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trade

Nmibia is offering 170 elephants for sale due to the increase of the animals" population and drought.

2020-12-07 - Windhoek, Namibia. Matty Kaminzi

The elephants are from the Omatjete area, Kamanjab commercial farming area, Grootfontein-Kavango Cattle Ranch area and Grootfontein-Tsumkwe area.


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zoo

How a 1960s publicity stunt landed a baby elephant named Annabelle in Alaska

2020-12-07 - Anchorage, United States. David Reamer

Annabelle (1964-1997) was a prize, literally. Earlier that year, paper products manufacturer Crown Zellerbach ran a promotion for their Chiffon Tissue. Whichever grocery store sold the most toilet paper won their choice of $3,000 (about $24,500 in 2020 dollars) or a baby Indian elephant. Jack Snyder, owner of the two Anchorage S & F Foodland grocery stores, won and chose the elephant. From this sitcom-quality beginning, Anchorage soon gained not only a zoo but one of its most famous artists.


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pictures

Prehistoric pictographs show Ice Age sloths and mastodons living with ancient humans

2020-12-06 - San José del Guaviare, Colombia.

The series of vivid drawings were created approximately 12,600 to 11,800 years ago and deliver solid evidence that the Amazon rainforest’s first inhabitants resided beside Ice Age mega-mammals such as the giant sloths, camelids, horses, mastodons, and three-toed ungulates sporting long trunks.


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death

Ya Tao, the last captive elephant in Gia Lai province in Vietnam, has died.

2020-12-05 - Pleiku, Vietnam.

Ms. Ploanh, the owner of the elephant, said yesterday (December 3), the elephant Ya Tao was taken to the bank of Ia Tul river to drink water. After drinking, the elephant was lying on the bank of the stream, a while later she died.. Ya Tao was bought by Mr. Ksor Cham in an elephant-trading market in Dak Lak province (the province that has the biggest elephant populations in Vietnam) in 1990. After Mr. Cham passed away, Siu Kiem, Mr. Cham’s son-in-law had taken charge of taking care of Ya Tao. ...


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event

Japan"s Oldest Zoo Unveils Baby Elephant, Needs Help Naming It

2020-12-04 - Tokyo, Japan.

On Tuesday, Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens unveiled its first baby elephant to the world and asked the public to help name it, reported news agency Reuters. The male calf is born to parent elephants Authi and Artid who were gifted to Japan by Thailand in 2002. The gifts were presented to celebrate the birth of Princess Aiko, who is the only daughter of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.


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research

In a first in state, Thrissur prepares data bank on tuskers

2020-12-02 - Athirappilly, India.

The social forestry division here has prepared a data bank on the 130 elephants in the district after detailed examination. The details such as their health conditions, treatment, details of owners and mahouts, microchip and pictures were collected. 16 elephants were identified and referred for expert treatment and care. An expert panel was formed including district chief veterinary officer Dr Usharani, Dr David Abraham and veterinary college associate professor TS Rajeev to treat these tuskers.


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fossil
The photo shows the fossil of the easternmost occurrence of Mammut pacificus or scientifically named Proboscidea: Mammutidae, based on a partial skull from eastern Montana.

New research extends range of Pacific mastodon into eastern Montana

2020-11-30 - Bozeman, United States.

A newly published paper from the museums reveals that the Pacific mastodon, Mammut pacificus, described in 2019 from the Pleistocene of California and Idaho, was also found in eastern Montana between 639,000 and 160,000 years ago. Determining the new find were the Pacific mastodon fossils sent to the Western Science Museum located at 2345 Searl Parkway in Hemet for study by scientists there.


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circus
Two elephants, believed to be from a travelling circus, bathing at Perranporth beach in the 1930s or 40s.

The day elephants enjoyed a bath on Perranporth beach

2020-11-29 - Cornwall, United Kingdom.

The incredible picture above, which was previously shared with Cornwall Live by Perranzabuloe Museum, reappeared on Facebook this week, on The North Coast page, bringing back memories to locals. It is not known whether the photograph, which was passed to the museum in a collection of old images and memorabilia, showed the same two elephants that Mr Philps met when he was young. In England, there has been a ban on wild-animal circuses since January 2020.


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birth

If you"ve never seen an elephant baby ultrasound before, here"s your chance

2020-11-29 - Oklahoma City, United States.

Asha, a 25-year-old Asian elephant residing at the Oklahoma City Zoo, is expecting a baby in February 2022. The zoo released a video of the calf's ultrasound, even pointing out the growing baby's head, trunk, and legs. If you're wondering why we have to wait over a year to meet Asha's calf, it's because Asian elephants have a gestation period of 645 days...or around 22 months.


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relocation

Female Elephant Found Dead & Bleeding From Its Mouth In Sabah, Believed To Be Poisoned - Orphaned wild elephant relocated to Borneo Elephant Sanctuary

2020-11-28 - Kinabatangan, Malaysia.

On Friday (28 November 2020), a Kinabatangan wildlife ranger found and relocated an adolescent elephant that was lost in a plantation in Kampung Sukau. The elephant is now under the protection of the Sabah Wildlife Department and placed in the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary.


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death

Elephant Laxmi, Byculla zoo’s oldest animal, dies

2020-11-28 - Byculla, India.

Byculla zoo’s oldest animal, female elephant Laxmi, died on Thursday. It was 64 years old and died due to old age complications and a chronic heart failure, said officials. Laxmi was one of the main attractions of Veer Mata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo in Byculla. It was brought from Venus Circus in 1977 in an exchange programme.


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circus

MPs to vote on circus elephant ‘deportation’, minister wants to move Buba to France

2020-11-27 - Haag, Netherlands.

The fate of the Netherlands’ last circus elephant lies in the hands of farm minister Carola Schouten, who will decide next week if the animal should stay with the circus family who own her, or if she should be moved to a sanctuary in France. MPs are due to vote on the issue on Tuesday after a motion was filed by CDA MP Martijn van Helvert and the anti-immigration PVV to halt the move. They argue it would be cruel to move the elephant to a new location.


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illegal wildlife trade

London jeweller found guilty of selling elephant hair jewellery

2020-11-27 - London, United Kingdom.

A man has been found guilty of selling jewellery containing elephant hair from a shop in Wembley in London. Harrow Crown Court heard this week that Rajtharan Mahalingam was discovered by the Met’s Wildlife Crime Unit to be selling jewellery he claimed contained elephant hair. Forensic analysis was conducted on samples of the seized jewellery and hair, which were seized in 2017. Results from the hair samples matched DNA from both an African and Asian elephant.


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people
The former elephant keeper (pictured in 2013) lost his job because of

Fired elephant keeper breaks back into the zoo to feed and photograph the animals - adding to series of offences as his life unravelled due to cancer and a drug habit

2020-11-24 - Melbourne, Australia.

An elephant keeper who lost his job because of 'spiralling' drug use has been sentenced for breaking into the zoo were he used to work in order to feed animals and take selfies with them. Lucas McGhie, 36, was sentenced in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Friday after he pleaded guilty to trespass charges from sneaking into Melbourne Zoo with three others in the early hours of April 14 last year.


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misc

Animal rights group urges court to recognize Bronx Zoo elephant as person

2020-11-19 - Bronx, United States.

Happy the elephant was the center of attention in court Thursday when five state appellate judges debated whether the beloved Bronx Zoo mammal should be recognized as a person. However, the judges were skeptical in granting “personhood” to the 49-year-old female Asian elephant.


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trade

Peshawar Zoo authorities move court seeking permission to import elephants

2020-11-16 - Peshawar, Pakistan.

The authorities of the Peshawar Zoo have approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to import a pair of elephants from Zimbabwe. A three-member bench, headed by Justice Mushir Alam, has issued notices to the respondents and adjourned the hearing for two weeks.


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medical

Juno the Elephant will undergo surgery to remove tumor no longer responding to chemo

2020-11-13 - El Paso, United States.

One of the El Paso Zoo’s Asian elephants, Juno, will undergo her seventh cancer treatment this week. In October 2016, Juno was diagnosed with a malignant mass in her right mammary gland, commonly known as breast cancer. This is the only currently known case of breast cancer in an elephant; elephants are generally not diagnosed with cancer.


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event

Elephant Sunder gets a treat at end of musth

2020-11-13 - Bangalore, India.

20-year-old male elephant Sunder was treated to seasonal enrichment to mark the completion of its four-month-long musth period at the Bannerghatta Biological Park here on Thursday. Vanashree Vipin Singh, Executive Director, BBP, said: “Sunder successfully completed the musth period, which was a bit longer. With the onset of winter and Deepavali, we gave it rice balls laced with jaggery, watermelon, banana, maize and carrot.”


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death
The elephant, named Nga-Sun, was found collapsed on a palm plantation by villagers in Rayong province last month

Elephant shot fifteen times dies in agony after succumbing to its wounds in Thailand

2020-11-12 - Rayong, Thailand.

The elephant, named Nga-Sun, was found collapsed on a palm plantation by villagers in Rayong province last month. Vets from the local wildlife team identified gunshot wounds across the animal's buttocks, tail, and front leg. The wounds had punctured major internal organs such as its lungs, heart, spleen, and intestines.


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relocation

Lost elephant calf in Malbazar sent to rescue hub

2020-11-11 - Jalpaiguri, India.

An elephant calf was rescued from near the New Mal railway station in Malbazar subdivision of Jalpaiguri on Tuesday. Soon, a team from the Malbazar wildlife squad arrived and intercepted the calf. They tried to send it back to the forest but could not locate its herd. It has been sent to the rescue centre in Gorumara National Park, said Bibhuti Bhusan Das, range officer of the wildlife squad. This is the third elephant calf rescued in four days.


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conservation

Cambodia Ministry says Asian elephants face threat

2020-11-10 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Soth Koemsoeun

Ministry of Environment spokesman Neth Pheaktra said the Asian elephant is being severely threatened in world sanctuaries. Airavata Elephant Foundation president Chenda Clais said on November 10 that wild elephants face trapping, a lack of proper shelter and daily food in the dry season. Population growth has also fuelled the human demand for land.


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event

Sreekutty the elephant had a jumbo birthday bash, these adorable pictures are proof

2020-11-09 - Kottoor, India.

Sreekutty was brought to the Kappukadu elephant rehabilitation centre on November 8, 2019. Staying in the Kappukadu elephant rehabilitation center in Kerala, the calf turned a year old on November 8. A grand celebration was organized for her at the center.


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conservation

Uttarakhand weighs denotifying elephant reserve

2020-11-09 - Dehradun, India.

The Uttarakhand government is considering denotifying the Shivalik Elephant Reserve. A senior forest department official told The Indian Express, “The state wildlife board will discuss this. That area will remain a reserve forest even after denotification as an elephant reserve. It will not make any big difference.” The official said an elephant reserve has “no legal sanctity”.


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conflict

Nepalese Mahout killed in elephant attack

2020-11-08 - Nawalapur, Nepal.

A mahout has died when an elephant attacked him while grazing it inside the Chitwan National Park. The deceased is 36-year-old Hansaraj Kunmar Dhami of Chandranigahapur, Rautahat. He had been currently residing in Ratnanagar municipality-6 in Chitwan. A four and half years old male elephant named Rajagaja had attacked the mahout.


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illegal wildlife trade

Five men trying to sell elephant tusks caught on Food Street

2020-11-08 - Bengaluru, India.

HM Chaitanya Swamy, DHNS, Bengaluru, NOV 08 2020, 01:34 ISTUPDATED: NOV 08 2020, 01:56 IST Police have arrested a five-member gang from Tamil Nadu that allegedly tried to sell elephant tusks on Food Street, VV Puram, and seized two tusks from them. Police filed a case under the Wildlife Act against Govindaraj, 24, Rajesh, 28, Prabhakaran, 34, Naveen, 29, and Tamil Selvan, 25, who hail from Tirupattur and Vellore districts.


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conservation

849 wild elephants died in Kerala forests from 2009 to 2019. The death rate of wild elephants in Kerala is high, reveals statistics shared by the forest department.

2020-11-07 - Palakkad, India.

The death rate of wild elephants in Kerala is high, reveals statistics shared by the forest department. As per the 2018 census, the wild elephant population in the state is 5,706. The death rate is high, say experts. “The life expectancy of captive elephants in Kerala is 70 to 75 years while that of wild elephants is only 60 years,” said B N Anjan Kumar, technical assistant to chief wildlife warden.


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conflict

Electric fence on the Indo-Nepal border puts migrating elephants and humans at risk

2020-11-06 - Naxalbari, India. AVIJAN SAHA, SAHANA GHOSH

Elephants in north West Bengal, would earlier cross the Mechi river along the Indo-Nepal border, over to Nepal, along a regular route identified as the Mahananda-Kolabari elephant corridor.
In 2016, a solar-powered fence erected by Nepal abruptly cut off the herds’ transboundary movement along this route.
This northern part of West Bengal has 488 elephants spread over 1933 square km, as reported by the 2017 elephant population estimation. In 2012, the north Bengal population was ...


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facility

NBC 7’s Dagmar Midcap traveled to Kenya to document efforts being made to save and protect elephants

2020-11-06 - Sereolipi, Kenya.

Nestled in the foothills of Samburu County in northern Kenya is Africa’s first community-owned elephant orphanage. This magical place of healing and hope is named Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. Reteti rescues and releases orphaned and abandoned elephant calves, while at the same time creating much-needed benefits to the local people that live alongside them. It’s a community partnership that is reshaping conservation methods and healing centuries of human-wildlife conflict.


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facility

Kerala is all set to become home of world’s largest elephant care-and-cure facility

2020-11-06 - Kottoor, India.

With upgradation in progress, the centre will later on have around 50 elephants including the existing 16 elephants. The upgraded centre will have a veterinary hospital equipped with special facilities, an elephant museum, a training centre for mahouts, a research and study centre for students and nature lovers, an administrative office, an entrance plaza, cottages, a cafeteria, and a special elephant viewing facility.


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medical
Tusker Vallabhan of Malayinkeezhu Sreekrishnaswamy Temple

Vallabhan waiting for tusk trimming with 1.5 metre long tusks

2020-11-06 - Malayinkeezhu, India.

Tusker Vallabhan of Malayinkeezhu Sreekrishnaswamy Temple is struggling to hold his head high literally after the tusks grew longer and heavier. He is unable to take food due to the long tusks and is waiting for tusk trimming. While lying down, the tusks rub against the ground causing difficulties. Action was initiated to trim the tusks in February 2019. However, the process was stopped as the elephant was on musth.


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trade
Corruption of some wildlife officers and undue political and other interference are major challenges to overcome the illegal capture and domestic trade of wild elephants in Sri Lanka, a recent study has highlighted.

Report on illegal capture, trade of wild elephants in Sri Lanka

2020-11-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The research team observed that the last elephant birth in captivity was recorded in 1994. “However, the report submitted to the Magistrate’s Court by the Wildlife Conservation Department (DWC) Director Gen­eral on July 9, 2015 stated that 37 applications had been submitted for registration of elephant calves born in captivity during the period of 2000 to 2015. This raises a serious suspicion about the origin of these 37 elephant calves,” the report said.


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facility

New $84 million elephant sanctuary to be developed at Victorias Werribee Zoo

2020-11-04 - Werribee, Australia.

Victoria’s Werribee Open Range Zoo is set to receive $84 million funding to develop a new elephant sanctuary. Announced yesterday by Victorian Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, the $84 million for the project will be part of the state’s 2020/21 budget. The investment will include a new elephant sanctuary, with six Asian elephants to be moved to Werribee Zoo’s 22 hectares from the two hectares at Melbourne Zoo.


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death
Forest department officials examine the carcass of the elephant which died in Bandipur Tiger Reserve on Tuesday

Tusker dies while trying to cross over rail barricade

2020-11-04 - Bengaluru, India.

A tusker died while trying to return to the forest after raiding crops in Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) on Tuesday morning. The incident came to light when a patrolling team saw the sight of the jumbo stuck between two rail barricades. Forest department officials had to cut out a portion of the barricade to free the elephant. Officials said the tusker died on the spot because of the shock and after its head hit the rail barricade. BTR director S R Natesh told TNIE that the incident happened in Mo...


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conservation
Botswana’s elephant population have become a political issue as there are too many of them and they destroy crops and occasionally trample villagers.

Botswana Wants Angola’s Exiled Elephants to Return Home

2020-11-04 - Gaborone, Botswana. Mbongeni Mguni

Botswana’s tourism industry, which accounts for a fifth of the economy, is heavily reliant on the world’s biggest elephant population, but the animals have become a political issue as there are too many of them and they destroy crops and occasionally trample villagers. Now, elephants are beginning to migrate into neighboring Angola and the governments of both countries are helping them do so by removing land mines left over from Angola’s civil war and tearing down fences.


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illegal wildlife trade
The arrested are Prestine Silva and Jayaprakash of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in Kerala, Mohan and Ramesh of Udayagiri in Mysuru.

Four Persons Arrested For Trying To Sell Elephant Tusks In Mysore City - Eight tusks weighing 25 kg seized

2020-11-03 - Mysore, India.

Four persons including two from Kerala have been arrested by the Mysuru Forest Mobile Squad while they were trying to sell elephant tusks in city and have seized eight tusks weighing 25 kg from them. It is learnt that out of the eight tusks, six were very old and two tusks were approximately 10 years old.


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conflict

Mysuru: Tamed elephant charges at picture-crazy bikers

2020-11-03 - Mysuru, India.

Two unidentified bikers travelling towards Anechokuru from TThithimathi observed Bhima, a tamed elephant grazing by the roadside. Their attempt to to click close-up photographs of the elephant provoked the jumbo leading to an attack.


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relocation

Tulsa Zoo welcomes new Asian elephant, giraffe and white rhino

2020-11-03 - Tulsa, United States. Cory Smith, KTUL staff

48-year-old female Asian elephant Booper was relocated to Tulsa zoo from Riddles Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary, a private animal facility that is discontinuing its elephant program.


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death

Female Elephant Dies In Odisha’s Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary

2020-11-02 - Angul, India. KalingaTV Bureau

A 25-year-old female elephant died while undergoing treatment at Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha’s Angul district on Monday. According to reports, a team of forest officials spotted the the ailing female elephant during their routine patrolling in the forest yesterday. A calf aged around one-and-a-half-years was also found near the sick elephant.


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death

Elephant calf inadvertently killed by herd in Zurich zoo

2020-11-02 - Zurich, Switzerland.

On August 19, 2020, an elephant cow named Omysha gave birth to her first calf. It was subsequently kicked to death by the herd, prompting an internal investigation. An assessment of the video recordings, with the help of external zoologists and elephant experts from the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), concluded that calf barely moved after birth.


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organisation
Tourists enjoy the elephant safari at Kohora range of the Kaziranga National Park on Sunday.

Elephant safaris resume at Kaziranga National Park

2020-11-01 - Guwahati, India.

Elephant safaris resumed at the Kohora range of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Upper Assam on Sunday eleven days after the park reopened for tourists last month. “We have resumed the elephant safaris this morning with only 10 elephants. The number of rides will be enhanced on the basis of the response in the coming days,” Kaziranga National Park director P. Sivakumar told the media on Sunday.


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birth

Ueno Zoo Celebrates 1st Birth of Elephant

2020-11-01 - Tokyo, Japan.

Ueno Zoo has seen the first birth of a baby elephant since it opened in 1882. Authai, a female Asian elephant at the zoo in Tokyo, gave birth to a male cub at 5:44 a.m. Saturday (8:44 p.m. Friday GMT), the zoo has said. The baby elephant measures 1 meter in height to its back and weighs 120.5 kilograms. The mother and the baby are both in good condition, according to the zoo.


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relocation

After Dasara, elephant Abhimanyu and pack head to forest camps

2020-10-28 - Mysuru, India.

After successful completion of Mysuru Dasara Jamboo Savari, Howdah carrier Abhimanyu and his team, left for their respective camps in the forest on Thursday. The elephants, Vikrama, Gopi, Vijaya and Kaveri, their mahouts and kavaadis left for the their respective camps in the forest on Thursday.


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relocation

Dasara Elephants To Go Back To Their Respective Camps Tomorrow

2020-10-27 - Mysuru, India.

Howdah elephant Abhimanyu and his team members, Gopi, Vikram, Kaveri and Vijaya, who participated in the Jumboo Savari at Mysore Palace yesterday and successfully fulfilled the responsibility given to them, were seen in a relaxed mood at the Palace this morning. Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) T. Heeralal had organised lunch for all Mahouts and Kavadis today and the five Dasara elephants will leave for their respective camps tomorrow.


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event

Yangon Zoo celebrates Momo’s birthday, away from crowds

2020-10-27 - Yangoon, Myanmar.

The Yangon Zoo’s most celebrated resident, Momo the elephant celebrated her 67th birthday at a party organised by zoo staff. Now approaching 70, Momo is one of the oldest Asian elephants in the world. Momo first arrived at Yangon Zoo at the age of 7, and has since entertained visitors with her talents for spraying water and kicking footballs.


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event

Mysore Dasara 2020: "Jamboo Savari" to be Live telecast on DD Chandana, FB, YouTube; How to watch

2020-10-26 - Mysuru, India.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic scare, the government has decided to organise the world famous Dasara celebrations in the palace city of Mysuru in a "simple" way. Jamboo Savari, the biggest attractions of Mysuru Dasara, will be telecast live on Doordarshan Chandana and some social media platforms.


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birth

Baby Opal born at Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens Pattaya

2020-10-26 - Pattaya, Thailand. Patcharapol Panrak

At 09.09 on October 26, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Pattaya president Kamphol Tansajja held a religious ceremony to welcome a new born female elephant. The baby jumbo was born on October 19 to parents father Ning Nong, 25, and mother Pailin, 19, and was given the name Opal. Pailin had given birth to three babies before, Tubtim, 9, Mukda, 6, and Paetai, 2 and a half.


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event

Mysuru Dasara

2020-10-26 - Mysore, India.

Mysuru Dasara is the “Nadahabba” or the State-Festival of Karnataka. With fairs, cultural events, dance performances and musical concerts, the ten-day festival is celebrated with pomp and pageantry. The tenth day, Vijayadashami brings a spectacular procession led by the image of the deity. Bedecked elephants, cavalry, foot soldiers, folk dancers, musicians and tableaux wend their way through the city. The extravagant celebrations come to an end with a torchlight parade as fireworks light up ...


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death

On this date in Maine history: Oct. 25, 1836

2020-10-25 - Penobscot Bay, United States.

The passenger steamship Royal Tar, heading from Saint John, New Brunswick, to Portland, burns and sinks in Penobscot Bay while carrying a variety of circus animals, as well as 72 passengers and 21 crew members. Eventually, Mogul the elephant, standing on deck throughout the fire, crashes through the ship’s rail and falls to the water, taking some unfortunate passengers with him. Of all the fatalities, 31 people drown and one is burned to death.


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smuggle

Cameroon arrests ivory smugglers, seizes nearly 120 elephant tusks

2020-10-24 - Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Cameroon authorities arrested four ivory smugglers attempting to transport nearly 120 elephant tusks through the country’s south, officials said Friday. The group had trafficked nearly 675 kilograms (1,500 pounds) of the illicit cargo from neighboring Gabon, which is home to more than half of Africa’s remaining forest elephants.


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death

Captive elephants losing lives to wild tuskers at Sakrebyle camp

2020-10-24 - Shivamogga, India.

The death of a 35-year-old male captive elephant 'Ranga' after being attacked by three wild elephants in a forest area near Sakrebailu elephant camp on Thirthahalli road has exposed the apathy of the officials of the forest department. The elephants 'Rajendra' and 'New Tusker' had died after being attacked by wild elephants.


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relocation

Jack the elephant bull (27) has moved from Basel Zoo and returned home to Sosto Zoo in Hungary.

2020-10-22 - Sosto, Hungary.

Jack moved into the new, recently opened Tembea elephant enclosure in May 2017. He spent three and a half years at Basel Zoo. Last Tuesday, he returned to Hungary as agreed. There were no offspring born during his stay – even though he had some encounters with Basel Zoo’s females, none of them became pregnant.


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facility

Ranch provides un-herd of experience in east Bradenton

2020-10-21 - Myakka, United States. Liz Ramos

When going to the Myakka Elephant Ranch, be sure not to have anything sweet in your pocket because Lou, an African savanna elephant, will be able to sniff it out. Public can visit Myakka City nonprofit and its three elephants starting in November.


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welfare

Central Highlands province mulls ban on elephant rides on safety, welfare concerns

2020-10-21 - Dak Lak, Vietnam. Tran Hoa, Nguyen Quy

Authorities in Dak Lak Province are considering calling a halt to the famous elephant-back tours following accidents and animal protection concerns. Nguyen Thuy Phuong Hieu, deputy director of the Central Highlands province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said at a recent tourism conference that the tours, which activists describe as "exploitation" of elephants, would stop.


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relocation
Kester Vickery and Emma Fearnhead of Conservation Solutions administer some necessary drugs to ensure the Tusker is safely transported to its new home.

‘Majestic giants’ introduced into community owned reserves to strengthen elephant gene poole

2020-10-21 - Mkuze, South Africa.

in a joint operation between WILDLANDS – a programme of the WILDTRUST, the Aspinall Foundation (in partnership with Albus Environmental), Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Conservation Solutions, a 20-year-old Tusker was successfully translocated from Tembe Elephant Park, owned by the Tembe Traditional Authority to Somkhanda Game Reserve, owned and managed by the Emvokweni Community Trust. Tembe Elephant Park was established in 1983 to protect the last remaining herds of free-roaming elephants in Sout...


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welfare

Caught out in a virus world: Elephant camps across Thailand are attempting to reinvent their image as they shift their focus to domestic tourism in a bid to survive

2020-10-21 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Focusing on animal welfare, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is working with the Department of Livestock Development, veterinarians and elephant experts to seek a solution in enhancing the standards of elephant camps and mahouts around the country.


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death

Karnataka: Elephant Ekadanta Dies In Shivamogga Due To Cardiac Arrest

2020-10-21 - New Delhi, India.

A 35-year-old elephant, named Ekadanta, passed away at Sakrebailu camp in Shivamogga. According to Sakrebailu forest officers, the death of the elephant was caused by cardiac arrest.
His body was found in the Shettyhalli forest. Ekadanta was captured two years back from the forests in Sakleshpur, Hassan district.


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conflict

Odisha forms state-level task force to reduce man-animal conflict

2020-10-20 - Bhubaneswar, India.

In its bid to reduce the man-animal conflict, the Odisha government on Tuesday set up a state-level task force to prepare a master plan for the next three years, official sources said. The state level task force (SLTF) is formed under the chairmanship of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, will submit the master plan report to the government within six weeks, said Forest and Environment minister B K Arukha. Official sources said that man-elephant conflic...


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conflict
A herd of elephants crosses a rural road in Xishuangbanna on April 7.

Human-elephant conflict escalates in China"s Xishuangbanna

2020-10-20 - Xishuangbanna, China.

According to the local forest authority, human deaths and injuries from wild elephant attacks in Xishuangbanna have soared since 2016. In 2019 alone, 12 people were killed by wild elephants in the prefecture, compared with 33 over the two decades through 2010. So far in 2020, seven people have died in clashes with wild elephants.


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circus

The year four top-flight circuses came to Cedar Rapids

2020-10-20 - Cedar Rapids, United States. Joe Coffey, The History Center

The Van Amburgh circus that came to Cedar Rapids was run by his longtime manager, Hyatt Frost. It boasted its three tents held “300 men and horses,” the “largest elephant in captivity” and a “double company of star performers.”


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medical

Why We Should Be Alarmed By This Wild Elephant Getting Its Foot Badly Hurt By A Hunter’s Trap In Kelantan

2020-10-20 - Kelantan, Malaysia. AKMAL HAKIM

Wildlife authorities managed to rescue an endangered female Asian elephant that sustained injuries to its right foot after being ensnared in a trap near Kampung Renyuk in Jeli. Fortunately, authorities were able to safely remove the snare from the elephant’s foot and provided it with food and medical attention.


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wild

Baby elephant rescued from pond in southwest China

2020-10-20 - Pu'er City, China.

A baby Asian elephant was rescued on October 17 after it got trapped in a pond in Pu'er City, Yunnan Province. Forest service center staff members discovered the elephant at around 22:30. After freeing the baby, they treated its bruises and returned it to its mother.


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relocation

Two new elephants are now calling Cheyenne Mountain Zoo home

2020-10-19 - Colorado Springs, United States.

Two new elephants have joined the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo after more than a month of anticipation. Missy and Kimba Lou, both elderly female elephants from the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kan., arrived Sunday night and are settling into their new home. Missy, 46, is the fifth-oldest living elephant in facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She has well exceeded the average life expectancy of just under 38.5 years for female African elephants in captivity.


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relocation
Kelantan Perhilitan personnel leading Awang Uban, Rambai and Abot away.

Wild jumbo relocated to Taman Negara

2020-10-19 - Kuala Krai, Malaysia.

A wild elephant named Awang Uban which encroached into Kampung Tok Uban, Lata Rek, has been relocated by the Kelantan Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) to Taman Negara. Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre (NECC) operations chief Mohamad Khairul Adha Mat Amin said the wild elephant entered the village from the nearby Lata Rek Forest Reserve in search of food.


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medical
The twin bull elephants Sujay and Vijay in Theppakadu (captive-born 1971 in Top slip). Photo © Jackie Chiger

Mudumalai Tiger Reserve gets a dedicated wildlife veterinarian

2020-10-19 - UDHAGAMANDALAM, India.

After more than two years, the post of wildlife veterinarian at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) has finally been filled. According to officials, Rajesh Kumar, a veterinarian from the Department of Animal Husbandry, has been posted on deputation as wildlife veterinarian in MTR. Dr. Kumar’s regular routine would be to take care of the elephants at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp.


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conflict

Cover Story: Death Follows as People Push Into Elephant Enclave

2020-10-19 - Xishuangbanna, China.

Xishuangbanna, the southern-most prefecture in China's Yunnan province, is known as a safe haven for wild Asian elephants where hundreds of the giant animals live in the sprawling tropical rainforests. But balancing modern human activities with protection of wildlife has never been easy. For some people in Xishuangbanna, coexistence with the wild elephants is becoming more and more challenging, or even fatal.


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relocation

Big tuskers arrive in Eastern Cape

2020-10-19 - Makhanda, South Africa. GUY ROGERS

Two elephants from Tembe Elephant Park in KwaZulu-Natal have arrived at Buffalo Kloof near Makhanda as part of a project to secure their big tusker genetics.


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relocation

Two female pachyderms, 25 rangers help to relocate Kuala Krai wild elephant

2020-10-18 - Kuala Krai, Malaysia. Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah

A 2.5-tonne wild male elephant, caught yesterday after it entered a village presumably in search of food, has been relocated to the Kelantan National Park in Kuala Koh. 25 rangers were involved in the operation, and two tame female elephants, named Rambai and Abot, were used to persuade and lure the wild elephant into relocating.


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death

Elephant Lakshmi dies in Mukoodal

2020-10-18 - Tirunveli, India.

A 54-year-old female elephant, Lakshmi, died at Mukoodal in the district on Sunday. The elephant was owned by one Dawood Meeran (50) of Ravanasamudram, near Ambasamudram, for the last five years. On Saturday night, he reached Muthumalai Amman Temple in Mukoodal, where a festival was scheduled on Sunday. However, in the early hours of Sunday, Meeran found the pachyderm unconscious


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zoo

Nandankanan Zoological Park finds adoption therapy

2020-10-18 - Bhubaneswar, India. Sudarsan Maharana

Elephant at Rs 2.5 lakh is the costliest species for adoption for a year. A State PSU like Odisha Mining Corporation has adopted 17 animals at a cost of Rs 16 lakh which include two Indian elephants and a melanistic tiger.


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conflict
Man-elephant conflicts have risen over the years due to the shrinking habitat of the tuskers, argue some experts.

Lift ban on elephant catching to curb man-jumbo conflict- Wildlife experts

2020-10-17 - Lucknow, India.

The rapidly rising graph of man-animal conflicts and consequent fatalities have not only left UP’s wildlife experts but also lone elephant catcher Kamaal Sheikh, worried. Expressing concern over the scenario, the experts and foresters have recommended elephant-catching as the best possible way to curb the menace and have also approached the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF) demanding lifting of the ban on elephant catching, also known locally as ‘mela shikaar’...


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medical

Zoo Miami elephant Ongard treated after injuring tusk

2020-10-16 - Miami, United States.

The 10-year-old pachyderm “volunteered” to have his injury checked out and was very cooperative during the procedure, doctors said. Ongard will undergo treatment as soon as his results are back. Zoo Miami gave the elephant a home back in 2018 from a zoo in Melbourne, Australia. He is the first Asian elephant born in Australia and the first to ever leave the country.


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medical

Deaths signal the return of tuberculosis among captive elephants in Chitwan

2020-10-16 - Kathmandu, Nepal. Chandan Kumar Mandal

Captive elephants of Chitwan National Park have once again started dying from tuberculosis, bringing back the memories of deaths among elephants due to TB at a worrying rate. Three domestic elephants belonging to the national park have died so far this fiscal year. The park has confirmed TB as the reason behind the death of two elephants while the cause of the third death has yet to be ascertained. The latest casualty is also linked to TB as the elephant had been sick for a long time and was onc...


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research
A 35-year-old elephant being radio-collared in Haridwar forest division in Uttarakhand

First elephant radio-collared in Uttarakhand with eye on Maha Kumbh 2021

2020-10-15 - Dehradun, India.

Population has increased in the state and so have man-elephant conflicts. In June, according to the elephant census conducted earlier this year, the numbers of the elephants in the state had reached 2,026. In 2012, there were 1,559 elephants, while in 2017 there were 1,839 elephants in the state.


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trade

TRAFFIC launches Elephant Trade Information System Online

2020-10-15 - Geneva, Switzerland.

The new website, named ETIS Online, was produced following a request made at the 69th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee in 2017. The site aims to bolster the collection of data on seizures involving elephant specimens and access to such data by submitting Parties. The new functionalities will facilitate enriching data available for analysis to inform international policy relating to preventing and addressing illegal ivory trade.


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death

Tamed elephant Rajendra dies after being attacked by wild elephant in Kodagu"s Mathigodu Elephant Camp

2020-10-15 - Gonikoppa, India. Naina J A

The tamed elephants were left to graze in the forest on Tuesday night. The mahouts and kavaids spotted a severely injured Rajendra the next morning when they left for the forest to get the elephants back. The male elephant, which was brought back to camp, was being treated but succumbed to its injuries on Thursday, said RFO Y K Kiran Kumar. Rajendra was caught at the Yadavanadu forest in Somwarpet back in 1990


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zoo
Jai Dee was only three years old

Taronga Zoo’s Beloved Baby Elephant Jai Dee Has Sadly Passed Away

2020-10-14 - Sydney, Australia. Krisinda Merhi

Jai Dee started to show signs of abdominal pain Monday morning and was quickly treated. By midday, Jai Dee was displaying normal behaviour and was monitored closely by keepers and veterinarians, but unfortunately, his condition deteriorated rapidly yesterday morning and despite a full emergency response he devastatingly passed away later that day.


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people

Baba Ramdev falls off elephant while doing Yoga, escapes unhurt

2020-10-13 - New Delhi, India. Mukesh Ranjan

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on Tuesday fell on the ground while performing Yoga asanas. Yoga Guru was sitting atop a well-decorate elephant and performing Yoga asanas at the Guru Shardananda Ashram. But, as the elephant moved, he lost his balance and fell on the ground.


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blog
This is where she was born, where she grew up, and what she is used to accept as her home.

Happy Birthday! Pregolja in Kaliningrad Zoo is 50 years old. An older elephant with a mixed life.

2020-10-12 - Kaliningrad, Russian Federation.

We dont know if she will get any presents. Lets just hope, that there is a dedicated elephant keeper there, who will try to make her happier today, than usually. Lets also hope that this keeper actually try to do do a descent work every day, and the fact that Pregolja is still living, and getting 50 years old, is an indication that she is taken good care of.


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conference

41st Annual Conference Will be Virtual and Free to All EMA Members

2020-10-12 - Houston, United States. Elephant Managers Association

For the first time, EMA will host our annual conference virtually, free to all members! EMA will host the EMA virtual conference the same week as previously scheduled via Zoom


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circus

The Circus Was Born in Putnam County

2020-10-10 - New York, United States.

The Putnam County Historian’s Office, in partnership with Southeast Museum, recently created a virtual exhibit called Historic Putnam County & the Birth of the American Circus from the early days of Old Bet, an elephant rented out by Nathan Howes of Southeast, to the development of menageries, and Seth B. Howes’ addition of acrobats and clowns that eventually all performed in a ring under a big top.


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training

Vikram finishes weight test in 20 minutes

2020-10-10 - Mysore, India.

Dasara elephant Vikrama continued to train for the arduous task of carrying 750-kg golden howdah at Mysuru Palace for the second day on Friday. On Thursday, a sand-bag weighing 350 kg was tied to Vikrama, which it carried around 1.5-km around Mysuru Palace within 20 minutes along with Abhimanyu, Gopi, Cauvery and Vijaya.


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conflict
An elephant ventures into a residential colony in Haridwar, in July this year.

Uttarakhand forest department uses solar repeller technique to check movement of wild animals

2020-10-09 - Dehradun, India.

In an attempt to check the movement of wild animals into residential areas near Ganga river in Haridwar district, the Uttarakhand forest department is now using solar enabled repeller systems. These solar repellers have motion sensor system which creates a high pitch sound when activated, startling wild animals enough to send them back towards the forest. During night time, the repeller instrument also throws a sharp light towards approaching wild animals, affecting their vision.


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fossil

UM paleontologists discover fossil of extinct elephant in Gopeng cave

2020-10-09 - PETALING JAYA, Malaysia.

Paleontologists from Universiti Malaya (UM) have discovered the fossil of a stegodon, an extinct elephant, in a limestone cave in Gopeng, Perak. It is the first stegodon fossil to have been discovered in Malaysia, with a rough geological age of between 30,000 and 80,000 years.


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relocation

Blind elephant to get therapy in UP elephant hospital

2020-10-08 - New Delhi, India.

55-year-old Arya, a blind elephant, has finally got medical aid and veterinary care at an elephant hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Farah town on Mathura district’s border. The facility is run by the NGO Wildlife SOS in collaboration with the UP Forest Department, which claim it is India’s first and only elephant hospital.


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organisation
Elephant keepers at Sauraha used to earn Rs 100,000 per month before the Covid-19 pandemic upended their business

Sauraha elephant keepers hope cooperative model to revive pandemic-hit safari business

2020-10-08 - Sauraha, Nepal.

For months, elephant owners in Sauraha have been struggling to feed their elephants as there are no tourists visiting the place these days. No tourists mean no business. Under a revenue-sharing cooperative mode, the elephant keepers in Sauraha have agreed to look after the elephants together and share the safari income in the coming days.


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training
Abhimanyu, with his Mahout Vasanth walking next to him and the weight on his back, led other elephants Vijaya, Kaveri, Gopi and Vikram during the training, which was supervised by Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) M.G. Alexander, Veterinarian Dr. Nagaraj and elephant caretakers Rangaraju and Akram.

Howdah Elephant Rehearses With 350-Kg Sand Bags

2020-10-08 - Mysore, India.

Dasara elephant Abhimanyu, which has been given the responsibility of carrying the Golden Howdah on Jumboo Savari day, began his training by carrying 350-kg sand bags which would be gradually increased so that Abhimanyu would be able to carry the 750-kg Ambari on Jumboo Savari day easily.


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death

Sophi, a 52-year-old African elephant, has died at the Indianapolis Zoo

2020-10-08 - Indianapolis, United States. Lawrence Andrea, Indianapolis Star

Zoo officials said they made "the difficult decision" to euthanize Sophi after her condition declined over the last few days. At 52 years old, Sophi "was among the oldest African elephants in human care in North America."


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relocation

Devotee donates elephant to Srirangam temple

2020-10-07 - TRICHY, India.

According to senior temple officials, the elephant, which was recently brought from Kerala, was donated by the owner of Lakshmi Mills Company in Coimbatore. The elephant, named Lakshmi, reached the temple around 11am. The temple already has a 40-year-old elephant Andal.


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event

Mysuru: Dasara fete preparations moving at a brisk pace

2020-10-06 - Mysore, India.

With just twenty days to go for Dasara jumbo savari procession which will be held on October 26 on the Vijayadashami Day at Mysuru Palace premises, preparations went brisk with all five Dasara elephants completing third day of their training for the procession at Mysuru Palace premises in Mysuru on Monday. Meanwhile, Mysuru district administration has got insurance done for Dasara elephants, their care takers and also for public liability for a period of one month from 1 October to 31 October, d...


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death

Months-long treatments failed, Pinchu, A 4-Year-Old Asian Elephant, Has Died At The Konni Elephant Kraal in Kerala

2020-10-05 - Idukki, India.

The baby Pincu, who was born with a weak left leg, was brought to Konni four years ago, was succesfully treated for herpes, but has been on treatment for the past nine months due to weakening of her muscles in the hind legs. Unable to stand up, he moved around the cage, his wounds sore.


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medical
Sources in the Forest Department (wildlife wing) Shivamogga Division stated that the baby elephant was born with congenital limb defects last week in the coffee estate area in Sakleshpur taluk.

Injured baby elephant gets treatment at Sakrebailu camp

2020-10-05 - Shivamogga, India.

A six-day-old baby male elephant, born with congenital limb defects last week, which got separated from its mother at the coffee estate at Malali in Sakleshpur taluk, Hassan district, has been brought to Sakrebailu elephants' camp near Shivamogga.


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conservation

Govt of India seeks legal status for elephant reserves

2020-10-05 - Kolkata, India. Sanjoy Dey and Joydeep Thakur

The Union environment ministry has proposed an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 to accord legal status to elephant reserves and corridors on the lines of tiger reserves. The ministry has sought responses from 10 elephant range state governments in south, east, north-west India on the proposed amendment and measures to mitigate human-animal conflict to prepare a comprehensive national elephant action plan, said environment ministry forest department officials of multiple states.


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medical

Festivities in "new normal": Dasara elephants in strict quarantine in Mysuru

2020-10-04 - Mysore, India.

Dasara elephants that arrived in the city on Thursday have been put under strict quarantine to prevent them from catching coronavirus. So much so that they have not even been taken out for their weight test, which is an annual ritual. The forest department has dropped the procedure and is strictly against any outing for the elephants and mahouts and kavadis.


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conservation
Elephant camp visists to learn their husbandry, habits and friendships were highlights for Tiger Tops guests in Chitwan. Photo: Lisa Choegyal

MUST READ ARTICLE: The elephant dilemma. By following the sound science, Nepal could lead Asia in tourism best practice

2020-10-04 - Kathmandu, Nepal. Lisa Choegyal

According to science, neither is there any moral high ground to be gained by not riding elephants. Studies show that rides are not necessarily a problem provided they are done the right way, in the right terrain and with the right professional care. Elephant treatment must be based on science and experience, not on emotion and sentiment.


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event

Kerala"s 78-year-old elephant to enter Guinness Book of World Records (age unverified)

2020-10-04 - Kattakkada, India. # B Ajith Kumar

78-year-old elephant Soman from Kottur elephant rehabilitation centre is all set to enter the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest elephant. Ahead of this, the herd of elephants in the rehabilitation centre will honour Soman on Sunday.


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zoo
Elephant Maya and actress Samyukta Hornad

Many Kannada movie stars adopting animals

2020-10-03 - Mysore, India. M Raghuram

Shivaraj Kumar adopted ‘Parvathi’, a female elephant at Mysore zoo, Samyukta Hornad has adopted a bear named Sugreeva, a leopard named Arjun and an elephant named Maya all from the Bannerghatta zoo. About 200 fans of the star, came together in September to adopt animals.


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medical
A staff member feeds milk to Ayeyar Sein in Wingabaw Elephant Camp, Bago, Myanmar, September 27, 2019

Baby elephant nursed back to health at Myanmar sanctuary

2020-10-02 - Bago, Myanmar.

Baby elephant Ayeyar Sein trumpets impatiently as a vet prepares her milk bottle and walks cautiously, her front left leg in a splint made of bamboo and cloth bandages. The four-month-old calf was rescued from a hunter's snare trap in the forest of Myanmar's southwest Ayeyarwaddy region last month and is now being looked after by staff at the Wingabaw elepant sanctuary, an hour's drive northeast of Yangon.


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conflict

HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT SOARS IN SRI LANKA; GREEN ACTIVISTS BLAME HABITAT LOSS

2020-10-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Siddharthya Roy and Judy Isacoff

The rate of human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka has increased exponentially in recent years. The highest number of human-elephant conflicts since 1948 was recorded in 2019, with 405 elephants and 121 humans reported dead, ,” said Sajeewa Chamikara, a member of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform, a nongovernment organization.


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webinar

‘Super Mom’ Chaitra

2020-10-02 - Mysore, India.

Housed in Rampura Elephant Camp at Bandipur, Kumki elephant Chaitra, who has participated in Dasara many times, grabbed the attention of every one and was called a ‘Super Mom’ for her role in comforting her baby, which was shown in yesterday’s webinar.


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circus
Stephanie of Monaco, 55, spoke out against animal rights activists and France

Princess Stephanie of Monaco claims circus animals are "well-treated and spoiled’ and likens France’s recent decision to forbid travelling shows with wild animals to "banning farming"

2020-10-02 - Roc Agel, Monaco. CLAIRE TOUREILLE

Princess Stephanie of Monaco has spoken out against a ban on wild animals in circuses in France, claiming the creatures are treated like 'family' by their handlers. The Monaco royal, 55, who is the patron of the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo, told local paper Monaco Matin that circus animals are 'loved and spoiled', saying: 'We've come a long way since the stool and the whip.'


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circus
The Ringling Brothers Circus elephants passing the San Antonio Mantel Company back in 1898. The tall building in background is the Wright Building (northwest corner of Houston and Navarro Streets). (Photos courtesy UTSA Libraries Special Collections)

When the Circus came to town

2020-10-02 - San Antonio, United States. SBG

The streets of San Antonio would be lined with people as elephants, performers and clowns would parade down the street to let everybody know that the circus was in town. Ringling Brothers made its first visit to San Antonio back in 1894 when they still used the seven-pole big top tent.


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people
Sudha Murthy donates 20 lakh to Mysuru Zoo

Sudha Murthy donates 20 lakh to Mysuru Zoo

2020-10-02 - Mysore, India. Hans News Service

Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murthy has donated Rs 20 lakh for the upkeep of animals at Mysuru Zoo. Shivaraj Kumar visited Mysuru Zoo along with his family and met elephant Parvathi whom he has adopted recently at Mysuru Zoo. Speaking to media persons he said that he was happy that inspired by him, many of his fans too had adopted animals at Mysuru Zoo.


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people

6 leading activists, conservationists and scientists: Sreedhar Vijayakrishnan Age: 30, Wildlife researcher, Elephant Conservationist

2020-10-01 - Bangalore, India. Arun Janardhan

Vijayakrishnan developed an academic interest in elephants. He initially wanted to get a degree in forestry, but realised it would lead to more of an administrative job. The book, Elephant Days And Nights: Ten Years With The Indian Elephant by Raman Sukumar, inspired him to pursue a research career and get a Master’s degree in wildlife biology.


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research

Uttarakhand forest department to radio collar wild animals for study

2020-10-01 - Dehradun, India. Suparna Roy, Hindustan Times, Dehradun

Uttarakhand forest department authorities have initiated the process to put radio collars on five tigers, 10 elephants and 15 leopards in the hill state in a bid to study the animals’ movements and behaviorial pattern and also prevent the growing man-animal conflict.. JS Suhag, chief wildlife warden, Uttarakhand, said that the radio collar project is in progress as part of the three separate initiatives to reduce man-animal conflict and study these animals’ movement patterns.


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webinar

Dasara Elephants Webinar Series: Taming Captured Rogue Elephants In A Month Is Our Aim: Mahout Dobi

2020-10-01 - Mysore, India.

Speaking about Dubare Elephant Camp and other Dasara elephants, mahout Dobi said that the captured rouge elephants are being tamed at the kraal in Dubare Elephant Camp. He further said that every mahout take the challenge of bringing the captured rouge elephant under their control in a month and added that every mahout take care of the elephants housed in the camp with love and affection.


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event

Mysore Gajapayana Begins

2020-10-01 - Hunsur, India.

At around 11 am, the DC offered flowers to five elephants — Howdah carrying elephant Abhimanyu, Vikram, Gopi, Vijaya and Kaveri. The one and only batch of five caparisoned elephants led by Abhimanyu started their journey from the jungle camps to the Mysore Palace.


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wild

Wild Elephants Spotted Foraging for Food in Trash Dump Encroaching on Their Land in Sri Lanka

2020-10-01 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Benjamin VanHoose

Photographer Tharmaplan Tilaxan of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, captured a series of snapshots that document the large wild animals sifting through an open-area landfill located next to a nearby jungle.


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trade

IMO to develop guidelines for the prevention and suppression of wildlife trafficking

2020-09-30 - Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have approved a proposal by the Kenya government for the development of guidelines for the prevention and suppression of wildlife smuggling using international shipping. The decision was taken at the 44th meeting of the FAL Convention on facilitation of international maritime traffic.


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organisation

Overpopulation at Pinnawala discussed in Sri Lankas Parliament-

2020-09-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

At the Parliament session held today (25), Minister of Tourism, Prasanna Ranatunga has said that the elephant population at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage has exceeded its capacity and its revenue has also dropped significantly in the recent past


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people
Kum.hal Konwar Sarma, the ‘Elephant Doctor’ of Guwahati, Assam

Guwahati’s ‘Elephant Doctor’ talks about special bond with the animals

2020-09-30 - Guwahati, India. Srimoyee Chowdhury

The veterinarian’s 35-year-old association with elephants was a gradual transition as he used to have a strong affinity towards animals from an early age. Conferred Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution in the field of wildlife earlier this year, he has also been teaching at Veterinary Science at Khanapara in Guwahati.


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research

DNA research supports captive breeding programmes in zoos

2020-09-29 - Rotterdam, Netherlands. Dr. M (Mirte) Bosse

Researchers from the Animal Breeding and Genomics group at Wageningen University & Research now join forces with studbook keepers from Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp) by performing DNA research to facilitate proper management of captive populations. In a recent kickoff meeting both institutions laid the foundation for future collaborative research.


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event
Elephants at the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh unveils elephant adoption scheme in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

2020-09-29 - Bopal, India.

The Madhya Pradesh forest department has launched a scheme for wildlife lovers to adopt old and retired elephants which gave joyrides for at least five decades in Bandhavgarh Tiger reserve. The elephants can be adopted for a day, week, month or a year.


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death
Peggy left, and Booper, the sanctuarys last living elephant.

Peggy at Riddles Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary has died

2020-09-29 - Greenbrier, United States.

Riddles Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary announced on their Facebook the death of † Peggy, one of the oldest elephants in North America. Peggy peacefully passed away from natural causes.


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conflict

Deforestation pushes elephants from Chhattisgarh to Madhya Pradesh, increasing conflict

2020-09-28 - Bhopal, India. Manish Chandra Mishra

Elephants have migrated from Chhattisgarh to Madhya Pradesh primarily because of deforestation in their habitat.
About 50 villages near Bandhavgarh National Park in M.P. are affected by an increased presence of elephants.
Even as human-elephant conflict is increasing in the state, M.P. lacks the funds and knowhow required to manage the pachyderms.


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relocation

Dhenkanal’s Man-Killer Tusker ‘Rakesh’ Now ‘Tamed’ & Let Loose To Natural Enclosure

2020-09-28 - Dhenkanal, India.

The Forest Department has finally freed the killer tusker into an open enclosure in Kapilash area after treating it medically and getting it tamed by an elephant trainer from Assam. Earlier, Rakesh had been a man-killer and had run amok in Talcher area following which it was tranquillized and brought to Kapilash-based Elephant Rescue Centre on January 22 this year.


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event
One of the elephant decorated on the festival

Elephant Festival concludes at Bandhavgarh Reserve

2020-09-28 - Bathan, India. Staff Reporter

A week-long Elephant festival concluded at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) with medical treatment, feast, fitness and care to the jumbos on Sunday. Oldest elephant Gautam (70) was the main centre of attraction he had sandalwood decoration and oiling was done on his nails. He is giving training to other young elephants since year 1977 and also taking care of wildlife along with tiger movement. Officials of Forest Department said that most of the elephants in Bandhavgarh belong to Gautam’s gener...


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people

Elephant mahout killed in tiger attack in Chitwan National Park

2020-09-28 - CHITWAN, Nepal. TILAKRAM RIMAL

The deceased has been identified as Babana Chaudhary (55) of Ratnanagar Municipality-6 in Chitwan district.
According to information officer and assistant conservation officer at CNP, Ashok Ram, Chaudhary was attacked by a tiger while he had gone to graze a domestic elephant into Kumroj Intermediate Community Forest, Chaudhary was cutting grass and collecting foliage when suddenly, the big cat pounced on him.


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organisation
A Thai elephant could be in your next Zoom call. (Photo: Anantara Hotels)

For US$75, you can Zoom with elephants in Thailand and help fund their care

2020-09-28 - Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Pioneering elephant welfare charity, The Human Elephant Learning Programs Foundation (H-ELP), is partnering with the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) to launch a global service that stars elephants in Zoom video calls live from their natural habitat in Northern Thailand’s ancient jungle.


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conservation
The rising human-elephant conflicts and loss of habitats and corridors are key issues discussed with states for the action plan. Officials said they want coordinated efforts to reduce human-animal conflict through mitigation works in elephant corridors

Environment ministry seeks legal status for elephant reserve, states ask for the draft

2020-09-28 - Kolkata, India. Sanjoy Dey and Joydeep Thakur

The Union environment ministry has proposed an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act to protect elephant reserves and corridors on the lines of those of the tiger and sought responses of states to a proposed Comprehensive National Elephant Action Plan (NEAP), officials aware of the matter said. State forest departments have been asked to come up with management plans and provide forest staff and strategies to protect elephants


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conservation
Zimparks spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo

ZimParks Lament Elephant Overpopulation

2020-09-27 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

We are battling an over population of this species, against an ecological carrying capacity of around 15 000 we are talking of between 45 000 and 53 000 between Hwange-Matesti block. For years this has been the problem and the threat now is vegetation which is their food and habitat loss for these and other animals in the park,


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ecology

Mahaveli is a success. But ….

2020-09-27 - Mahaveli, Sri Lanka. Chanaka Bandarage

Mahaveli Development Program is a national development program of Sri Lanka with irrigation development of about 365,000 hectares of land and development of hydro power. Thanks to the accelerated Mahaveli Program, the human – elephant conflict took an adverse upturn. It is estimated that over 256,000 hectares of virgin forest lands became Mahaveli land.


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organisation

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage runs risk of being blacklisted: Minister

2020-09-26 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was facing a risk of being blacklisted for tourists due to various reasons including the overcrowding of the orphanage, and Bottle feeding was stopped as it was not good to give the baby elephants artificial milk. Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunge said.


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relocation

Asian elephant Bambi arrived to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil (ESB) from Ribeirão Zoo

2020-09-26 - Chapada dos Guimaraes, Brazil. Elephant Sanctuary Brazil Blog

Bambi is home at the sanctuary! The crate is being unloaded now. The Facebook Live feed of her arrival is in progress.


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facility
arrival in Leipzig

The elephant house in Tierpark Berlin is now empty, first time since 1955

2020-09-25 - Berlin, Germany. Dan Koehl

The last elephants left East Berlin Tierpark to Leipzig today, leaving the elephant house empty for the first time since 1955. After renovation, which will take two years, only African elephants will be kept in the renovated house in Berlin Tierpark.


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relocation

One of Delhi"s last begging elephant, 41-year-old Jasmine, celebrates one year of freedom

2020-09-24 - Tahri, India. Falah Gulzar

In July 2019 the female elephant, previously named Laksmi, had made headlines after the Forest Department claimed that she was missing. Now, the rescued animal is celebrating one year of freedom after being saved by the government and a wildlife rescue organsiation in India.


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research

2700 Captive Elephants To Get ‘Aadhaar Cards’ For All The Right Reasons Finally, Aadhaar cards would have cute pictures on them!

2020-09-24 - Delhi, India. Diksha Singh

An initiative has been launched under the aegis of ‘Project Elephant’ which aims to allot Aadhaar cards to 2700 captive elephants across the country. The basic plan is to collect the blood and faecal samples of almost 2700 captive elephants across the country and allot them UIN on the basis of their DNA.


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facility
Elephants will be released in 2,500-acre habitat in northeastern Florida

White Oak Welcomes the Largest Asian Elephant Herd in the Western Hemisphere

2020-09-23 - Yulee, United States. Melissa Harris

White Oak Conservation has started construction on a new 2,500-acre home for Asian elephants. Most of these elephants previously traveled throughout the United States with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® until they were retired in 2016. Thirty elephants will be released in the northeastern Florida refuge, owned by philanthropists Mark and Kimbra Walter, as soon as it is ready. The first arrivals are expected in 2021.


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wild
The elephant calf after it was rescued

Elephant calf rescued after falling into abandoned pit in Kerala, released in wild

2020-09-22 - KOCHI, India.

An elephant calf that fell into an abandoned pit was rescued and released in the wild by the forest department on Tuesday. The herd had entered a farm land close to the forest in search of food when the calf fell in the pit.


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relocation
Dulal Chandra Roy, a farmer from Lalmonirhat’s Panchagram union, has sold his lands to buy his wife an elephant to fulfil her dream

Farmer buys elephant to fulfil wife’s dream

2020-09-22 - Lalmonirhat , Bangladesh. United News of Bangladesh

Dulal Chandra Roy, a farmer from Lalmonirhat’s Panchagram union, sold his lands to buy an elephant for his wife. His wife Tulsi Rani Dasi said that she had received a divine instruction in her dreams about a year ago to buy an elephant and take care of it. It was not the first time she bought animals after dreaming of them. A few years ago Tulsi bought a horse, a swan and a goat.


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conservation

West Bengal Forest Dept To Introduce Rubber Strips On National Highway To Control Elephant Deaths

2020-09-22 - Siliguri, India. Tarak Sarkar

The West Bengal Forest Department has taken steps to introduce rubber strips on the National Highway, state highway and the Asian Highway in the North Bengal region to control elephant deaths. The forest department has taken this initiative after a meeting headed by the state forest minister in the presence of representatives from railway, electricity, highway, tea gardens, and other related departments.


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medical
About 350 elephants in the Okavanko delta died between May and June. Photograph: Handout

Botswana says it has solved mystery of mass elephant die-off

2020-09-22 - Gaborone, Botswana.

Hundreds of elephants died in Botswana earlier this year from ingesting toxins produced by cyanobacteria, according to government officials who say they will be testing waterholes for algal blooms next rainy season to reduce the risk of another mass die-off. The mysterious death of 350 elephants in the Okavango delta between May and June baffled conservationists, with leading theories suggesting they were killed by a rodent virus known as EMC (encephalomyocarditis) or toxins from algal blooms.


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event

EMA Virtual 5K for Elephant Appreciation Day

2020-09-22 - Houston, United States. Elephant Managers Association (EMA)

Join the herd! Walk, bike, swim, or hike in honor of elephants around the world on Elephant Appreciation Day, September 22, 2020. By signing up for this virtual 5K event, proceeds will go to the EMA to aid in our mission: enhancing the welfare and survival of the world's elephants through improving communication, husbandry, research, education, and conservation.


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event

Seneca Park Zoo celebrating Elephant Week

2020-09-21 - Rochester, United States.

Content and projects will be available on the zoo’s social media accounts, and donations will be collected to support African elephant conservation with the International Elephant Foundation. Zookeepers will compete against Genny C., Lilac and Moki in a watermelon eating contest and guests at the zoo are encouraged to wear grey over the weekend of Sept. 25.


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research

Old Male Elephants Are Still Important, Scientists Say

2020-09-21 - London, United Kingdom. Sara Tabin

Old male elephants might have an important role to play in helping younger males learn to navigate their environment, according to scientists at the University of Exeter, who watched groups of male African savannah elephants traveling together at Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in Botswana.


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misc
Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga (fourth right) receives key replica of Nissan 10-tonne truck from representatives of Tan Chong Motor

Anonymous donor gives 10-tonne truck to Sabah Wildlife Dept for elephant rescue

2020-09-21 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Avila Geraldine

The Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) received a surprise asset boost when an anonymous individual donated a 10-tonne truck, to help in its efforts to save the Bornean elephants. The Nissan truck, fully-equipped with an 8-ton crane, was handed over to the department director Augustine Tuuga by representatives of Tan Chong Motors at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park, near here.


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death

41-year-old female elephant dies of age-related ailments

2020-09-21 - Coimbatore, India.

A 41-year-old cow elephant diedof age-related ailments at the elephant camp near Pollachi inthe district on Monday, forest officials said. The elephant Kalpana in the Kolikamuthy camp in TopSlip area had been suffering from the ailments for the lasttwo months and been under treatment, they said


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research
Many elephants are transported around India to appear at religious festivals.

ID scheme will track India’s captive elephants

2020-09-21 - Delhi, India.

India plans to build a biometric database and issue an ID number for every elephant in captivity across the country after the death of a pregnant female prompted an outcry. Blood samples will be taken from close to 3,000 elephants. Each will be given a unique identity number based on their DNA, under the plan set out by the government-backed conservation group Project Elephant.


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welfare

Govt undecided about two bears, lone elephant in Islamabad’s zoo

2020-09-21 - Islamabad, Pakistan.

“The expert committee formed to assist the government to shift the zoo animals, following Islamabad High Court (IHC) orders, has some reservations.“One of the experts in the committee advises against shifting the elephant to Cambodia. “He fears that Kaavan might not survive the journey, and even if it does, it will be isolated in the new home.” The government is also considering the suggestion of improving the existing living conditions for Kaavan to international standards, expanding th...


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death
The young elephant which was killed by a tiger

Tiger preys on young elephant in Bandipur

2020-09-20 - BENGALURU, India. Bosky Khanna

On September 18, Karnataka Forest Department officials found the carcass of a juvenile elephant which had become the meal of a tiger in Bandipur Tiger Reserve’s Kundakere range. Forest officials say that while this is not rare, it is not common either. Just the previous day, a similar incident was reported in the adjoining Theppekadu range of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.


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film
Photo: The movie tells the inspiring story of a real circus gorilla (courtesy of IMDb)

The One and Only Ivan is one of a kind

2020-09-20 - Silver Spring, United States. Isabel Corvington

The film is based on the best selling novel by Katherine Applegate. The film portrays the captivity of circus animals as not black and white, but more nuanced, something that is not often seen in movies surrounding animal captivity. The animals aren’t always upset about performing in the circus, and have a mostly positive outlook on their lives. Additionally, there is no clear villain in the film. Even the somewhat greedy circus’ ringleader Mack (Brian Cranston), who holds the animals captiv...


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zoo

Animal adoption at Yangon Zoo

2020-09-19 - Yangon, Myanmar.

Yangon Zoo is noted for having Mo Mo, the oldest resident in the zoo, who turns 67 this October. The animal adoption program includes three other female elephants – Myo Myo, Ma Hla Chaw and Ma Chaw Lay. They are fed on 10 pounds of wheat, jaggery, salt and 300 pounds of grass twice a day. The cost of adopting one of these pachyderms is K500,000 for one month. Momo was born in Loikaw in 1953, and arrived in Yangon at the age of seven. Mo Mo is a female elephant, and has never mated with any of ...


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research

1,600 elephants in Bandipur, finds internal survey

2020-09-19 - BENGALURU, India. Bosky Khanna

Over 1,600 elephants are wandering in and around Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR), as per an internal survey conducted by forest officials of the reserve. The survey was conducted during the lockdown and unlock period for four months, starting April. The officials followed all the protocols used when the all-India elephant census is carried out. This is the first time that an internal survey has been conducted by a team for a particular forest. As per the last all-India survey, there are 8,500 jumbo...


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relocation

Uda Walawe’s iconic elephant Rambo to be translocated

2020-09-17 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka. Srilal Mithapala

There is reliable information coming through that the iconic elephant of Uda Walawe, Rambo, may be captured and translocated to a holding ground by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). (political and biased article)


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birth

Online misinformation follows rare sighting of baby elephant twins in Sri Lanka

2020-09-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

After the rare sighting of twin elephant calves in Sri Lanka in July 2020, misleading claims and old photographs have circulated on Facebook. Some posts falsely claim the Sri Lankan pair were the first twin baby elephants born in South Asia. Other posts share images of elephants in South Africa, misrepresenting them as recent photos of the new baby elephants.


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people

Driver fined Rs 5,000 for chasing wild elephant

2020-09-14 - Udhagamandalam, India.

When they shot the video of chasing a wild elephant in a jeep and circulated the same on WhatsApp, little did 26-year-old Sujin, of Masinagudi, and his friend know that would land them in trouble. The video shows Sujin chasing the elephant in his jeep by focusing the headlight on the animal that was roaming near Masinagudi area Sigur forest range, which falls under the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The video was shot by his friend, who was sitting on the backseat of the vehicle, on Saturday night. As...


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relocation

Kumki elephants to help capture injured tusker

2020-09-14 - Coimbatore, India.

The forest department brought kumki elephant Suyambu to Mettupalayam forest range from the Chadivayal elephant camp on Sunday and is planning to bring kumki Venkatesh on Monday to capture an injured tusker roaming in the area.


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research

How do giraffes and elephants alter the African Savanna landscape?

2020-09-14 - Nanyuki, Kenya. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI)

As they roam around the African savanna in search for food, giraffes and elephants alter the diversity and richness of its vegetation. By studying the foraging patterns of these megaherbivores across different terrains in a savanna in Kenya, scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and collaborating institutions discovered that these large mammals prefer to eat their meals on flat ground, potentially impacting the growth and survival of plant species on even savanna lan...


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conflict

Forest dept forms committee to protect wild elephants

2020-09-13 - Coimbatore, India.

Additional principal chief conservator of forests I Anwardeen has formed a technical advisory committee to protect wild elephants and to check human-elephant conflict in Coimbatore circle.
The committee will support, assist and advise the forest veterinary team to deal with emerging wildlife health issues and wild animals in physical distress.


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death
Tembe, a northern KZN elephant, stood head and shoulders above his new friends in Addo.

Much-loved elephant bull Tembe dies in Addo Elephant Park

2020-09-13 - Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Conservative staff didn’t pick up on his collar’s signal earlier this week and and subsequently went in search of him. It would appear as if this magnificent tusker had an awkward fall, from which he was not able recover.


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death
Photo: T.K. Broyles, Clinchfield Railroad employee

Today in Elephant History: Sept. 13

2020-09-13 - Erin, United States. Dan Koehl

Mary was a 5 ton heavy female asian elephant hanged in Erwin, Tennessee, after killing the elephant groom Walter "Red" Eldridge, in Kingsport, in 12th of September 1916. Charlie and Addie Sparks decided that the elephant must be killed. One option was to take her to nearby Erwin, where there was large cranes at the railway station, where she could be killed by hanging. Still, today, Erwin is known as the town that hanged the elephant.


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film

Baby elephant takes a nap

2020-09-13 - Sabi Sands, South Africa.

The video of a baby elephant taking a nap in Sabi Sands, South Africa has won the hearts of thousands of netizens.


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medical

Young injured elephant in Maasai Mara treated by vet

2020-09-12 - Maasai Mara, Kenya.

On Thursday's "Great Wildebeest Migration" live broadcast, a young elephant was spotted limping in the bush alone in Kenya's Maasai Mara. Its right foreleg was broken and the vet had to check it.


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birth
Baby elephant Shivani enjoys playing with water.

Meet Shivani: Baby elephant enjoys playing with water during her naming ceremony in Karnataka

2020-09-12 - Dharmasthala, India.

The internet is simply overjoyed after watching videos of a baby elephant named Shivani. Several short clips featuring Shivani went viral on social media after her naming ceremony in Karnataka's Daramasthala.


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conservation
Photos of the two elephants which crossed over from the Ziama Man and Biosphere Reserve in Guinea seen in Nimba County, Liberia – FDA rangers seen in photo (right) providing protection

Rare Sighting Of Forest Elephants From Guinea Brings Renewed Hope For Elephant Conservation In Liberia

2020-09-11 - Monrovia, Burundi.


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relocation
A wild elephant is prepared to be transported as part of operations carried out by authorities to catch and relocate wild elephants who have upset farming communities, in Guitry, Ivory Coast Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. An elephant who was named Hamed by the residents in the southern region of Ivory Coast has been captured and moved to the zoo in Abidjan as he awaits a transfer to an appropriate park, in an effort to save the dwindling population.

Ivory Coast relocates elephants to save dwindling population

2020-09-11 - Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Hilaire Zon

An elephant named Hamed by residents in a southern region of Ivory Coast has been captured and relocated to the zoo in Abidjan as he awaits transfer to a park where authorities hope he will have non-human company instead.


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smuggle

2020-09-10 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan police arrest poacher with 14 kg elephant tusksSecurity officers in the northwestern Kenya town of Kitale on Thursday arrested a poacher in possession of 14 kilograms of elephant tusks with a market value of 1.4 million shillings (about 14,000 U.S dollars).


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poaching

[VIDEO] Elephant found with suspected gunshot wounds in Tamil Nadu

2020-09-10 - Chennai, India. Mirror Now Bureau

A wild male elephant called "Bulldozer" was spotted with suspected gunshot wounds in Mettupalayam circle of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. More than 18 elephants have died in the circle this year.


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misc
Gopi and "Kumki" elephant Kaveri at Dubare Elephant Camp.

Forest Department Begins Selection Process Of Dasara Elephants

2020-09-10 - Mysore, India.

Forest Department has begun the process of selecting the elephants to participate in this year’s Dasara festivities. Usually, the process of selecting elephants for Dasara takes place in the month of July every year and the first batch of Dasara elephants, comprising Golden Howdah-carrying elephant, one standby male elephant, two female elephants and two male elephants to be trained to carry the Golden Howdah in future, used to arrive in city before Aug. 15.


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conflict

Minister holds meet on man-elephant conflict

2020-09-10 - Kolkata, India. SOUMITRA NANDI

The state Forest department has earmarked a 128 km stretch from Bankura (border) to Jhargram that needs special monitoring and fencing measures to prevent the entry of elephants from neighbouring states like Odisha and Jharkhand. State Forest minister Rajib Banerjee held a meeting at Kharagpur in West Midnapore on Wednesday to discuss measures that can be taken to reduce man – elephant conflict in the districts of south Bengal.


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website

Elephant News website is repaired and working!

2020-09-10 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

Good News! The Elephant News website is working again, so far just the latest news from this year, but over 7 000 old news are stored and searchable. You can also click on the links for country, location, category, or specific year to list archived news.


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death
Fritha and Richard Chiger. Photo © Jeff Joyce

Asian elephant Fritha in Dawn Animal Agency has died, 49 years old

2020-09-10 - Westtown, N.Y., United States. The-Sanctuary-For-Animals Facebook

Fritha died 49 years old, September 5th, 2020 at Dawn Animal Agency. Fritha was born in Viet Nam in 1971. She was rescued, after being hit with napalm during the war when she was a month or two, and sent to The Sanctuary for animals in the USA.


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death
The elephant was found dead Wednesday near a wooden bridge at Sholayur along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border | By special arrangement

Another elephant found dead in Kerala with severe injuries in its mouth

2020-09-09 - Bengaluru, India.

Another wild elephant has been found dead in Kerala with injuries around its mouth, three months after a pregnant pachyderm was killed by a ‘firecracker-laced’ pineapple in the state. The elephant was found dead Wednesday near a wooden bridge at Sholayur along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Forest officials said that they had been tracking it for months as the elephant had raided homes in Attapadi.


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zoo

Milwaukee County Zoo shows off recently-expanded African elephant herd

2020-09-09 - Milwaukee, United States. CBS 58 Newsroom

The Milwaukee County Zoo showed its recently-expanded African elephant herd Wednesday, Sept. 9. A new elephant, "Belle," arrived last November. She's been getting used to her new neighbors, Brittany and Ruth.


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fossil

Giraffe, rhino fossils discovered in Turkey"s Kayseri

2020-09-09 - Istanbul, Turkey. DAILY SABAH

Atrove of fossils found by the excavation team on the banks of Yamula Dam in the central province of Kayseri points to the fact that this commerce hub in the Anatolian heartland was once home to giraffes, rhinoceros and elephants.


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conservation

Rise in elephant population at Bandipur Tiger Reserve

2020-09-09 - Mysore, India. Lakshmikantha BK

An internal census conducted by the officials of forest depaartment at Bandipur Tiger Reserve indicates a rise in elephant population. The five-month long exercise to estimate the population of mega herbivores was done by examining stool samples of elephants.


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zoo
Mapenzi uses her trunk to gnaw on plants at Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court, on Aug. 25, 2020.

Tucson"s playful baby elephant now weighs 600 pounds and is glued to sister Nandi

2020-09-09 - Tucson, United States. Gloria Knott

For the first time since Tucson’s 5-month-old elephant Mapenzi was born, Reid Park Zoo has reopened to the public. Mapenzi — Penzi for short — was born to African elephant Semba on April 6. She joined sister Nandi, dad Mabu, aunt Lungile, and brother Sundzu.


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zoo

North America’s oldest elephant dies after dramatic decline in health

2020-09-08 - Memphis, United States. NBC News

Zoo officials say Tyranza, or Ty as she was affectionately called, died Friday after a dramatic decline in her health. At 56, Tyranza was the oldest African elephant in North America. She set the record for longest-lived African elephant in north America as well.


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job

EXPERIENCED ELEPHANT KEEPER

2020-09-07 - Blackpool, United Kingdom.

With its new multi-million-pound elephant facility ‘Project Elephant Basecamp’ opened in 2018 award winning Blackpool Zoo is currently looking to fill a keeper position within its Elephant Section. The successful candidate will be working in a protected contact keeping system and will be assisting in all aspects of the section’s work, including the delivery of the zoos current Elephant care program to our existing 1 male and 5 female Asian Elephants.


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zoo

Responding to decision to move Dep. of Zoological Gardens under Ministry of Tourism

2020-09-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Naveed Rozais

Under the formation of the new Government in 2020, it has been announced that the Department of Zoological Gardens will now fall under the Ministry of Tourism, causing concern among animal rights activists across the country with regard to the welfare of the 100 elephants and many other zoo animals in the care of the Department.


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facility
Abot (left) and Rambai escorting a stray elephant to safety.

After 30 years, elephants continue to be saved by Perhilitan"s National Elephant Conservation Centre Kuala Gandah

2020-09-07 - Ipoh, Malaysia. SYLVIA LOOI

The Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia Department (Perhilitan) through its National Elephant Conservation Centre Kuala Gandah (PKGK) in Lanchang, Pahang deals with distressed elephants. Centre head Mohamad Khairul Adha Mat Amin said since the setting up of PKGK in 1989, it has either rescued or relocated some 900 elephants.


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death
A young female elephant which died despite treatment near Annaikatti on July 2.

Tamil Nadu probes mysterious elephant deaths

2020-09-07 - Coimbatore, India. George Rajasekaran

Sixty-four elephants have died mysteriously in the forests of Tamil Nadu in the last seven months. Of these 17 died in Coimbatore forest division. Before their deaths, many of them had displayed disorientation and restless movement before they lay down, never to be revived. Eight of the 17 deaths occurred within a single forest beat – Pethikuttai in Sirumugai range.


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wild

wildlife officials have rescued a baby elephant that had fallen into a muddy swamp

2020-09-06 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.

Polonnaruwa wildlife officials have rescued a baby elephant that had fallen into a muddy swamp at Divulana Villuwa, Polonnaruwa. The victim was a one-year-old male about 4 feet tall.After a five hour operation, wildlife officials have released the baby elephant to the herd.


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relocation

Pakistan"s Lone Elephant Prepared for Move To Cambodia

2020-09-06 - Islamabad, Pakistan.

A team of veterinary experts from different parts of the world has conducted a medical examination on Pakistan's only Asian elephant, a procedure before moving the animal to its new home in Cambodia. Kaavan, the 34-year-old overweight bull elephant, has attracted global attention to the poor conditions of the animals at the Islamabad Zoo in Pakistan.


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medical

Bacteria behind mass elephant deaths

2020-09-04 - Harare, Zimbabwe. Freddy Mambara

The mass deaths of elephants in Botswana and Zimbabwe could be the result of a bacteria linked to overpopulation, preliminary investigations show. Botswana has recorded over 400 unexplained elephant deaths over the past month while the figure for Zimbabwe is 22. In both cases, poaching has been ruled out since the carcasses were found with their tusks intact. Poisoning has also been discounted in what has become a multinational investigation that involves researchers from the two affected states...


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medical
Channel 5 viewers were left in

Mighty Minnie! Viewers left "in tears of joy" as baby elephant who contracted a deadly disease is nursed back to health by her devoted carer who hid medicine in her fruit at Thai animal hospital

2020-09-04 - Lampang, Thailand. CLAIRE TOUREILLE

Channel 5 viewers were left in 'tears of joy' after following the fate of a baby elephant at a Thai elephant hospital last night. Two-year-old Minnie was being treated for the Elephant Herpes Virus, which can kill the animals, at the Lampang's Elephant Hospital where the show was filmed.


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medical
Packy, at Oregon Zoo, in Portland, gets his morning bath. He was euthanized in February 2017 after he developed a drug-resistant strain of TB.

Captive elephants can spread tuberculosis to humans—"an issue that’s been ignored"

2020-09-04 - Portland, United States. RACHEL FOBAR

Today, an estimated 5 to 6 percent of the nearly 400 elephants in U.S. zoos, sanctuaries, and circuses are infected with TB. In the mid-1990s, after the deaths of several high-profile captive elephants in the United States, veterinarians became aware that the animals had the human strain of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, more than 60 captive elephants—some of which have since died—have been confirmed with the disease


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medical

Botswana registers no new elephant deaths since June

2020-09-04 - Gaborone, Botswana.

Botswana has recorded no new elephant deaths since June this year, Oduetse Koboto, the permanent secretary in Botswana's ministry of environment, natural resources conservation and tourism, has said. The southern African country recorded 281 elephant deaths, due to unknown causes, between March and May.
"The number of elephant carcasses found in the northern part of the country remains at 281. No more new elephant deaths have been recorded as of June," Koboto told Xinhua in a telephone i...


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fossil

Mexico City’s new airport site becomes ‘mammoth central’

2020-09-04 - Mexico City, Mexico.

The bones of some 200 mammoths have been found at the Santa Lucía Air Force Base site in México state, and more skeletons of the extinct mammal have been found there than anywhere else in the world.


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abstract

Importance of old bulls: leaders and followers in collective movements of all-male groups in African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana)

2020-09-03 - Exeter, United Kingdom. Connie R. B. Allen, Lauren J. N. Brent, Thatayaone Motsentwa, Michael N. Weiss & Darren P. Croft

By analysing leadership patterns of all-male African savannah elephant traveling groups along elephant pathways in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Botswana, we found that the oldest males were more likely to lead collective movements. Our results challenge the assumption that older male elephants are redundant in the population and raise concerns over the biased removal of old bulls that currently occurs in both legal trophy hunting and illegal poaching.


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relocation

7-month-old rescued elephant calf finds a mother in Champakali

2020-09-03 - Birpara, India.

Champakali has happily taken up the task of mothering the 7-month-old orphan elephant calf rescued from the Raidak river. The calf was rescued on Tuesday and brought to the Jaldapara National Park by foresters


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research
In this 2016 photo provided by researcher Connie Allen, a young adolescent African elephant stands next to an older bull in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in Botswana. (Connie Allen via AP)

Once seen as loners, male elephants shown to follow elders

2020-09-03 - Washington, United States. Christina Larson, The Associated Press Staff

A new study shows that teenage males aren't anti-social after all. Younger male elephants were seen tagging along behind older males as they travel from place to place. It's more evidence in an emerging body of research that shows older males -- like their female counterparts -- play an important role in elephants' complex society.


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poaching
Tusked seized by Odisha forest officials

19 kg elephant tusks seized in Odisha"s Keonjhar, 3 traders held

2020-09-02 - BHUBANESWAR, India.

state forest department officials on Monday night seized around 19 kg of elephant tusks from a car near Bayapita village under Harichandanpur police limits in Keonjhar district. Three persons, all ivory traders, were arrested in this connection.


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birth
An electric fence separates elephants from fields in Dong Nai Province.

Elephant gives birth on farm

2020-09-02 - Thanh Son, Vietnam. Phuoc Tuan

A pregnant elephant entered local farmland in southern Dong Nai Province to give birth Tuesday, leaving behind her placenta. Residents of Thanh Son Commune, Dinh Quan District on Monday evening saw a herd of elephants entering a cashew farm 20 meters from the jungle.


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death
Eleven more elephant carcasses have been found on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Pandamasue Forest, Zimbabwe. Pictured, a dead elephant in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, on August 29

Number of elephants found mysteriously killed in Zimbabwe doubles to 22 as scientists continue to try to discover why they are dying

2020-09-02 - Harare, Zimbabwe. KATE DENNETT

The number of elephant carcasses mysteriously found near a major game park in Zimbabwe has doubled to 22. It is believed that the elephants were killed by a bacterial infection after 11 carcasses were initially discovered on Friday in Pandamasue Forest, between wildlife sanctuary Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls.


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people
Doug Groves with assistants and elephant Jabu, ahead of his stem cell treatment in 2019. Groves died on Monday.

Botswana elephant sanctuary owner Doug Groves dies after being trampled in the wild

2020-09-01 - Maun, Botswana. Nica Richards

A Botswana-based elephant conservationist who dedicated his life to working with and studying elephants has died. Elephant whisperer Douglas Groves passed away after being trampled by a wild elephant, his wife Sandi confirmed on Monday.
She said Groves was out in the bush when the incident took place.


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research

American Mastodon Mitochondrial Genomes Reveal Multiple Lineages

2020-09-01 - New York, United States.

An international team of researchers has conducted a phylogeographic study of the extinct American mastodon (Mammut americanum) based on 35 complete mitochondrial genomes, finding that there were multiple lineages that existed within the species, including two distinct clades from eastern Beringia. In a study published on Tuesday in Nature Communications, the researchers further noted that their data showed these clades arose at different times, suggesting a pattern of repeated northern expansio...


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birth

Jumbo gives birth to male elephant

2020-08-30 - Kolkata, India.

An elephant belonging to the state Forest department has given birth to a male elephant calf at Gorumara National Park in Doars at 4.30 am on Saturday. State Forest minister Rajib Banerjee who is presently in North Bengal paid a visit at Gorumara and named the calf as Yuvraj. The calf's father is named Kiranraj, and his mother is known as Motirani.


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birth

Bengaluru Zoo Names Elephant Calf After Infosys’ Sudha Murthy

2020-08-28 - Bangalore, India. RIA DAS

A baby elephant, born in Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) on Wednesday was named ‘Sudha’ after Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murthy. The decision was taken to acknowledge Murthy’s contributions towards wildlife conservation.


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pictures

Nepal: Newly issued 1,000-rupee banknotes include depiction of twin Asian elephants

2020-08-26 - Katmandu, Nepal.

the committee decided a depiction of Ram and Lakshman, twin Asian elephants born on the 7th November 2008, in Chitwan National Park, should replace the previous and incorrect image.


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zoo

Warsaw zoo will give elephants marijuana to measure stress levels

2020-08-26 - Warsaw, Poland.

The Warsaw zoo said Wednesday it will start giving its elephants medical marijuana as part of a ground-breaking pilot project to test how it reduces their stress levels. Medical cannabis has been used worldwide to treat dogs and horses but "this is probably the first initiative of its kind for elephants," Agnieszka Czujkowska, the veterinarian in charge of the project, told AFP.


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zoo

Athi an Asian elephant bull, at Ueno Zoo is dead

2020-08-25 - Tokyo, Japan.

Athi, (also known as Ache, Artit, Artid) who killed his keeper in 2005, died 24th August 2020, 23 years old, in Ueno Zoo, Japan. He could not stand up on the morning of the 23rd and was confirmed dead on the 24th. He was found to be infected with tuberculosis in late July.


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wild

Adorable video of 1-day-old baby elephant following his mother goes viral. Internet is in love

2020-08-24 - Tsavo, Kenya.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya, an organisation that rescues, rehabilitates and releases orphaned baby elephants, is here to make your day with a delightful clip of a newborn elephant following its mother. The official Twitter account of the trust recently shared a video of their newest baby elephant, Lapa, from when he was less than a day old, waddling around the area with his mother Lenana.


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medical

Sick Elephant Calf Rescued In Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

2020-08-23 - Baripada, India.

An elephant calf which got separated from its family was rescued by a team of forest officials today morning. The newborn elephant was lying in a poor condition in a farm. A team of veterinarians have also reached the spot to treat the ill calf.


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circus
Rene Casselly has become known as "elephant boy" with his TikTok stunts

TikTok fame: From Elephant Boy"s circus tricks to a Chinese teacher

2020-08-23 - Budapest, Hungary. Zhang Nini

Rene Casselly, a seventh generation animal trainer in Hungary, has risen to fame for his amazing stunts that have earned him the nickname Elephant Boy. He now has more than 1.5million followers.


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death
Saint Louis Zoo elephants Rani with her newborn baby Avi on July 6. Avi died on Aug. 2 due to complications from birth defects

Birth defects contributed to death of Saint Louis Zoo"s baby elephant Avi

2020-08-22 - St. Louis, United States. The St. Louis American


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misc
Elephant camps have been deeply impacted by the Covid-19 crisis as tourism grinds to a halt; an elephant family in an elephant camp in northern Thailand pictured

Ingrid Suter: Time to rethink elephant tourism

2020-08-21 - Brisbane, Australia. S Puvaneswary

With global tourism remaining at a standstill, now’s an opportune time for tour operators who play an important role in shaping the future and vision of elephant tourism in South-east Asia, to rethink their approach to the industry, according to the founder of an elephant camp audit company.


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wild
Sun sets over the Gorongosa National Park

2020-08-20 - Beira, Mozambique. Jacob Dykes

Three elephants, two buffalo, seven hippos and a few hundred antelope – that’s all that could be spotted in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique in 1997, when a violent civil war spanning two decades had swept through the nation, imperilling humans and wildlife alike. Left denuded and depleted of wildlife following a decades-long civil war, the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique has reinvigorated its biodiversity through a trophic rewilding programme.


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pictures
Countess Heine and Heine Bulder, 1907

15 vintage photographs of the old Washington Park Zoo

2020-08-17 - Washington, United States. Bobby Tanzilo

These images, shared with us by the Milwaukee County Zoo, include some really interesting shots, including one of Robert Raasch, first superintendent of West Park, and his family feeding the deer at the park, and of the elephant Countess Heine. She arrived in Milwaukee in 1907 and was named for Henry "Heine" Bulder, a Milwaukee alderman who raised the funds to purchase her and who can be seen seated atop her in one of the images. Another shot shows the Countess with zoo director Ed Bean.


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birth
 Zoom, the baby elephant whose birth was live-streamed, is seen in the Africam Safari park in Puebla, Mexico on August 14, 2020

Mexican zoo live-streams birth of elephant named "Zoom"

2020-08-15 - Mexico City, Mexico.

A baby African elephant whose birth was live-streamed by a safari park in Mexico has been named Zoom after the video chat app made popular by the coronavirus pandemic


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people

Tal Manor, Project Manager for Amboseli Trust for Elephants

2020-08-15 - Amboseli, Kenya.

Tal was raised in Kenya’s coastal town of Mombasa and worked with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for ten years. Tal's expertise centre on GIS(Geographic Information Systems), database management and film work, and now work as Project Manager for Amboseli Trust for Elephants.


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relocation

Elephant calf rescued, handed over to zoo

2020-08-14 - ITANAGAR, India.

A two- to three-month-old male elephant calf was rescued from the Toru forest range under the Sagalee forest division on Friday afternoon. The rescued baby elephant was handed over to Itanagar Biologial Park Curator Raya Flago in the evening for medical treatment and rehabilitation, the RFO informed.


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circus
The owners of Arna the elephant (centre) say they would never had retired the animal to a zoo after she killed her handler had they known the outcome of that decision

Killer elephant owners regret zoo transfer

2020-08-14 - Dubbo, Australia. Hannah Moore NCA NewsWire

The owners of circus elephant Arna, who crushed her handler to death in December 2007, have told a parliamentary inquiry they regret retiring her to a zoo after the incident. Arna crushed her handler Ray Williams, 57, to death at Yamba on the state’s north coast on December 27, 2007. Stardust Circus, the last remaining exotic animal circus in Australia, made the “heartbreaking” decision to retire both her and their other elephant Gigi to Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo the next day.


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zoo
A mother elephant and her calf head for a nearby marsh at Kenya

Some Good News: An "Elephant Baby Boom" In One Kenyan National Park

2020-08-14 - Nairobi, Kenya. GABRIELA SALDIVIA

Amboseli National Park in Kenya is experiencing something of an elephant baby boom. The park, which sits at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, has reported the birth of more than 170 calves this year and counting. What's more, two sets of twins were born this year, and number of poached elephants from January to today has been seven


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death

Kenny, an African Bush elephant at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens has died.

2020-08-11 - Nagoya, Japan.

47 years old Kenny in Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Japan died 10th of August 2020. Kenny was born wild 1973 in Kenya, arrived in Higashiyama Zoo in 1975.


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birth

Karnataka: Elephant figures rise in Bannerghatta Biological Park

2020-08-02 - Bangalore, India.

Twelve-year-old female elephant Rupa has given birth to the baby of a male elephant at Bannerghatta Biological Park in Karnataka on Saturday. This was the second child given by Rupa, it gave birth to a female child at the age of 8 in 2016. With this calf, the current elephant population is 24 in BBP Park.


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welfare

Elephant Tourism Is Way More Complex Than You’d Imagine: The Thailand Example

2020-07-30 - Bangkok, Thailand. Johanna Read

"Are there improvements to be made in how captive elephants are treated? Absolutely. But banning tourist-elephant interactions and boycotting elephant camps can result in worse, not better, welfare conditions for elephants. Dubrocard says, “It’s not the activity itself that should be criticized, but the way it’s managed and handled.”"


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death
A 53-year-old male elephant named Kham Khen died on Sunday from chronic abscess disease on his back. Mondulkiri Information Department

Elephant death leads to extinction concerns

2020-07-22 - Sen Monorom, Cambodia. Khouth Sophak Chakrya

A local Elephant conservation organisation in Mondulkiri province has expressed concern about the declining domestic elephant population after a 53-year-old male pachyderm named Kham Khen died on Sunday from chronic abscess disease on his back.


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wild

Rare Baby Elephant Twins Spotted in Sri Lankan National Park

2020-07-09 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. Erika P.

On Wednesday, July 8, a pair of baby elephants were spotted in the Sri Lankan national park, and officials speculate that they are a rare set of twins. They estimate that the young tuskers are three to four weeks old, feeding from the same mother which led experts to believe that they are twins.


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zoo
Lakuna a Amalee. Photo: Petr Hamerník, Prague Zoo

NAMES FOR PRINCESSES

2020-06-27 - Prague, Czech Republic. Miroslav Bobek

On Sunday we named both our baby elephants. The daughters of Tamara and Janita, our Prague elephant princesses. I’d like to remind you that the first was born on March 27th, when the zoo had been closed for a fortnight, and the second on May 9th, when it had been reopened, but many restrictions still applied. Of course, right after the baby elephants were born, we were inundated not only with questions about what they will be called, but also with suggestions for their names.


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zoo
An elephant gets an orange from a visitor at a zoo in Morioka, northeastern Japan, on June 21, 2020.

Elephant at Japan zoo goes on diet with help of visitors

2020-06-22 - Morioka, Japan. KYODO NEWS

Visitors to a Japanese zoo are playing their part in helping an overweight female African elephant make progress on a diet-and-exercise regime to prepare it for a groundbreaking attempt at artificial insemination. Mao, 18, gained some 500 kilograms when put on a special feeding program following the death of her mate in November 2018, and zoo officials have been trying to get her to shed weight to increase the chances of success of what will be the nation's first attempt to artificially breed an...


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relocation

Mara the elephant found sanctuary after 50 years in circuses and zoos

2020-06-21 - CHAPADA DOS GUIMARAES, Brazil. David Martosko and Richard Miniter

After a border crossing from Argentina that was nearly scrubbed over coronavirus fears, she has the run of an animal sanctuary in Brazil’s midwestern Mato Grosso state. The May road trip to Elephant Sanctuary Brazil was four days long, and almost a waste of diesel: At the border crossing from Argentina, a COVID-19 health order had shut down all traffic for nearly a month. It took days for both countries to issue special permission to proceed.


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medical

Infectious Diseases Management in Asian Elephant : TB and EEHV-HD Abstract

2020-06-08 - Utrecht, Netherlands. Angkawanish, Taweepoke, Utrecht University

Our study, three reacted positive in a serological test (TB STAT Pak, Chembio). In serum of one of these, antibodies were found retrospectively, 23 months prior to bacterial culture from trunk wash samples. Sequence analysis of M. tuberculosis isolates from the four animals classified them as ancient strains (n=1) based on presence of a M. tuberculosis specific deletion (TbD1) and modern strains (n=3) identical to M. tuberculosis ATCC 2794.


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death
The elephant Bak Maï before the death. Airavata Elephant Foundation. Photo: Dan Koehl

Elephant BakMai dies in Ratanakiri sanctuary

2020-05-25 - Banlung, Cambodia.

Bak Maï, a 32-year-old male domesticated elephant in Ratanakiri province, died on Thursday due to severe diarrhoea, said Airavata Elephant Foundation, the guardians of the elephant sanctuary, in a statement on Friday. An autopsy will be conducted by Airavata Elephant Foundation and local authorities to determine the cause of death since it happened very suddenly.


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relocation
A herd of elephants walks along a dirt road last week during a nearly 100-mile journey from Mae Wang to Ban Huay in northern Thailand.

Out of work from coronavirus, these elephants pack their trunks and head home

2020-05-06 - Bngkok, Thailand.

The millions thrown out of work in Thailand by the coronavirus include elephants dependent on tourist money to feed their voracious appetites. With scant numbers of foreign visitors, commercial elephant camps and sanctuaries lack funds for the animals’ upkeep and have sent more than 100 of them trudging up to nearly 100 miles back to their homes.


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wild

Herd of endangered elephants found in Quang Nam Province

2020-04-10 - Quang Nam, Vietnam.

A herd of eight Asian elephants – an endangered species listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – has been found living in an elephant conservation area in Nong Son District, Quang Nam Province.


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relocation

Orphaned albino elephant recovers from poacher’s snare

2020-02-15 - Hoedspruit, South Africa. JEROME DELAY- ASSOCIATED PRESS

Khanysia did not see the trap set by a poacher in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. She cut her mouth, face and underneath her ear and chin. It was days before the 4-month-old albino elephant was found badly dehydrated but alive, and taken to the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development center, three hours away.
Khanyisa gets her name from her unique appearance as an albino, meaning "Light" or "Sunshine" in the local Shona language.


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birth

Bengaluru: Elephant calf named after Padma Shri recipient Tulsi Gowda

2020-02-10 - Bangalore, India.

A newborn elephant calf at Bengaluru Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBBP) has been named after Padma Shri recipient Tulsi Gowda, who has planted over one lakh trees. The female calf Tulsi a new member to the BBP family, was born on January 30 to the 13-year-old elephant Vanashree. Both mother and calf are doing well.


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welfare

At the elephant rehabilitation centre in Kottoor, authorities are spearheading a move to make it a more pachyderm-friendly space

2020-01-21 - Kottor, India. Aathira Haridas

At the elephant rehabilitation centre in Kottoor, one among the few elephant rehabilitation centres in the state, a major shift to creating a more pachyderm-friendly space is being spearheaded by Satheesan N V, deputy warden at the Agasthyavanam Biological Park (ABP).


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death

Kerala jumbo Neelakantan dies after years of neglect, abuse by caretakers

2019-12-30 - Kottor, India. Haritha John

Shasthamkotta Neelakantan, a tusker of Sree Dharma Sastha temple in Kollam district of Kerala, died at the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre at Kottur. He had been struggling, battling pain from multiple wounds and on Saturday morning, the tusker succumbed to his injuries.


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death
Everyone agrees that the 50 elephant photo above was enhanced by Roland Butler when in fact the closest they came in those days was 47 in 1941 but unfortunately the show only returned to Sarasota with 36 due to the tragic elephant poisoning in Atlanta.

The Way We Were: Circus came to Augusta and brought mystery with it

2019-11-17 - Augusta, United States. Bill Kirby

In February, officials investigating the elephant deaths determined the animals had probably eaten vegetation sprayed with herbicides during the Atlanta stop, gotten sick and died.The circus train left Augusta for Charleston, S.C., and en route lost its 11th elephant, “Peggy,” who succumbed in a railcar. No one found evidence that large amounts of arsenic had been purchased along the circus route.


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people
Mr. Satake touching Fujiko for the first time in 4 months = Higashi Park Zoo in Kakemachi, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture

Retirement of a veteran keeper who says goodbye to Fuziko

2019-11-16 - Okazaki City, Japan. Takashi Ogawa

This year, a staff member who took care of elephants for 35 years left the scene at Shito Higashi Koen Zoo in Okazaki City, Fujiko came from a zoo in Fukuyama City , Hiroshima Prefecture in 1982, before the park opened . Shinpei Satake (69), a zookeeper who retired this spring, was in charge at about the same time as he came to the park.


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conflict
The life size giraffe models act as a psychological barier for the elephants

Assam tea estate keeps elephants at bay with life size models of giraffes

2019-10-31 - Golaghat, India.

A a herd of 50-60 elephants heading for the tea estate changed its path when they saw a life size dummy giraffe. “We have installed three giraffes made of fiber in our tea estate last week as a measure to protect our crops from elephants,” said Utpal Goswami, the manager at the Dolaguri Tea Estate in Golaghat’s Letekujan area.


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zoo

Mysuru zoo gets record number of visitors, thanks to Dasara

2019-10-20 - Mysore, India.

This Dasara, the Mysuru zoo attracted more visitors, improving its revenue. In a span of 10 days, 1.65 lakh people visited the zoo and the gate revenue realised was 1.59 crore. A record number of tourists visited the zoo on the day of Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami, which were public holidays. A total of 30,273 people came on Ayudha Puja and 28,386 on Vijayadashami, realising a revenue of 29.27 lakh and 28.28 lakh respectively. This is the biggest earnings for the zoo in a single day


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medical

No improvement in Neelakandan"s health even after expert treatment

2019-10-13 - Sastamkotta, India.

Even after expert therapy at Kottur Elephant Rejuvenation Centre, the health of ‘Gajaveeran’ Neelakandan of Sastamkotta Dharmashatha temple remains the same. The elephant was sent to the rehabilitation centre for therapy on July 15 following a High Court order. Vets claim that although the external injuries that the elephant sustained has healed to an extent, there is not much progress in his overall health.


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death

70-Year-Old Frail Elephant In Sri Lanka Whose Photos Sparked Outrage Dies

2019-09-25 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka.

An emaciated 70-year-old elephant that caused a social media outcry after being forced to take part in an annual Buddhist pageant in Sri Lanka has died, officials said Wednesday. The government has ordered an autopsy for Tikiri, a domesticated Asian elephant that died Tuesday night in Kegalle, 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of the capital Colombo, a wildlife department official said.


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relocation

Delhi"s last elephant Laxmi sent to rehab in Haryana

2019-09-20 - Yamunanagar, India.

National Capital's last elephant, Lakshmi, who was rescued from near East Delhi recently, was sent to a rehabilitation center in Haryana on Friday morning. At present, this center is taking care of five elephants including Lakshmi. "She is the fifth elephant here.


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relocation
47-year-old elephant Laxmi, which went missing two months ago, near the Shakarpur Police Station in New Delhi on September 18, 2019

‘Missing’ Delhi elephant Laxmi found, mahout Saddam arrested after two months on the run

2019-09-18 - Delhi, India.

The 47-year-old elephant, Laxmi, was sent to an elephant rescue centre in Ban Santour in Haryana around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, according to officials of forest department. The elephant which had been missing for the last two months was rescued and its mahout was arrested by Delhi Police on late Tuesday night from east Delhi.


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research
A wild tusker and Kalpana, one of Aane Manes radio collared elephants

Buoyed by Hassan success, forest dept to radio-collar more jumbos

2019-09-11 - Bengaluru, India. Rohith BR

The forest department’s experiment to radio-collar select wiwild elephants in Hassan to track their movements and address conflict with humans has paid off. AK Singh, chief conservator of forests, Hassan, recently said six mother elephants are being monitored in his jurisdiction.


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conservation
Indian elephant, Elephas maximus, with just born calf, Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India

Do India’s Elephants Really Need Birth Control?

2019-08-29 - Delhi, India. Rishika Pardikar

If you go by the country’s first ever synchronised Elephant Census conducted in 2017, there are 27,312 elephants across 23 states. The 10-year project to develop an immunocontraceptive was approved in 2017, with a budget of Rs10 crore. According to Vinod Mathur, the director of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the nodal agency for the project, it will “soon be implemented on a pilot basis in a phased manner”.


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relocation

Kumki elephants Suyambu, Venkatesh to be shifted to Chadivayal camp

2019-07-04 - COIMBATORE, India. Wilson Thomas

Kumki elephants Suyambu (24) and Venkatesh (32) from Anamalai Tiger Reserve will be shifted to Chadivayal camp of Coimbatore Forest Division. The two will replace kumkis Cheran (32) and John (27) of Chadivayal camp, who will be sent to Theppakkadu in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Cheran and John were shifted from Theppakkadu to Chadivayal in April last year.


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relocation

Elephant rides to stop at Cambodia’s biggest attraction

2019-06-08 - Siem Reap, Cambodia. Lucy Middleton

The overworked group of 14 elephants will no longer be forced to work at Angkor Wat, where over 2.5 million international tourists visit each year. They will be transferred to a conservation and breeding centre by early 2020, the The Angkor Elephant Group Committee confirmed.


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conservation
Named after the white elephant ridden by the God Indra in Hindu mythology, the Airavata Khmer Elephant Foundation offers eco-tourism activities such as carefully supervised elephant rides in the animal’s natural habitat, the forest.

The foundation aiming to preserve the Kingdom’s elephant heritage

2019-05-21 - Banlung, Cambodia. Pann Rethea

Airavata Khmer Elephant Foundation was created four years ago to protect the very last surviving tame domestic elephant population in Ratanakkiri province, as well as the traditions of their mahouts (elephant trainers).


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job

Noah"s Ark Zoo FarmFull-time permanent Animal Keeper; Elephant Section

2019-02-22 - Bristol, United Kingdom.

We are looking to recruit an experienced animal keeper on our Elephant Section which is acting as Europe’s premier African Elephant Bull facility. This is a full-time position working a 40-hour week on a flexible rota (including weekends and bank holidays).


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zoo
An elephant was spotted wandering in Westtown, which is located about four miles northeast of the New York-New Jersey border

Troopers escort lost elephant back to NY animal sanctuary

2018-11-13 - Westtown, N.Y., United States. WHAM/Associated Press

An elephant was spotted wandering in Westtown, which is located about four miles northeast of the New York-New Jersey border. The 46-year-old Asian elephant named Fritha had wandered away from the Sanctuary For Animals on William Lain Road. It had been burned by napalm during the Vietnam War and was living at the sanctuary.


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zoo

FIRST ELEPHANT MUSEUM TO OPEN IN YANGON ZOO

2018-08-16 - Yangon, Myanmar. Thi Thi Min

THE first elephant museum in Myanmar will be opened in the museum of natural history in Yangon’s Zoological Gardens at the end of this year, said U Thein Toe, Director of Yangon Region Forestry Department.


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relocation

Konni tusker sent to faraway camp despite MLA"s protest">Konni tusker sent to faraway camp despite MLA"s protest

2018-06-12 - Pathanamthitta, India.

Despite fierce protest by the local legislator, a tusker at the eco-tourism centre at Konni was despatched to faraway Muthanga by the wildlife department so that it could be trained as a 'kumki'


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birth

First baby elephant born in Thailand in 2018

2018-01-03 - Pattaya, Thailand.

A baby elephant scampers to her feet after becoming the first one born in Thailand in 2018. The female calf - named Yellow Saphire - was born on Tuesday at around 5 am after her 23-year-old mother went into labour in Chonburi, Thailand. Local Buddhist monks visited the newborn elephant to bless her at a ceremony with the centre’s mahouts and staff. Kampong Tonsajja, Director of the Nong Nooch Gardens which houses elephants, said: ‘’She is a beautiful girl and the first of the new year. She...


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death

Bannerghatta Biological Park loses elephant Ashwathama

2017-10-14 - Bangalore, India.

The Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) on Saturday announced the death of Ashwathama, a male elephant aged about eight years


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conference

38th Annual Elephant Managers Association Conference And Workshop

2017-10-02 - Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, United States.

The Elephant Managers Association (EMA) announced the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium as their 38th Annual Conference Host during the 2016 EMA Conference closing ceremonies last October. Since then staff at the Columbus Zoo and the EMA Board of Directors have begun preliminary planning to produce a premier gathering of leaders among the elephant management community to be held October 2-6th.


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conservation
Karnataka leads the chart with over 6,000 elephants

India home to 27, 312 elephants: Census

2017-08-16 - Delhi, India. Aathira Perinchery

Preliminary results from the first-ever synchronised all-India Elephant Population Estimation pegs India’s Asian elephant population at 27,312. According to the report, released by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on August 12, Karnataka has the highest number of elephants (6,049), followed by Assam (5,719) and Kerala (3,054).


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conflict

Selfie attempt kills man in Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta Park, elephant tramples him to death.

2017-07-27 - Bangalore, India.

According to the Bannerghatta Police Station sub inspector Naveen, 27-year-old Abhilash, had entered the park illegally and tried to click a selfie with the elephant Sundar. The 27-year-old man had allegedly illegally entered the Bannerghatta Biological Park after consuming alcohol.


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workshop

Eleventh International Workshop on Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV)

2017-05-15 - London, United Kingdom.

The next Elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus workshop will be hosted by the Zoological Society of London. Lectures will take place at ZSL London Zoo, and the practical aspect of the workshop will be carried out by studying the elephant herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.


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birth
Calf is mother Dina’s third baby born at Dublin Zoo in the last three years

It’s a girl! Elephant calf born at Dublin Zoo on Monday

2017-03-16 - Dublin, Ireland.

A female elephant calf was born at Dublin Zoo on Monday night weighing 80kg.
The mother elephant, named Dina, is the Dublin Zoo herd’s matriarch and gave birth to the healthy calf after a 22-month gestation period.
The new arrival is Dina’s third calf and the fifth elephant calf born at Dublin Zoo in three years.


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medical
Sweden

Royal elephant at Swedish zoo has deadly herpes virus

2017-03-16 - Kolmarden, Sweden.

Namsai, a three-year-old Asian elephant calf at the Kolmården zoo in central Sweden has contracted the EEHV elephant herpes virus and is seriously ill, the park announced on Tuesday. "There is no cure for EEHV, however treatment can suppress an outbreak and the elephant can survive if the disease is caught early and treatment begins quickly. Among the elephants that have been treated a few have survived," the park said on its website.


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relocation

Tame elephants capture wild tusker in smooth operation

2017-03-15 - Hassan, India.

Staff of the Forest Department, with the help of tamed elephants, successfully captured a wild elephant that is suspected to have recently trampled two people to death in Alur and Sakaleshpur taluks on Tuesday. A team of tamed elephants — Abhimanyu, Arjun, Krishna and Harsha — reached the camp at Magadihalli, set up to handle the capture, on Monday evening. The watchers and forest guards were following the movement of the animal and they traced it at noon. The operation, which bega...


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research
Testing of elephant collars involves moving the collars around and seeing if the information we are sent in GPS signals are accurate.

Testing satellite collars for elephant orphans

2017-03-15 - Kafue National Park, Zambia.

To ensure the proper operation of the satellite collars that will be fitted on a couple of the rehabilitated elephants of the GRI-Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP), we have been running trials in advance of a planned collaring later this month. This information can be obtained by satellite collars, which relay GPS signals of movements over time via the internet and can be downloaded into maps


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death
Tony Ratcliffe said going swimming at the beach with Jumbo was one of his fondest memories

Beloved former circus elephant Jumbo dies at San Diego Zoo

2017-03-15 - San Diego, United States.

Jumbo the beloved African elephant who toured New Zealand with the travelling circus has died at San Diego Zoo. Former keeper and retired owner of the Whirling Bros circus Tony Ratcliffe said he received a call this morning from the zoo to tell him the news. "They contacted me this morning and told me she passed away in the early hours of the morning," he said. Its not yet clear why Jumbo, also known as Mila, died, and there will be an autopsy.


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misc
The viral photo of an elephant chained on all fours at Langkawi Elephant Adventures (LEA) on Langkawi island.

Langkawi park elephant in good shape, says Natural Resources and Environment Ministry

2017-03-14 - PETALING JAYA, Malaysia.

The viral photo of an elephant chained on all fours at Langkawi Elephant Adventures (LEA) on Langkawi island is in "good shape and healthy", said the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry. Photos of a chained Asian elephant named Lasah have been circulated widely since July 2016, with claims from non-governmental organisation Friends of the Orangutans saying that Lasah was living in "deplorable conditions" and was being exploited at LEA.


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relocation
Elephants at Twycross Zoo

Twycross Zoo elephant departure; 14 questions answered

2017-03-14 - Atherstone, United Kingdom.

Bosses at Twycross Zoo have responded to questions posed by visitors over the departure of the attraction´s Asian elephant herd. A further statement by the zoo said: "Thank you for your feedback regarding our decision to find a new home for our all-female herd of Asian elephants. The statement then went on to provide answers to 14 frequently asked questions.


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event
A historical reenactment of King Naresuan’s elephant battle for Thai Elephant Day in Surin province.

THAILANDS ALL ABOUT ITS ELEPHANTS TODAY

2017-03-14 - Surin, Thailand.

Hundreds of performers and more than 50 elephants staged shows and historical re-enactments to show the importance of elephants to Surin’s history. More than 100 elephants feasted on watermelons, pineapples, bananas and jicama on tables stretching 100 meters.


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misc

Asian elephant kills trainer with its trunk at zoo in central Japan

2017-03-14 - SHIRAHAMA, Japan.

Madee Wichai, a Thai national, was washing the animal with a colleague at Adventure World here when the animal hurled him against the metal bars of the cage. Wichai, 37, had worked at the zoo since 2015. He hit the bars with such force that he suffered severe trauma to his head and died from a brain contusion about an hour after he was admitted to a hospital.


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birth

Former Orphan Elephant Gives Birth to a Wild Baby

2017-03-13 - Tsavo, Kenya.

This baby elephant was born on March 3, 2017, to Ndara, an ex-orphan elephant from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) Nairobi Nursery. Shortly after giving birth, Ndara brought her new baby to see her former caretakers! The pair made a huge impression, the baby still wobbly on his little legs and following his mother like a shadow!


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relocation
A file photo of a team of elephants at work in a capture operation. The residents of Alur and Sakleshpur are demanding the capture of wild elephants in their area.

Forest officials seek permission to relocate elephants in two taluks

2017-03-13 - Hassan, India.

With the increase in elephant attack cases in Alur and Sakleshpur taluks, the district forest officials have sent a proposal to their department heads seeking approval to capture 26 elephants roaming around there. The Deputy Conservator of Forests of Hassan has sent a request to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) to take up the operation.


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conflict
Wild elephants foraging for food at Doyang valley in Wokha district.

Human-elephant conflict in Wokha district

2017-03-12 - Wokha, India.

One major factor forcing elephants to venture uphill to the middle and upper reaches of Wokha district is being attributed to fragmentation of their old habitats in Assam. With most of their habitats destroyed due to human encroachment and leaving them without food or home, the elephants are dramatically expanding their range and getting pushed up to the hills from Assam, Steve Odyuo, founder of Natural Nagas, an NGO working for wildlife and environment conservation said.


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poaching

Did poachers kill more Kerala jumbos? No. Fight with man over space did them in

2017-03-12 - , India.

Elephant poaching in Kerala grabbed national headlines a year ago after poachers confessed they had killed around 20 elephants. However, data from the Forest Department reveals there is a bigger threat to elephants in the state than poaching—man-animal conflict.


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misc
Laithongrien Meepan, owner of the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace, has called off his elephant demonstration planned for Bangkok on Monday.

Elephant protest in Bangkok cancelled

2017-03-11 - AYUTTHAYA, Thailand.

Laithongrien Meepan, owner of the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace, said he and other elephant keepers in other provinces would not rally at Government House on Monday, which is also National Elephant Day. Government authorities earlier asked them not to rally in Bangkok as it would cause traffic chaos, he said on Saturday.


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smuggle
Carved ivory tusk stockpile

Thailand Seized Elephant Tusks Worth US$ Half a Million

2017-03-08 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Thai authorities said Tuesday they have seized 422 pieces of ivory elephant tusks and arrested a Gambian national suspected of smuggling the illegal wildlife product worth some 17 million baht (US$ 482,406) The 300 kilograms of tusks were seized at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi airport late last week after customs found suspicious shipments from Malawi through Ethiopian Airlines listed as unprocessed gemstones, according to Associated Press.


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smuggle
An elephant grazes at the Amboseli National Park on October 7, 2013. A Tanzanian court sentenced Boniface Matthew Maliango to 12 years in prison for trafficking illegal ivory

Notorious Tanzanian ivory trafficker jailed

2017-03-05 - MWANZA, Tanzania.

The most notorious Tanzanian poacher, Boniface Mathew Maliango nicknamed ‘The Devil’ has been sent to twelve years imprisonment for running an ivory trafficking network across the East and Central African countries. The 47-years old poacher was convicted at the Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s business capital court after being arrested in September 2015 following a year-long manhunt from Tanzanian security organs.


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misc
The world’s most expensive coffee, which is priced at $70 per serving, is made from elephant poo

Most expensive Black Ivory Coffee made from elephant dung

2017-03-05 - Chiang Rai, Thailand.

The world’s most expensive coffee, which is priced at $70 per serving, is made from elephant poo!Black Ivory Coffee, produced in Thailand’s Golden Triangle, a region better known for its export of opium, is made by having elephants eat the coffee beans which are mixed into a fruit mash.


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circus
An elephant being hauled on or off a boat in San Francisco.

Remembering The Elephants Of San Francisco

2017-03-05 - San Francisco, United States.

William Walter Power’s elephants originally appeared in the Walter L. Main Circus and transitioned into a vaudeville act in the early 1900s. The pachyderms, all female Asian elephants, worked the Hippodrome Theatre in New York City, and some sources claim the show was the first American elephant act on an indoor stage. “Lena,” “Jennie,” “Ada,” and “Lou” played baseball, bowled, and danced to whatever was in fashion, from the waltz to the Cha...


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misc

Perth Zoo denies "elephant yoga class" abuse claims

2017-03-05 - Perth, Australia.

A zoo in Australia has denied claims that it mistreats its elephants by involving them in a yoga class with paying visitors. For $125 (£78) people can do Perth Zoos Exercise for Elephants programme - a 45-minute workout with a personal trainer that includes 15 minutes of interacting with the elephants. The zoo has released footage of the daily activities of the elephants to try to refute allegations that the exercise programme is abusive.


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research
A male elephant grazes during an exercise to fit them with advanced satellite radio tracking collar to monitor their movement and control human-wildlife conflict near Mt. Kilimanjaro at the Amboseli National Park, in Kenya on November 2, 2016.

Snooze news: elephants may sleep less than any other mammal

2017-03-05 - , United States.

Scientists on Wednesday said a first-of-its-kind study tracking the sleep behavior of wild elephants found the world´s largest land mammal sleeps two hours per day on average, and some days not at all, and does so mostly standing up. This represented the shortest-known sleep time of any mammal. Previous research showed captive elephants got four to six hours daily.


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relocation

Twycross Zoo to find new home for its herd of Asian elephants

2017-03-05 - Atherstone, United Kingdom.

Twycross Zoo has confirmed its herd of Asian elephants will be found a new home. The tourist attraction, which is Derby´s nearest zoo, says the decision to move the all-female herd will give them the opportunity to breed and help to ensure the long-term survival of the endangered species. The zoo, in Atherstone, is working in conjunction with European Endangered Species Breeding Programmes (EEP) to arrange the transfer. Its destination and the timescales will be announced as the plans pr...


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misc

How elephants became refugees on the outskirts of Bhubhaneswar city

2017-03-05 - Bhubhaneswar, India.

On the outskirts of Bhubhaneswar city, a herd of elephants has become refugees. They left the intensely disturbed Chandaka sanctuary, and tried to move towards other forest patches. However, human activity has now surrounded the elephants. Videos show how people chase the hapless animals, who seem to be only wanting to cross roads and fields


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medical

El Paso Zoo’s Juno the Elephant will Receive Cancer Treatment

2017-03-04 - El Paso, United States.

The El Paso Zoo has chosen a treatment protocol for Juno, the 49-year-old Asian elephant diagnosed with a malignant mass in her right mammary gland in January. The zoo team discussed her case with elephant experts and veterinary specialists around the United States to determine the best course of action. Cancer is rare in elephants, and this type of tumor has never been previously reported.


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research

Smartwatch implants help track elephant sleep patterns

2017-03-03 - , Botswana.

Professor Paul Manger from Wits University and his colleagues are using a tracker called an Actiwatch to study elephant sleep patterns in Botswana. They removed the watches´ bands, insulated them with electrical tape and biologically inert wax, then attached them to the elephants´ trunks. The trunk is the most mobile appendage, Manger said, and if it´s still for more than five minutes it´s reasonable to assume the animal is asleep.


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evolution
Reviving extinct animals like the woolly mammoth could divert funds away from protecting living species, some scientists say.

Reviving Extinct Species: Is It Worth the Cost?

2017-02-27 - , United States.

A new study of de-extinction — the potential to use genetic techniques to recreate lost animals and plants — finds that given limited conservation dollars, the benefits of bringing back one lost species would probably cost the extinction of more species that are currently on the brink. For example


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relocation

Nine jumbos travel 2700 km along with 16 mahouts to reach Corbett from Karnataka

2017-02-26 - NAINITAL, India.

Nine elephants from the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka reached the Corbett Tiger Reserve on Saturday after a journey of more than 2700 km. The elephants had started on their journey by road on Tuesday in a convoy of seven trucks accompanied by 16 mahouts. "The elephants will stay in an interim facility for three months during which they will get acclimatised to the new climate .


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misc

Central Zoo Authority for ban on elephants in circuses

2017-02-26 - New Delhi, India.

The Central Zoo Authority has “fully backed” a proposal to ban the use of elephants in circuses, a fading remnant of pre-liberalisation India. The CZA has written to the chief wildlife wardens of the states to ensure the rehabilitation of the elephants which were in their possession. “The Central Zoo Authority fully supports proposal to stop use of elephants to perform in circuses,” member secretary of the CZA D N Singh has written to the Environment Ministry.


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abstract

Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Wild Asian Elephants, Southern India

2017-02-22 - Trichur, India.

We tested 3 wild Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in southern India and confirmed infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an obligate human pathogen, by PCR and genetic sequencing. Our results indicate that tuberculosis may be spilling over from humans (reverse zoonosis) and emerging in wild elephants.


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medical

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection in Free-Roaming Wild Asian Elephant -Volume 23, Number 3—March 2017

2017-02-22 - New Delhi, India.

Postmortem examination of a wild Asian elephant at Rajiv Gandhi National Park, India, revealed nodular lesions, granulomas with central caseation, and acid-fast bacilli in the lungs. PCR and nucleotide sequencing confirmed the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This study indicates that wild elephants can harbor M. tuberculosis that can become fatal.


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misc
The elephant Trompita/Bombi enjoys birthday cake made of vegetables and fruit in Guatemala.

Elephant Blows Out 56 Candles On Birthday Cake

2017-02-20 - Guatemala city, Guatemala.

With a cake made of watermelon, papaya, bananas, carrots and corncobs, Guatemala��´s elephant Trompita celebrated her 56th birthday on Sunday. The pachyderm, whose original name is Bombi, is an Asian elephant rescued by the La Aurora zoo from a circus in 2008 and subsequently adopted as a special member of the family, Efe news agency reported. Trompita��´s handler and "lifelong friend," Romeo Lopez -- better known in the circus world as "Tarzan Lopez" -- said...


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film

Never piss off an elephant

2017-02-13 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Elephant things are all over my desk at work. I have elephant clothes and elephant kitchen tools. I was also planning on getting an elephant bamboo tattoo while I was in Thailand, which I definitely didn´t do after this experience. I went from loving elephants, to now being terrified of them.


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death

Beloved Oregon Zoo elephant Packy dies after TB battle

2017-02-10 - Portland, United States.

Beloved Oregon Zoo elephant Packy was euthanized after a long battle with a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis, zoo officials announced Thursday. At nearly 55 years old, Packy was the oldest male Asian elephant in North America. We’d run out of options for treating him,” said the zoo´s lead veterinarian Dr. Tim Storms.


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fossil
Dr Kindi said, “The team spent nine days in the Aidam area in south Dhofar and a day in Taqah. We visited Ttinetti and Marbush in Aidam. We discovered teeth and tusks of elephants at other sites in Aidam.” He said that the new sites are spread over 1

35 million year old fossils found at four new sites in Dhofar

2017-02-02 - Muscat, Oman.

A team of geologists has discovered four new fossil sites in Dhofar. Remains of elephants, monkeys and primitive giraffes dating back 35 million years have been found at these sites. Speaking to Muscat Daily, Dr Mohammed Hilal al Kindi, head of the team, said, “Our team comprised Yousef al Sinani, Dr Martin Pickford, Dr Alan Hayward, Dr Ibrahim Ismaili, Axel Hartman and Sohail Hardan.”


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misc
A zoo in Russia’s Rostov-on-Don welcomes new arrival – a calf of an endangered Asian elephant.

Calf of endangered Asian elephant born in Russian zoo

2017-02-01 - ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russian Federation.

A zoo in Russian southern city of Rostov-on-Don welcomed a new-born elephant female calf born on Wednesday (January 18) from two 11-year-old Asian elephants Sinta and Yuma. “An elephant calf stood up immediately (after the birth) and started eating. In about an hour it started eating. You can see now it is sleepy. This particular calf sleeps while standing up. Sitara used to sleep while laying down. It seems to be an individual feature,” a zoo keeper Alexei Titov told journalists on ...


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death
Alice, the oldest African Elephant at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore., dies at 44-years-old.

Alice, Wildlife Safari"s Oldest Elephant, Dies

2017-02-01 - Winston, United States.

Alice, the oldest elephant at southern Oregon’s Wildlife Safari in Winston, died at age 44 this week. According to a post on the wildlife sanctuary’s Facebook page, Alice died from natural causes on Tuesday afternoon. Alice, the oldest African Elephant at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore., dies at 44-years-old.
Alice, the oldest African Elephant at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore., dies at 44-years-old.

Photo courtesy of Wildlife Safari
At 44, s...


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death
Forest department officials and others offering tributes to Indira at Shettihalli reserve forest in Shivamogga

Indira (Indra), grande dame of Sakrebailu and Karnataka’s oldest elephant, dies

2017-02-01 - SHIVAMOGGA, India. Ramachandra V Gunari

Karnataka’s seniormost elephant died on Monday, at the ripe old age of 82. Indira died of natural causes at the Sakrebailu elephant camp, her home for the past almost 50 years. Indira was the grande dame of the Sakrebailu elephant camp, loved by all and known to have tamed many a wild elephant brought here over the past many decades. Indira herself had been captured in a khedda operation from Kakanakote forest in the Western Ghats in 1968.


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birth

Incredible night time footage shows the moment a rare Asian elephant is born at a British zoo

2017-02-01 - Chester, United Kingdom.

Incredible night cam footage has captured the moment a rare Asian elephant was born following a short 20-minute labour. Following a 22-month gestation the male calf was born to 20-year-old mother Sithami Hi Way at Chester Zoo. Zoo keepers stayed up to monitor the birth via live CCTV and watched in awe as the baby dropped onto soft sand and scrambled to his feet in minutes.


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fossil
James Farlow, left, professor emeritus of geology at IPFW, talks with Daniel Fisher, professor of paleontology and director of the Museum of Paleontology at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, talk Monday before they box up a mastodon skeleton owned by

Expert hopes study of IPFW"s mastodon skeleton yields clues about what caused death of the species

2017-01-31 - Michigan, United States.

Paleontologist Daniel Fisher hopes a mastodon skeleton kept at IPFW since the university´s early days may offer clues to solving a question that has baffled researchers for more than 200 years — what caused mastodons to die off at the end of the Ice Age? Fisher and a research assistant arrived Monday at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne to borrow the skeleton for study at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where Fisher is a professor of paleontology and director ...


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conservation

Odisha Claims Fall In Jumbo Deaths In 2016-17

2017-01-29 - Bhubaneswar, India.

After an annual review meeting of the Forest and Environment department under chairmanship of the Chief Secretary at the State Secretariat here, Suresh Mohapatra, secretary of the department, said, “With two months left for the 2016-17 financial year to get over, 41 elephant deaths have been reported in the State so far which is considerable fall in comparison to 65-70 elephant death cases reported in the last four years on an average.”


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abstract

Rapid screening for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in clinical elephant trunk wash samples.

2017-01-28 - , United States. Magnuson RJ1, Linke LM2, Isaza R3, Salman MD2.

Ninety-nine clinical trunk wash samples obtained from 33 elephants were utilized to validate three molecular extraction techniques followed by a polymerase chain reaction for detection of M. tuberculosis. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were estimated compared to culture. Kappa coefficients were determined between molecular results and various culture categories and serological test results.


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medical

49-year-old elephant Juno in El Paso Zoo diagnosed with malignant mass

2017-01-28 - El Paso, United States.

The animal care staff at the El Paso Zoo have received a biopsy report indicating a mass in 49-year-old Asian elephant Juno’s right mammary gland appears malignant, meaning the cells in the mass are exhibiting cancerous characteristics. These results come after several months of close observation and multiple diagnostic procedures. Since receiving the biopsy results, the Zoo veterinarians have been actively researching safe treatment options and consulting with national elephant health ex...


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conservation
Better hope for the future of this juvenile elephant in the wild - See more at: http://www.mizzima.com/news-domestic/ministry-calls-urgent-action-reverse-decline-wild-elephant-population#sthash.jV8CKxdk.dpuf

Burma: Ministry calls for urgent action to reverse decline in wild elephant population through the Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan (MECAP)

2017-01-27 - Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) has called for urgent action to reverse the decline in the wild elephant population of Myanmar, which is being killed at an increasing rate, while securing the future of the country’s former timber-trade elephants, state media reported on 27 January.


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medical
Dutch veterinarian Dr. Willem Schaftenarr is pictured with his colleagues taking care of the herd at the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Center.

Dutch vet seeks to save near-extinct elephants in Vietnam

2017-01-26 - Buon Don, Vietnam.

A seasoned veterinarian from the Netherlands has been a lifelong ally of the shrinking herd of elephants in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
Dr. Willem Schaftenarr, 63, has been a household name among elephant conservationists, mahouts, and the pachyderms themselves in Ban Don (Don Village), which is nestled in the namesake district in Dak Lak Province.


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abstract

Hereditary Factor VII Deficiency in the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) Caused by a F7 Missense Mutation.

2017-01-24 - Pennsylvania, United States. Lynch M1, McGrath K2, Raj K3, McLaren P4, Payne K5, McCoy R4, Giger U3.

A wild-caught, 41-yr-old male Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ) without an apparent increased bleeding tendency was consistently found to have prolonged prothrombin times (PTs, mean = 55±35 s) compared to 17 other elephants (PT=10±2 s). This elephant´s partial thromboplastin times (PTT) fell within the normal range of the other elephants (12-30 s). A prolonged PT in the presence of a normal PTT suggests disruption of the extrinsic pathway via deficiency of coagulation factor VII (FV...


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misc

Perth Zoo stalwart Tricia turns 60, "doing well" despite slowing down

2017-01-24 - Perth, Australia.

A large crowd of families on school holidays were at the zoo to watch as Tricia enjoyed its birthday cake made from fruit and bran. Perth Zoo senior elephant keeper Kirsty Kerry said Tricia was doing well for its age, despite slowing down a little. "Tricia is showing her age these days, slowing down, getting a little bit stiff," Ms Kerry said. "But we are managing those by giving her a massage every day and walks around the zoo.


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misc
An Asian elephant gently picks up some parsley with its trunk from a visitors hand at a Hamburg zoo in Germany.  Read more at http://www.star2.com/living/science-technology/2017/01/24/elephant-inspired-robotic-gripper-in-the-works/#KYpLTDYRWTFvQJue.99

Elephant trunk makes an excellent robot

2017-01-24 - Atlanta, United States.

Scientists hope to one day develop a robotic gripper modelled on the dexterous trunks of elephants. The boneless appendage can easily pick up objects as small as a peanut or as heavy as a log. But how do elephants regulate the force they apply with their trunk? Researchers who worked with an elephant at Zoo Atlanta in the United States say the secret is the ability to form a joint in the trunk at a location of the animal’s choice.


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death
Opal had lived at Hope Elephants between 2012 and 2014, before being returned to the Endangered Ark Foundation in Oklahoma.

Hope Elephants" Opal dies in Oklahoma

2017-01-23 - Hugo, United States.

Opal, one of two elephants who lived at the Hope Elephants sanctuary founded by Jim Laurita in 2012, died in Hugo, Okla. on Jan. 10, following a serious injury to her front left leg. Opal and her elephant companion at the Hope facility, Rosie, had been living at the Endangered Ark Foundation in Hugo since Sept. 2014. Opal was 48 years old.


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conflict
The elephant

Two Phuket Livestock officials injured as elephant bolts

2017-01-23 - Phuket, Thailand.

The injuries occurred when one elephant, believed to have been spooked by another, bolted during official’s inspection of the Safari elephant camp in Saiyuan, Rawai. At 11:30am on Saturday, Capt Somkiet Sarasit of the Chalong Police was informed of an incident where an elephant had bolted at the Safari elephant camp Rawai leaving two persons injured.


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research
Dr. Joshua Schiffman, left, and Schiffman Labs team member Lauren Donovan, lab specialist, look at human cancer cells reacting elephant p53 (EP53) at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City Friday January 6, 2017. Team members have spent the past

Lab tests show elephant DNA may be key to fighting cancer, says Utah researcher

2017-01-17 - Salt Lake City, United States.

Josh Schiffman likes to think of the tumor-suppressing protein p53 as a superhero in a bright red cape. It swoops in whenever there is DNA damage and fixes or eliminates the problem in an attempt to keep the body healthy. Most mammals, from humans to elephants, have some p53. But elephants — which rarely get cancer — have many more copies, Schiffman said, and they´re stronger.


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conservation
About 50% of Indian elephant news articles, shows pic of an african elephant, now also in Vietnamese news sites... :(

Elephants in Dak Lak become more aggressive as loss of habitat continues

2017-01-12 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

According to the Dak Lak provincial Elephant Conservation Center, there are five groups of elephants living in the province, with 60-70 in each group.
In Ea Sup district alone, there is one group of 30-34, while in Buon Don district, there are four groups with 30-36 elephants each. A survey conducted by the center found that the number of elephant groups in Dak Lak has decreased.


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smuggle

Elephant bones linked to wildlife trafficking

2017-01-04 - HUA HIN, Thailand.

A task force on wildlife trafficking has unearthed the bones of five elephants which they suspect are linked to the merging of wild animals into domestic populations. The Phaya Sua task force excavated a site in Moo Baan Chang (elephant village) after it received a tip-off that dead elephants had been buried there without the knowledge of concerned authorities.


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conflict

Wild elephants cause menace in Bardiya

2017-01-03 - Bardia, Nepal.

Since this is a nepalese/Indian news organ, they put a tame elephant (with a bell) to the article which concearning wild elephants. In 50% of cases, Indian news sites put images of African elephants to articles about Asian elephants. We just have to survive this...


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people

Elephant trainer Cecil Jackson Senior, face of the Cincinnati zoo for decades, dies

2017-01-03 - Cincinnati, United States.

Cecil Jackson Senior retired from the zoo in 1998, two months shy of being there for 50 years. People could find him and any animal at local parades and he also worked with Marge Schott and the Reds. He appeared on National Geographic twice for the zoo and was on hand to see the first gorilla born in captivity.His son, Cecil Junior, is now the head elephant trainer.


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fossil
Bryan Ignasiak, Nicole Ignasiak and Megan Bonus display the mastodon bones they found near Mayville in 2011. The bones have since been donated to the University of Michigan.

Mastodon bones discovered by Macomb Township residents

2017-01-03 - Macomb Township, United States.

In June 2011, the Ignasiak siblings, along with their cousin Megan Bonus made the find, although they weren’t sure at the exactly what they had come across.“We had no idea what we were doing, we didn’t plan on finding mastodon bones,” said Nicole Ignasiak, 19, who was 14 at the time of the pair’s discovery.


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relocation

Four jumbos from Rambo Circus retire, rehabilitated

2017-01-02 - Pune, India.

John Mathew, manager of Rambo Circus, said, “Seven mahouts, who took care of the four elephants at the Rambo Circus, have also shifted to Jamnagar with additional staff and a veterinarian."Saraswati and Champa were shifted to Jamnagar in September, Anar and Nitya moved two weeks ago as their transit permit was awaited.


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trade
An elephant walks through the bush on the edge of Kruger National Park in South Africa. China on Friday said it would shut down domestic trade in ivory by the end of 2017, a move intended to curb the slaughter of the African elephants

China says it will phase out ivory trade in 2017

2017-01-01 - Bejing, China.

China says it will ban all domestic ivory trade by the end of 2017, closing down the world’s biggest ivory market in a move wildlife conservationists believe will help curb elephant poaching in Africa. The announcement deals a blow to a global ivory industry sustained in large part by Chinese demand, and comes after years of international and domestic pressure on Beijing to interdict a trade that has threatened the extinction of wild African elephants.


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medical

AWBI for euthanising 3 elephants

2016-12-28 - , India.

According to the AWBI, Lakhsmi and Ramabhadran, two elephants of the Thiruvambadi Devaswom, and Thiruvegappuram Devanarayanan (Kattakada Abhimanyu), owned by a private individual, are suffering from serious ailments and should be subjected to mercy killing to end their sufferings.


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event

Chitwan Elephant Festival to be held in Sauraha from Dec 26

2016-12-26 - Sauraha, Nepal.

Chitwan Elephant Festival is going to be held at Sauraha in Chitwan district from December 26 to 30. The International Elephant Polo will remain the highlight of the Festival which is being held after a gap of 7 years, according to International Elephant Polo Competition Coordinator Shankar Sainju.


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conservation
One-year-old male elephant "Gold" playing inside the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Centre (ECC) where he is being cared for in the central Vietnamese highland province of Dak Lak.

Survival of the unfittest: Vietnam’s disappearing elephants battle to stay alive

2016-12-21 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

Now there are fewer than 100 elephants left in the wild in Vietnam and just 80 or so in captivity, mostly used to ferry tourists around the leafy forests of Vietnam’s central highlands. Experts say the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Centre could be the last hope for Vietnam’s disappearing pachyderms.


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birth
The new calf, quickly named Phlai Prapphayak, nuzzles his mother,30-year-old Phang Dok Sano, at the Wang Chang Ayutthaya Elephant Kraal   Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1163288/new

New calf born at Ayutthaya elephant kraal

2016-12-19 - Ayutthaya, Thailand.

The Wang Chang Ayutthaya Elephant Kraal in tambon Suan Phrik has a new arrival - a male calf born at 4.40am on Monday. Romthongsai Meephan, the owner of the kraal, said 30-year-old Phang Dok Sano gave birth to a calf weighing about 70 kilogrammes. The youngster was healthy and strong, with all the dominant features of a male Thai elephant.


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birth

Rare Asian elephant born at Chester Zoo

2016-12-17 - Chester, United Kingdom.

The unnamed female calf was born to 12-year-old mother Sundara overnight after a 22-month gestation. Keepers at the zoo said both mother and daughter are doing well and visitors will be able to see the new arrival from Saturday.



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misc
The forest and elephants are disappearing

The last domesticated elephant of the northern Highland in Vietnam

2016-12-17 - Gia Lai, Vietnam.

Ya Tao, the elephant of local Ksor Cham in Gia Lai Province, is now the only living domesticated elephant in the northern Highland region, a place once famous for its elephant residents. Ksor Cham said many people had wanted to buy his elephant but he had refused them all. Ya Tao has become an important family member after living with them for over 50 years.


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conflict
The continual erosion of forested land by local people has narrowed the living space for elephants in Dong Nai Province, leading to more conflict

Declining forested land triggers elephant conflict

2016-12-17 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.

Between 2009 and 2011, up to nine elephants died in the southern province of Dong Nai, which were initially suspected of being killed by people. Recently, the only elephant in Tan Phu protective forest was also killed.
According to the forest management board, for many years, the elephants have destroyed sugarcane and crops grown by people. Conservationists warned that if more elephants continue to be killed, the species faces extinction in Dong Nai.


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medical
Asian elephant Packy, at 54 the oldest male of his species in North America, enjoys a swim at the Oregon Zoo earlier this fall.

Packy keeps going as he battles tuberculosis

2016-12-15 - Portland, United States.

Packy’s human family at the Oregon Zoo is concerned for the health of the legendary Asian elephant, the oldest living of his kind in North America. The 54-year-old Packy has shown a recurrence of tuberculosis, and treatment has stopped working and it’s been suspended. Zoo officials are consulting with experts about what to do. Not to alarm anybody, but it’s an unknown situation.


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misc

Property worth Rs 1 lakh destroyed in Morang elephant attack

2016-12-15 - MORANG, Nepal.

Property worth around Rs 100,000 was destroyed after two wild elephants entered a human settlement in Kamalpur, Letang Bhogteni Municipality-7 of Morang district on Wednesday night. The tuskers from a nearby forest had fully destroyed a hut of local Sherman Limbu.


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misc

Botswana bans elephant-back rides

2016-12-15 - , Botswana.

From the end of this month, no elephants will be permitted to be ridden in Botswana. Abu Camp, the only facility that allowed elephant back riding in the country, has been directed to terminate its elephant back safaris. The first commercial elephant rides in Africa began in Zimbabwe in the late 1990s and soon spread throughout Southern Africa. In the region there are now 39 commercial elephant venues, holding around 215 captive elephants. At least 25 of these offer elephant rides. Seven of them...


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misc

Elephant Safari launched in western Chitwan

2016-12-14 - Chitwan, Nepal.

Four community forests located in Chitwan´s western part have introduced elephant safari with an aim to boost tourism. The elephant safari has been started from Devnagar Post, Chitwan National Park (CNP) Chief Conservation Officer, Ram Chandra Kandel said.


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welfare

Perth Zoo hits back at petition to stop elephant painting

2016-12-14 - Perth, Australia.

PERTH Zoo is disappointed an online petition questions their elephant care and training methods, saying staff are 100 per cent dedicated to the welfare of the animals. The change.org petition calls for an end to elephant art, prompted by social media adverts offering Perth Zoo elephant paintings as a unique Christmas gift.


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trade

China to set date to close ivory factories

2016-12-13 - Beijing, China.

China is set to announce when it will close its legal ivory carving factories, 18 months after pledging to act. Last year, the world’s largest market for both legal and illegal ivory said it would shut down commercial sales within the country. But did not set a timeline. At the time, conservationists described the announcement as the “single greatest measure” in the fight to save elephants from poaching. Wildlife advocates have since urged Beijing to get on with the job.


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misc

Swimcam captures Taronga Zoo elephants under water

2016-12-12 - Sydney, Australia.

To capture Tukta underwater, photographer Toby Zerna attached his camera to a five metre long pool scoop. “Tukta was interested in the camera, coming up to take a look but then she went off to continue swimming,” Zerna said.


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welfare
Chenkalloor Dakshayani, the 86-year-old elephant owned by the Travancore Devaswom Board | kaviyoor santhosh

At 86, granny Dakshayani to get a chain-free spacious enclosure

2016-12-11 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Eyeing the Guinness Book honour for the oldest living Asian elephant in captivity, 86-year-old Chenkalloor Dakshayani, would soon get a chain-free spacious enclosure.


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smuggle

Chinese nabbed with elephant tusks

2016-12-09 - Windhoek, Namibia.

Two Chinese nationals were detained yesterday after they allegedly attempted to smuggle elephant tusks that were cut into small pieces and stuffed into instant coffee tins. The two suspects were on their way to Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA). HKIA was recently in the news after another Chinese national was caught with 18 rhino horns worth almost N$7 million by the Hawks in South Africa after he was let through though the airport scanners in Namibia had detected the illegal exports.


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trade

Infamous SA circus owner fights laws that protect elephants

2016-12-09 - Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Circus owner Brian Boswell is challenging the legality of elephant protection laws after his attempt to sell African elephants to a zoo in the United Arab Emirates was blocked by wildlife authorities. Boswell has refused to accept the denial of a permit application to send five circus trained elephants to a Dubai zoo at the selling price of R3 million each


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conflict

Wild elephants stray into Ambikapur town, force schools to shut down

2016-12-08 - RAIPUR, India.

A herd of wild elephants with its young ones ventured into Ambikapur town, district headquarters of Sarguja district in North Chhattisgarh on Wednesday.Later, the herd entered a school group and stayed there.
Forest department swung into action and erected barricades to check further movement of elephants in the town and they are under surveillance.


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welfare

Rejuvenation camp for jumbos awaits government nod

2016-12-07 - COIMBATORE, India.

It is that time of the year when all the temple elephants in the district are brought to Thekkampatti for a 40-day rejuvenation camp. The camp begins in December-end or January.


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misc

Ammu elephant calf dies of viral infection at Konni camp

2016-12-07 - Konni , India.

A one-year-old elephant calf died of viral infection at the Konni elephant training centre. The calf Ammu was suffering from Elephant Endotheliotrop. Ammu was in the news recently after Forest Minister K Raju came to the camp for her naming ceremony


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medical
Female elephant H’Tuk receives an ultrasound scan from experts

Vietnam uses ultrasound to determine virility of domestic elephants

2016-12-06 - Buon Don, Vietnam.

Domesticated elephants in Vietnam’s Central Highlands are receiving ultrasound scans by international experts to check their fitness for mating.
In the heat of the afternoon inside Ban Don Village in Dak Lak Province, a group of vets from Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Center (DECC) waited alongside Dutch elephant expert Dr. Willem Schaftenaar for H’Tuk, a female elephant who lives at a local ecotourism resort.


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death
Village women pray by the carcass of a wild Asiatic male elephant at Amgaon in Assam.

Train hit kills 3 elephants, including 2 pregnant females, in Assam

2016-12-05 - Guwahati, United States.

Three wild elephants, including two pregnant females, were killed by a speeding train in Assam early on Monday, officials said. A herd of elephants were crossing the railway track at Hojai in Nagaon district when they were hit by the Kanyakumari-Dibrugarh Vivek Express around 12:30am, nearly 137 kilometres from Guwahati. “One of the elephants was a 4-year-old female, while 2 others were pregnant. One of them aborted a 2-month-old fetus after the accident and we found a 4-month-old fetus in...


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conflict

The shocking moment Elephant throws buffalo several feet in the air

2016-12-04 - Nairobi, Kenya.

An arrogant buffalo was tossed several feet into the air after it decided to battle with a mother elephant. The buffalo, weighing more than 500kg did not survive the battle. These pictures were taken by a photographer who visited Kenya on vacation.


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death
Tonzi, an elephant at Twycross Zoo

Twycross Zoo elephant Tonzi who suffered with severe arthritis is put down

2016-12-04 - Nuneaton, United Kingdom.

A Twycross Zoo elephant who was suffering with crippling arthritis has been put down. A zoo spokesman said every effort was made to treat her health problems. The 32-year-old Tonzi was euthanised after attempts to treat her health problems were exhausted.


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relocation

Demand for Karnataka elephants from other states, 12 to sent to Uttarakhand

2016-12-04 - Mysore, India.

It was a great honour to Karnataka Forest Department as its elephants captured and tamed by experts from the state are now on demand from other states in the country.Forest department sources told UNI that 12 of these tamed elephants will be sent to Uttarakhand. The elephants have been selected from Bannerghatta, Mathigodu, Dodda Harave and Dubare elephant camps.


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conflict

Rampant herd of elephants forcing several families to live on trees

2016-12-01 - Ranchi, India.

In a bizarre event people of four families have been forced to live on trees due to the fear of elephants that have gone wild near Ranchi, Jharkhand. Villagers are living in fear since then and have been forced to live on trees in order to protect themselves from the rampant elephants. As per the reports, some families living in Loharatola village in Bundu, around 45 km from Ranchi, have shifted on trees after elephants destroyed their houses.


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fossil

Found: Ancient Elephant Fossils Hidden Beneath L.A."s New Subway

2016-12-01 - Los Angeles, United States.

Los Angeles was built in a place pockmarked with tar pits, and one of the sites on the extension of the Purple Line is at Wilshire and La Brea, not far from the famous La Brea Tar Pits, which daily yields new finds. Late in November, construction crews found another one, the Los Angeles Times reports. The first piece of an ancient animal that they discovered was a shattered tusk, three feet long, followed by a mastodon tooth. This week, a specialist who monitors the site for fossil finds located...


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relocation
Airavata Elephant Foundation agreed to buy the elephant, named Bak Mai, for $17,000 early last month from 15 families, he said, though the full amount is yet to be paid.

Killer Elephant Finds Home at Foundation

2016-12-01 - Banlung, Cambodia.

An elephant that killed its owner in September in Mondolkiri province has been sold to a foundation in neighboring Ratanakkiri province, the organization said on Wednesday. “Nobody wanted a killer elephant. They said the killer elephant would kill again,” said Pierre-Yves Clais, the vice president of Airavata Elephant Foundation.


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relocation
An elephant stands in a section of mondulkiri forest on sunday after it killed its handler and escaping.

Freedom short-lived as elephant again escapes

2016-11-30 - Sre Ampoum, Cambodia. Khouth Sophak Chakrya

An elephant that killed its owner in Mondulkiri province in September was recaptured yesterday afternoon after having escaped into the jungle for three days, according to the conservation NGO Airavata, which bought the bull after its old owner’s death.

Seng Pich, the group’s spokesperson, said Mai the elephant enjoyed a short-lived escape into the jungle in Pech Chreada district’s Sre Ampoum commune after being taken out of shackles put in place by the grievin...


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smuggle

Vietnam seizes smuggled ivory hidden in timber

2016-11-30 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

Vietnamese authorities have seized nearly a tonne of ivory smuggled from Africa after locating nearly five tons in five previous shipments to the same port in the past two months. Ho Chi Minh City´s deputy customs chief, Le Dinh Loi, said the ivory seized Monday and Tuesday was hidden inside timber in two containers that arrived at Cat Lai port and was en route to neighboring Cambodia.


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relocation

Two Florida elephants pack their trunks, move to Columbus Zoo

2016-11-29 - Columbus, United States.

Asian elephant sisters Rudy, 14, and Sunny, 8, are moving to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida. Any offspring born of Rudy or Sunny would belong the zoo, and would be used as a part of the American Zoological Association´s Species Survival Plan.


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conservation

Can drone technology save the Sumatran elephant?

2016-11-29 - , Indonesia.

Fauna & Flora International has acquired two quadcopter drones to help reduce incidents of conflict between humans and wild elephants in Sumatra, Indonesia. The acquisition of two quadcopter drones is helping Fauna & Flora International´s (FFI) Aceh team to monitor the location of Sumatran elephants in Aceh, Indonesia, and respond quickly when elephants are approaching community farms to minimise potential conflicts.


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medical

Vets rescue elephant caught in poachers snare

2016-11-29 - Mana Pools, Zimbabwe.

A team of veterinarians saved a juvenile bull elephant caught in a poacher´s wire snare with surgery in the field, in Zimbabwe, on November 21. The young animal, named Little Nyakasanga, is seen standing up after undergoing surgery in Mana Pools. The operation was performed by veterinarians from Aware Trust Zimbabwe, a conservation trust.


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conflict

213 killed in elephant attack in three years in Odisha

2016-11-29 - New Delhi, India.

As many as 213 persons have been killed in elephant attack in Odisha in the last three years from 2013 to 2016, said Environment, Forest and Climate Change minister Anil Madhav Dave answering an unstarred question raised by BJD parliamentarian Narendra Kumar Swain on Monday.


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conflict

Over 1300 people died due to tiger and elephant attacks in India in past three years

2016-11-28 - New Delhi, India.

Number of human deaths due to tiger attacks has gradually been declining, but there is no let up in the casualties due to elephant attacks in India. In both the cases, West Bengal has suffered the maximum human casualties in the past three years.


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welfare

Temples to lose elephants for festivals, Maneka Gandhi writes to ministry for new provisions

2016-11-28 - New Delhi, India.

Famed temples in south India such as Kerala´s Guruvayoor, which parade richly-decorated jumbos during festivals like Pooram, may lose them forever. Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has written to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) asking for such religious institutions ´Which keep wild animals in captivity´ be categorised as zoos.


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misc
Elephant and Obelisk by Gianlorenzo Bernini

The Pope"s Elephant

2016-11-28 - Rome, Italy.

In 1514, King Manuel I of Portugal gave Pope Leo X a white Indian Elephant named Hanno. When Hanno arrived in the Vatican—after sailing from Cochin, on India´s southwest coast, to Lisbon and from Lisbon to Rome, he was an enormous sensation.


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relocation

No arrangements for Kaavan during winter

2016-11-28 - Islamabad, Pakistan.

Now that winter has set in, the management of the Marghazar Zoo is worried about the fate of Kaavan, the lone elephant, who requires special arrangements during the winter months. Kaavan belongs to Sri Lanka, where the temperature does not drop below zero degrees Celsius.


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death
The tusker was constantly seen on the tracks during the last two weeks.

Elephant hit by passenger train in Palakkad succumbs to injuries

2016-11-27 - Palakkad, India.

A male wild elephant which was hit by a train on the B line at the Walayar Pudussery section just past Kanjikode succumbed to the injuries on Sunday. The passenger train from Palakkad town Tiruchirapalli (Train No. 56712) hit the 25-year old elephant at around 8km from Palakkad (towards Coimbatore) on Sunday 7.10 AM on the B line.


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relocation

Jumbo Leap Over Courts To Swindle Baby Elephants

2016-11-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Many have expressed concern over the government’s move to return the baby elephants to individuals who allegedly had illegal permits or none at all. Several environmental lawyers claimed the move to return the elephants to the suspects was at fault since the court is yet to arrive at a final decision on the matter and it still remains a pending case.


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misc
Belle Lordan with elephant calf which she named Sabai. It means happy in Thai.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo: First Asian elephant calf named ‘Sabai’ after competition held for public to find best name

2016-11-26 - Dubbo, Australia.

Belle, a self-proclaimed animal enthusiast, said she saw how much happiness the bub brought Dubbo and that was her inspiration. It’s only fitting she suggested ‘Sabai’ which means happy in Thai language. Her pitch was the overwhelming favourite. “I have a passion for animals and I really like them. I thought it was cool to name a new baby animal that’s going to be at the zoo for a long time,” Belle said.


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accident

Rogue tusker injures two elephants in zoo

2016-11-26 - Bhubaneswar, India.

A rogue tusker, which had strayed from the adjoining Chandaka wildlife sanctuary, wreaked havoc in the elephant safari at Nandankanan zoo here, injuring two resident elephants on Thursday night. The two injured elephants are Basanti and Chandan - one female and the other a male. The tusker entered the safari through a gap in the fencing.


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misc
The Rajaji Tiger Reserve authorities have got its mahouts trained in Kerala so that the safari is conducted in a safe and proper manner.

Elephant safari to resume in Rajaji reserve after 9 yrs

2016-11-26 - Dehradun, India.

Raja, Radha and Rangeela, three elephants at the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, are all set for the elephant safari that is now being resumed at Rajaji after nine years. Raja is a male elephant while Radha and Rangeela are females.
Arundhati, a famous female safari elephant at the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, then Rajaji National Park, which died in 2007 after it was injured while on patrol.


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conflict
Chasing away elephants by scare tactics causes more damage as the herd splits into smaller groups and runs in various directions

South Bengal’s jumbo problem

2016-11-25 - New Delhi, Bangladesh.

The number of elephants crossing over to rice-growing districts South Bengal have increased over the years, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction Numbers tell the state of human-elephant conflict in Bengal: 108 people dead (out of which 71 were in south Bengal) and 14 elephants electrocuted last year. Since April this year, the conflict has left 18 people dead; two elephants have been electrocuted and two shot dead after they were declared rogue by the forest department.


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accident

Wild jumbo intrudes into zoo, attacks two inmates

2016-11-25 - Bhubaneswar, India.

A wild elephant destroyed 20 feet of the boundary wall of Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) in the wee hours of Friday and attacked two elephants at the zoo. According to sources, the security personnel at NZP were able to scare away the animal using lights and noise makers. Two zoo elephants – Chandan and Basanti –sustained minor injuries in the attack.


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relocation

Karnataka puts up jumbos for adoption

2016-11-25 - Bangalore, India.

Faced with growing human-elephant conflict, Karnataka is desperate to gift surplus elephants in its captivity, to states where their population is sparse. It has exhorted other states to adopt the captive elephants, reeling under food and water shortage. There are roughly 200 jumbos housed in the state´s four elephant camps, captured by the forest department after reports of rogue behaviour, raiding crops and killing people.


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misc

Fight to save three Argentine elephants

2016-11-25 - Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Lawyer Andres Gil Dominguez may have had bigger cases, but he´s never had bigger clients. He´s been authorised to represent three elephants in captivity at a former zoo in Argentina´s capital. Dominguez is demanding that Mara, Kuki and Pupi be transferred to a reserve abroad where they can have a better quality of life. All three elephants live in a small treeless site in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires near busy avenues and buildings.


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welfare

Sri Lanka bans use of young elephants for work

2016-11-24 - , Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka unveiled tougher laws Wednesday, including a ban on using young elephants for logging and other physical work, as part of a crackdown on cruelty to domesticated wild animals. Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said the cabinet approved new regulations imposing tough conditions on owners of elephants, which are considered sacred by Buddhists in Sri Lanka. The animals are also legally protected but are often subjected to cruel treatment by some owners.


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smuggle
Some of the ivory

Two police officers, businessman jailed for wildlife crime, Malawi sets history

2016-11-24 - , Malawi.

Wildlife crime history was set in Malawi today with not one but two unprecedented court rulings – the first ever conviction of an individual dealing in rhino horn and, in a separate case, the first ever policemen to be convicted for wildlife trafficking.


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misc
Dakshayani of the Chengalloor Temple in Poojappura

Elephantine feat: Dakshayani, Kerala"s oldest jumbo, set to enter Guinness World Records.

2016-11-24 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

At 86, Dakshayani shows few signs of aging and looks absolutely fit and graceful as she gets all set all set to enter the Guinness World Records as the oldest-living elephant in the world. The elephant is with the Chengalloor Temple in Poojappura


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death
Valiyaveettil Manikandan and Ithithanam Guruvayoorappan

Kerala’s two star jumbos die on same day

2016-11-24 - Thrissur, India.

Wednesday was a sad day for elephant lovers in Kerala. Two of their favorite pachyderms, Ithithanam Guruvayoorappan and Valiyaveettil Manikandan, died just hours apart owing to illness. Both the jumbos were star attractions of temple festivals across the state.


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relocation
The operation started after a government order to capture the elephant was issued

Wild tusker captured at Wayanad

2016-11-24 - Wayanad, India.

A wild tusker that had troubled villagers in Wayanad has been caught after a massive operation. The operation started after a government order to capture the elephant was issued. It was shot with tranquilizers when it came out of the forest.


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fossil

Mammoth Discovery: Uncovering Channel Islands history. Rare fossil found on Santa Rosa Island

2016-11-23 - SANTA BARBARA, United States.

A piece of the Channel Islands history is being uncovered at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The museum recently received a giant box brought in by Mammoth Movers. “We are not sure if it is a small full size Columbian mammoth, the species that got out to the island originally, or whether it is a large variety of the Pygmy mammoth,” said National Park Service archaeologist Don Morris.


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death

Killing jumbo a step backwards

2016-11-23 - Kota Kinabalu, Indonesia.

WWF-Malaysia has frowned on the State Wildlife Department´s killing of a bull elephant in Tawau in a Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) as it impacts the shrinking population of Sabah´s pachyderms. The Department confirmed that the culled bull was in musth, a period where male elephants are known to exhibit aggressive behaviour and, consequently, are susceptible to provocation.


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misc

Mathigodu elephant camp faces water, fodder shortage

2016-11-23 - Mathigodu, India.

The Mathigodu Elephant Camp has been facing water and fodder shortage. Two months ago, the camp, where rogue elephants are tamed, had 35 jumbos but now only 25 have been left behind as the remaining are relocated to Kallalla camp. The waterbody at the camp has gone dry while the one inside the forest nearby is filled with silt making the water unfit for consumption and insufficient for bathing elephants.


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smuggle

Vietnamese government cracks down on ivory trade ahead of global conference

2016-11-14 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

Vietnam has destroyed seized ivory and rhino horn, wildlife products derived from species threatened with extinction. The public display of destruction comes ahead of a global conference to combat the illicit trade.


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conference

15th International rhino and elephant conservation and research symposium

2016-11-14 - Singapore, Singapore.

The fourth joint International Elephant and Rhino Conservation and Research Symposium is a forum for elephant and rhino conservationists and researchers from around the world to present conservation projects and research outcomes, new technologies in field conservation and conflict mitigation, studies in disease, reproduction and behavior, and other issues that impact the long term survival of elephants and rhinos.


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conference

2-day meet on Asian elephants concludes

2016-11-12 - GUWAHATI, India.

The two-day Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) meet - which saw the participation of elephant experts from five countries - ended here on Friday. The meet collated country-based inputs on the status of wild and captive Asian elephants in their habitats.


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birth
The Swedish King greets the three months old elephant baby Namsai. To the right is Namsai’s mother Bua and to the left Saonoi.

Royal elephants expecting a baby

2016-11-09 - Kolmorden, Sweden.

Kolmården in Sweden, the largest zoo in the Nordics, has (on 14 October 2016) announced with great pleasure that King Karl XVI Gustaf’s Bua elephant cow is pregnant. The father of the prospective calf is none other than Danish Queen Margrethe‘s elephant bull Tonsak.


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birth

Thailand: Nong Nooch Garden Welcomes New Baby Elephant

2016-11-08 - PATTAYA, Thailand.

The Nong Nooch Pattaya Garden and Resort welcomed a new baby girl elephant into its family Tuesday, during which the garden also organised a blessing ceremony for the adorable animal, Thai News Agency (TNA) reports. Phang Took Jai was born to 19-year-old mother ´Phang Nong Porn´, an elephant performer, and 15-year-old father. ´Plai Mai Muang´, through natural mating.


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fossil
The top portion of a mastodon skull, with five molars. It was found Oct. 15 by a team of volunteers led by paleontologists at the University of Michigan near the town of Mayville.

How a Mastodon’s Teeth Found in Michigan May Tell Us How It Died

2016-11-08 - Ann Arbor, United States.

Seth Colling, who teaches children with developmental disabilities at an outdoor learning center in Michigan, was walking along a creek looking for fish with his students in 2014 when they saw something odd sticking out from the water. “It looked really strange,” Mr. Colling said. “I said to my student, ‘Hey what is that?’”


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people
Former elephant trainer William "Billy" Morris, his wife Tina and their son, August, are pictured in an undated photo. Morris

What separated jet skier, 3-year-old son who answered dead dad’s phone still a mystery

2016-11-03 - Gibsonton, United States.

Mystery still surrounds the death of a Florida man whose 3-year-old son answered his phone Monday afternoon after they failed to return from a ride on a nearby river. The body of 38-year-old William “Billy” Morris was found Tuesday morning along the south shoreline of the Alafia River in Gibsonton, Florida, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.


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misc

Baby elephant found tied to a tree in Hambegamuwa

2016-11-03 - Hambegamuwa, Sri Lanka.

Residents and wildlife officials have released a baby elephant that was tied to a tree in Hambegamuwa area. Residents who saw this elephant has informed the wildlife officials in the area.


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accident
An Australian man living in Singapore was injured by an elephant in Phuket. Elephants are a big part of Thailand

Singapore-based Australian injured by elephant in Phuket

2016-11-01 - Phuket, Thailand.

An Australian man who is a resident of Singapore was injured by an elephant in Thailand´s Phuket island on Monday, say local officials. The incident happened on Mai Khao beach on the northern end of the island. The injured man, who is warded at Bangkok Hospital on the resort island, is currently in a stable condition, Mr Sarawut Sisakukam, chief of Mai Khao sub-district administrative organisation, told The Straits Times on Tuesday night. Officials did not name the man.


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research
A lead researcher in the recent Great Elephant Census across Africa, wildlife ecologists Curtice Griffin at UMass Amherst also evaluated counting methods. He says though one would think that an animal the size of an elephant would be easy to spot from a

Aerial surveys of elephants, other mammals may underestimate numbers

2016-11-01 - Amherst, United States. University of Massachusetts at Amherst

In a paper this month in PLOS ONE, authors suggest that the two main census methods now in use may be undercounting elephants and that population estimates from both are biased low.


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smuggle

Ivory smuggler gets four years in jail

2016-11-01 - Beijing, China.

A man was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 40,000 yuan ($5,903) on Tuesday for smuggling ivory, a Beijing court announced. Beijing No 4 Intermediate People´s Court sentenced the man, surnamed Liu, on Tuesday morning, saying that he was found smuggling 52 products made of ivory in his suitcase at Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport in June 2014. The value of the ivory was more than 423,800 yuan, the court said.


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misc
A leaflet calling for donations to build a statue of Hanako

Donations sought for Hanako

2016-11-01 - Tokyo, Japan.

People who miss Hanako, the popular elephant who died in May at a Tokyo zoo, can chip in via the internet to help build a statue in her memory. Hanako reached the age of 69 and was the nation’s oldest elephant. An executive committee comprising the Musashino city government, a local chamber of commerce and other groups, has begun soliciting donations to erect a statue of the Asian elephant.


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medical
Authi

Asian elephant at Tokyo’s Ueno zoo has miscarriage

2016-11-01 - Tokyo, Japan.

An elephant at Ueno Zoological Gardens has had a miscarriage, about four months after it was confirmed as the first Asian elephant to get pregnant at the Tokyo zoo since it opened in 1882, the zoo said on Tuesday (Nov 1). Authi, 18, had been expected to give birth around June or July next year but had a miscarriage on Monday, possibly due to a blocked blood flow caused by a twisted umbilical cord.


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misc
In this May 19, 2015 file photo, Sri Lankan police officers march with a ceremonially dressed elephant calf during a Victory Day parade in Matara, about 165 kilometers (103 miles) south of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The use of baby elephants in parades is proof

Sri Lanka cracks down on owners of elephants taken from wild

2016-11-01 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Capturing wild elephants has been banned for decades here. Registration records indicate there should be only 127 elephants in captivity, most of them older. Yet they are a staple of the South Asian island nation´s 400 or so yearly processions — traditional ceremonies honoring a marriage, calling for peace or praying for rain — and in each there are always a few young elephants clumsily cantering to keep up.


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abstract

How elephants beat cancer

2016-10-31 - New Haven, United States. Gaughran SJ, Pless E, Stearns SC. Yale University

Elephants have significantly reduced their risk of cancer by duplicating an important gene called TP53.


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poaching

Tanzanian president tells security forces to pursue wildlife poachers

2016-10-31 - Dodoma, Tanzania.

Tanzania´s president on Saturday ordered security forces to go after top criminals financing organised networks behind elephant poaching, saying no one was "untouchable". The East African nation, home to the Serengeti Plains packed with wildlife and Africa´s highest mountain Kilimanjaro, relies on revenues from tourism and safaris but has been blighted by poachers chasing ivory to sell mostly in Asia.


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misc
Smuggled elephant tusks are confiscated at Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam a port for smuggled elephant tusks

2016-10-31 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

According to the Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), during the 2010-15 period, customs officers uncovered a total of 116 cases of animal smuggling and trading, confiscating over 22 tonnes of ivory and 457 ivory bracelets.


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trade

Zimbabwe prepares to push for ivory trade revival

2016-10-29 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s battle against the ban on ivory trade is not yet over. It might go ahead and sell its ivory in January next year. The country has 90 days to enter a reservation against the decision made under Cites – the international treaty drawn up in 1973 to protect wildlife from exploitation – to ban both international and domestic trade in ivory.

Zimbabwe has about 96,000 tonnes of ivory, valued at about $10 billion (Dh36.7bn). It is in desperate need of money...


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welfare
Rupa was found to have stones in her kidney.

Activists seek to free elephant from owner Sabha Shankar Pandey

2016-10-29 - Mumbai, India.

After Rupa, an elephant belonging to Sabha Shankar Pandey, passed away last week at Goregaon’s Film City where she had been brought for a photo shoot, experts have raised concern about the health and care of Lakshmi, Pandey’s other elephant.


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smuggle

Vietnam Seizes Nearly One Ton African-Elephant Ivory

2016-10-29 - Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.

The Vietnamese customs seized an illegal cargo of ivory weighing nearly one ton in Ho Chi Minh city, making it the fourth ivory smuggling case this month, according to media reports on Thursday. The shipment, on its way to Cambodia from Kenya, was discovered Wednesday in two containers in the city’s Cat Lai Port, according to the Anti-Smuggling Investigation Department, the Nhan Dan newspaper reported.


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relocation

Elephant calf rescued from gorge, sent to Sakrebail camp

2016-10-27 - Karwar, India.

Ever seen a baby elephant cry? It can melt the hardest of hearts. A 90-day-old calf, which got separated from its herd and was rescued by forest officials, wept when it was put into a truck to be sent to the elephant camp at Sakrebail.


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poaching

Namibia: School Principal Charged With Elephant Poaching

2016-10-27 - Windhoek , Namibia.

The recent arrest of the 52-year-old school principal of Simataa Senior Secondary School in Linyanti Constituency in the Zambezi Region, who was among a group of suspecs accused of running a syndicate that poaches elephants for their coveted ivory, has set tongues wagging at the school where the principal was regarded as a respected elder and a man of high moral values and ethics.


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misc

No more jumbos for this Kottayam temple festival

2016-10-25 - KOTTAYAM, India.

At a time when the temples are competing each other by parading more number of elephants during festivals, a temple near here has put an end to this practice. The Governing body of the temple in its meeting held the other day approved the decision to replace the elephant with the chariot.


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death

Jumbo death: NGO seeks police action against owner Sabha Shankar Pandey, Film City

2016-10-24 - Mumbai, India.

In the wake of the death of an elephant that was hired for a photoshoot in Goregaon’s Film City, the Plant & Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) wrote to the Aarey police demanding that it book its owner Sabha Shankar Pandey, the organisers and the Film City management.


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misc

Thai Baby Elephant Gets a Second Chance at Life After Being Rescued From Hunters

2016-10-23 - Chanthaburi, Thailand.

Tribal villagers have rescued a baby elephant from capture by Chanthaburi animal hunters in the jungle of Khaeng Hang Maew in Thailand on Wednesday night. The calf, found with an injured leg, is now under the care of local forestry officials, according to the Bangkok Post. The rescuers have named the baby Jam and are now searching for an adoptive mother since its own mom is still missing.


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medical

Elephant undergoes four-hour operation

2016-10-22 - BENGALURU, United States.

Veterinary doctors and experts on Friday treated and operated on Sidda - the injured and partially blind elephant who has been living in the backwaters of Manchanbele Dam, 30 km from Bengaluru, for 45 days. It was found that Sidda had sustained a fracture in his right forelimb.


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fossil
Skull of mastodon recovered Oct. 15 by a University of Michigan-led paleontological team near the town of Mayville, in Michigan’s Thumb region  Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-10-team-recovers-michigan-mastodon-skeleton.html#jCp

Team recovers most complete Michigan mastodon skeleton in many decades from Thumb site

2016-10-18 - Mayville, United States.

The most complete ice age mastodon skeleton found in Michigan since the 1940s was recovered this month from the state´s Thumb region by a University of Michigan-led team that included Tuscola County teachers who volunteered for the dig.More than 75 complete or nearly complete bones, accounting for 60-70 percent of the extinct mammal´s skeletal mass, were recovered during the four-day dig at the Fowler Center for Outdoor Learning near Mayville, in Michigan´s Thumb region. The di...


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research
An adult female Asian elephant asserts dominance over another by putting her trunk over her.

Asian elephant herds lack clear matriarchs, strict hierarchies: new study

2016-10-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Unlike African elephants that are characterized by strong matriarch-led, unified families, Asian elephant families appear to be less cohesive and seem to lack clear matriarch-leadership, the study found. The researchers found that Asian elephants showed such little dominance behavior that it was almost impossible to construct linear hierarchies among individuals.


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smuggle

Mozambique: Mozambican Ivory Seized in Vietnam

2016-10-10 - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The Vietnamese customs in the port of Ho Chi Minh City have seized about two tonnes of ivory hidden in a shipment of timber from Mozambique. Although the ivory trade is banned in Vietnam, the country is still an important market for worked ivory, and a transit point for elephant tusks smuggled from Africa to various other Asian destinations


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misc

More captive elephants to be released into the wild in Lampang

2016-10-10 - Lampang, Thailand.

The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will release captive elephants into the wild on the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty the Queen’s 84th birthday anniversary, the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT) said today.


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event
Dasara elephants, led by howdah elephant Arjuna, are all set for the Dasara finale on October 11, Vijayadashami.

Dasara jumbos in fine fettle for festival finale on Tuesday

2016-10-10 - Mysore, India.

After a rigorous rehearsal, Arjuna is ready to carry the golden howdah weighing 750 kg. He will be accompanied by 11 other elephants — Balarama, Abhimanyu, Gajendra, Kaveri, Vijaya, Vikrama, Gopi, Prashanth, Durgaparameshwari, Harsha and Gopalaswamy.


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death
Venattumattam Ganeshan, the tusker which died last Wednesday, had been suffering from tuberculosis

Twenty four elephants died in one year in Kerala

2016-10-10 - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India.

The tusker was the 18th captive elephant to die in the state in the last nine months. According to Heritage Animal Task Force secretary V.K. Venkitachalam, who keeps record of elephant torture and deaths, the number of deaths this year is a record. “Never before has this happened.


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medical

Galkiriyagama wildlife officers treat wounded tusker

2016-10-09 - , Sri Lanka.

Poaching and loss of habitat have caused tuskers to become an increasingly rare sight in Sri Lanka’s jungles. Wildlife officers on Sunday had to treat a tusker with a unique condition

The Galgamuwa tusker has earned the name “Dalapoottuwa” because of the entanglement of its tusks.The tusker which usually roams around the jungles of Galgamuwa, makes an annual migration to the Kala Wewa via Kekirawa.

Last year, wildlife officers had to treat the tus...


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misc

Elephants in Thailand to have DNA registered

2016-10-07 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Thailand has just announced a new law for all elephant owners which required them to adopt a DNA Registration System to keep track of all captive elephants. This comes in response to a number of investigations carried out by NGO Elephant Family and mounting pressure from the conservation sector.This important step will ensure that captive-bred elephants can be easily distinguished from their wild counterparts.


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trade
Other southern African states didn

Efforts to boost elephant protection fails at Cites

2016-10-03 - Johannesburg, South Africa.

Attempts to give the maximum level of international protection to all African elephants have foundered at a key species conference in Johannesburg. A proposal put forward by Kenya was strongly supported but failed to gain the two-thirds majority required. The opposition of the EU, which voted as a block, was pivotal in the defeat.


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medical

Baby Elephant Achara Recovering From Herpes Strain

2016-10-03 - Oklahoma City, United States.

The Oklahoma City Zoo´s baby elephant Achara is recovering from a case of herpes. She took her final dose of medicine Saturday after about 10 days of elevated virus levels, which are now on the decline.
Achara has the same strain of elephant herpes that killed her sister Malee last year, EEHV 1A. This is the second strain she has been exposed to, as she previously contracted EEHV 1B.


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misc
A police officer inspects the crash scene in which an elephant was killed after being hit by this inter-provincial bus in Hang Chat district, Lampang on Friday night

Broken tusk missing after elephant killed in bus crash

2016-10-03 - Lampang, Thailand.

One tusk of a pet bull elephant killed in a crash with an inter-provincial bus in Hang Chat district is missing, a senior police officer said on Sunday. The left tusk, about 70cm long and weighing 2kg, broke off after Plai Udom, 8, was killed when the bus rammed into it on late Friday night. Since the crash, the broken tusk has not been found, Pol Lt Col Somboon Yaya, deputy investigation chief at...




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trade
Some countries have destroyed their ivory stocks but some still hold onto them in the hope of future markets

Call to close ivory markets agreed at Cites conference

2016-10-02 - Johannesburg, United States.

Delegates at a UN wildlife conference have endorsed calls for the closure of all domestic ivory markets. The non-binding proposal was approved at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) in South Africa. Conservationists hailed it as a significant step towards ending the current elephant poaching crisis.


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event

Mysore Dasara

2016-10-01 - Mysore, India.

Mysuru Dasara is the Nadahabba (State-Festival) of the state of Karnataka in South West India. It is also called Navaratri (Nava-ratri = nine-nights) and is a 10-day festival, celebrated with utmost pomp and gaiety in the city of Mysuru. The Dasara festivities have a very long and rich history of more than 400 years.


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accident
A male elephant, 8, is killed after being hit by an interprovincial bus in Hang Chat district, Lampang province, on late Friday night. The bus driver was badly hurt while other passengers were unhurt.

Elephant killed, driver badly hurt in bus crash

2016-10-01 - Lampang, Thailand.

A male elephant was killed and a man badly hurt when an inter provincial bus rammed into it in Hang Chat district late Friday night. All passengers on board the bus were unhurt.


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facility

BRAZIL TO OPEN LATIN AMERICA’S FIRST ELEPHANT SANCTUARY

2016-09-28 - Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Brazil is ready to open the first elephant sanctuary in Latin America. The facility is located on a 1,100-hectare farm (2,700 acres) in the midwestern state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The area will host up to 50 elephants – and the first elephants to call the sanctuary home will be three females who retired from the circus. The sanctuary, entirely financed by international NGOs, will not be opened to visitation.


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relocation
Jessie the elephant is transported across Sydney Harbour in 1916 on a barge to the new Taronga Park Zoo.

Taronga Zoo to recreate "Operation Noah"s Ark" to celebrate 100th birthday

2016-09-24 - Sydney, Australia.

At 5.30am on a Sunday exactly 100 years ago, Jessie, a four-tonne elephant, sauntered through Sydney´s CBD. Starting at the old zoo in Moore Park, she strolled down Macquarie Street to the spot where the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House would eventually be built. As the sun rose, she boarded an open-top barge to make the journey across Sydney Harbour to her new home at Taronga Zoo in Mosman.


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misc

Elephant that killed owner gets company

2016-09-21 - Sre Ampoum, Cambodia.

A rogue male elephant that killed his owner in Mondulkiri on Monday was joined in the forest by two female elephants yesterday after they were released in an unsuccessful attempt to coax the bull home. The bull elephant, Mai, killed his owner, Mob Sreng, 45, by reportedly goring him with his tusks. Yesterday, the victim’s family freed two female elephants from their pens to attract Mai to leave the forest.


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taxonomy

Elephant history rewritten by ancient genomes DNA from extinct species forces rethink of elephants’ family tree

2016-09-16 - Boston, United States. Ewen Callaway

Love Dalén, a palaeogeneticist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, says that the study will force a reshuffle of the elephant family tree. “Basically Loxodonta is not valid as a genus name,” he says. He thinks that taxonomists may need to come up with new names for the different species, to better represent the relationship between savannah, forest and straight-tusked elephants.


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misc

Welsh sniffer dogs make their first bust after helping seize elephant tusks in Tanzania

2016-08-30 - Dodoma, Tanzania.

Two Welsh sniffer dogs who were flown out to Tanzania to help catch smugglers have made their first bust after helping authorities seize a haul of elephant tusks. Jenny, a Belgian Malinois, and Dexter, an English springer spaniel, are being used to help detect ivory, weapons, ammunition and animal products including elephant and buffalo meat in the east African country.


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death

San Diego Zoo euthanizes elderly elephant

2016-08-23 - San Diego, United States.

The San Diego Zoo lost one of its elder statesmen Tuesday. Ranchipur, the zoo’s 50-year-old Asian elephant, was euthanized after his health suddenly took a turn for the worse. The elderly mammal, who was the fourth-oldest male elephant in the Western Hemisphere, had been under veterinary care for several years due to various geriatric ailments.


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conference

Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature

2016-08-20 - Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. University of Kelaniya

The conference is meant to cover every aspect of Asian Elephants and aims for a compendium of research papers to be published along with the conference. We welcome research papers on following themes and any other aspect related to Asian Elephants.


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death

Rajan, the swimming elephant, dies at 66

2016-08-02 - Havelock Island, India.

Rajan, the legendary elephant whom you could swim along with in the ocean off the Andaman islands, has passed away at the age of 66.

A star attraction at Barefoot Resort at Havelock Island, Rajan came to be in the possession of the owners of the resort, after they took him under their care when he was left sick and stranded on the island in 2004, after his owner could not pay to ship him to a nearby island after a film shoot.


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misc

Perhilitan captures elephant causing trouble to village residents

2016-08-02 - Jeli, Malaysia.

The Kelantan Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) has managed to capture a wild elephant believed to be destroying villagers´ crops together with a herd of about five elephants at Kampung Lawar, Batu Melintang, here.

Its director Mohamad Khairi Ahmad said the male elephant, weighing 2.5 tonnes, was captured last Friday and would be relocated to a more suitable habitat with the assistance of the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang.


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conservation

Assam team to visit Bangladesh for bringing back elephant

2016-08-02 - Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A team of Assam forest department will reach Bangladesh on Wednesday, to study how to bring back an elephant stranded in the neighbouring country after being washed away by the strong currents of the Brahmaputra river. On June 27, the wild female elephant was separated from her herd in Assam and floated along with the currents of the Brahmaputra river from Dhubri district into the neighbouring Bangladesh.


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relocation

Elephant to be shifted to Vizag zoo

2016-08-02 - Aurangabad, India.

The animal is likely to be shifted within the next 10-15 days.On August 1, 1996, the city zoo authorities brought a couple of elephants (male Shankar and female Swaraswati) from Mysore to the Siddhartha Garden and Zoo. The team had also reviewed the zoo in Aurangabad and felt that the space provided to the animals was not enough.


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death

Nestled with mother, vets and keepers, "little fighter" Willow loses her battle

2016-08-02 - Melbourne, Australia.

Melbourne Zoo´s elephant calf Willow had endured a lot of pain and had gained a reputation as a fighter in her short life, but it was only on Monday that her keepers realised the "sweet, adorable little thing" was not going to make it.


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conflict

Girl, 7, dies after being hit by rock thrown by elephant in Morocco zoo

2016-07-28 - Rabat, Morocco.

A seven-year-old girl has died after being struck by a rock thrown by an elephant at a zoo in Morocco. The incident occurred on Tuesday at Rabat zoo. The girl’s father is thought to have lifted her on to his shoulders to give her a better view of the animals. One of the elephants picked up a stone – nearly the size of half a brick – with its trunk and threw it. The stone struck the girl on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious.


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fossil

Ice Age mystery unravels: 40,000-year-old carved mammoth tusk thought to be a musical instrument was used to make ROPE

2016-07-25 - Tübingen, Germany.

Archaeologists have discovered an eight inch long piece of mammoth ivory at a famous prehistoric site in Germany. The intricately carved tusk (pictured) was thought to be part of a musical instrument but new research has found that it may have actually be used to make rope


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misc
Delegates tour on domesticated elephants at Buon Don Tourist Site in Dak Lak Province on June 8, 2016.

Diplomats explore culture of Vietnam’s Central Highlands

2016-06-09 - Buon Don, United States.

Over 20 diplomatic and business delegates enjoyed touring Dak Lak Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands on Wednesday afternoon, getting a close-up look at local culture.The delegates observed domesticated elephants, visited traditional stilt houses, crossed a wooden suspension bridge, and enjoyed traditional performances by local Rade ethnics.


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wild
The elephants that have threatened many residents in Dak Lak Province since last week.

Wild elephants forage for food in inhabited areas in Vietnam Central Highlands, scare locals

2016-05-19 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

A herd of 20 wild elephants foraging for food and water near residential areas in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak is threatening the safety of local residents. Huynh Trung Luan, director of the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Center, said the elephants have destroyed crops and irrigation systems in several villages in Ea Sup District. “They are apparently moving from the Yok Don National Park to the Ea Sup Thuong Reservoir for water.”


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relocation
Handlers escort three of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Asian elephants as they arrive at their new home in Polk City, Florida

US circus elephants bow out, retire to Florida

2016-05-07 - Polk city, United States.

The circus held a final performance in Rhode Island, folded the elephant tent for good and shipped the performers to their permanent retirement in Central Florida, where they arrived Thursday. The era of the elephant in "the greatest show on earth" is over.


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welfare

Devaswoms deny charges of cruelty to elephants

2016-05-01 - Thrissur, India.

The common forum of Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi devaswoms has denied charges of cruelty to elephants during Thrissur Pooram. “Elephants with wounds or swellings were not paraded for the Pooram,” a joint statement of the devaswoms said. It added that only those elephants with fitness certificates issued by the forest and animal husbandry departments were used for the event.


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welfare

Row over Pooram elephants intensifies

2016-05-01 - Thrissur, India.

The Kerala State Animal Welfare Board (KSAWB) has come up against the statement of the Animal Husbandry Department refuting the allegation that elephants were subjected to cruelty during Thrissur Pooram celebrations. In a press release here on Friday, M.N. Jayachandran, Member, Kerala State Animal Welfare Board, alleged that the Thrissur Animal Husbandry officer was trying to misguide people with false information and was trying to protect the festival organisers.


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trade
President Uhuru will today lead the world to set fire on the largest cache of ivory ever destroyed at a go by any country. But the irony is that his family has been linked with the illegal trade of ivory!

Kenyatta family was linked to illegal ivory trade which was earning them and other close relatives $10 million” President Uhuru Striped For Fake Public Gesture Of Setting Ivory Ablaze

2016-04-30 - Nairobi, Kenya. Martin Oduor

Immediately after the 1974 elections, the Kenyatta family was linked to illegal ivory trade, which was earning the Kenyatta family and other close relatives $10 million (equivalent to about Sh100 million today) per year, as the country’s 120,000 elephants were killed at an annual rate of 20,000! – Source Charles Hornsby in his book, Kenya: A History Since Independence (1963-2011)


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fossil
Diver Bill Eberlein said he first thought he found an old log, but realized it was more when he felt the teeth embedded in the fossil at the bottom of an area river.

Diver finds mastodon jaw in area river

2016-04-30 - Atlanta, United States.

Shark-tooth diver Bill Eberlein experienced a first in his lifetime when he found a mastodon jaw embedded in the mud of a river bed. "I have been diving in coastal Georgia rivers for over 15 years for prehistoric shark teeth, but this is the first time I have discovered a mastodon jaw," Eberlein said.


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conflict
The elephant herd in Sona Udyan, a park of RSP, on Thursday evening | Express photo

Elephant Herd Enters Rourkela

2016-04-30 - ROURKELA, India.

Panic gripped Sector-22 of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), located on the southern tip of the city, when a herd of seven elephants strayed into the area and damaged boundary walls of two buildings on Wednesday night. The herd was staying in Sonaparvat Reserve Forest (RF) for the last 45 days and used to frequent the connecting Bijay Sagar reservoir of IDL Explosives plant for water.


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culling

Elephants face slaughter in Save Valley

2016-04-30 - Chiredzi, Zimbabwe.

ABOUT 300 elephants and some lions could be culled — reduced in population through selective slaughter — in the Save Valley Conservancy amid reports that the large number of animals at the conservancy in the South East Lowveld of Zimbabwe is destroying the area’s biodiversity in the wake of the El Nino-induced drought that has hit the country.


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abstract

Behavioral changes in female Asian elephants when given access to an outdoor yard overnight.

2016-04-29 - New York, United States. Powell DM, Vitale C.

A study was conducted at the Bronx Zoo to determine whether providing elephants with access to an outdoor corral at night had any significant effects on behavior, use of space, and use of a sand corral. Activity budgets for three female Asian elephants were compared when the subjects were housed indoors overnight and when they were given access to an outdoor yard overnight. Observations were recorded via infrared video cameras between the hours of 1900 and 0700 during the months of July-Septembe...


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fossil
Julie Stein, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture executive director, talks about mammoth remains found near Sequim Bay.

Officials work to stabilize fossilized mammoth skull found near Sequim Bay

2016-04-29 - Sequim, United States.

The partial remains of a Columbian mammoth skull discovered in the bluffs near Sequim Bay in early January are undergoing a stabilization process at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle. Once stabilized, the fossil likely will be loaned to the Sequim Museum for display.


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event

Support Kenya: Watch The Ivory Burn Live on April 30

2016-04-27 - Nairobi, Kenya.

On Saturday, April 30, Kenya Wildlife Service will host the largest ivory burn in history — a bold statement against elephant poaching, and one we hope will mark the beginning of the end for the global ivory trade, which kills an estimated 33,000 elephants every year. WildAid will be bringing these historic events to a worldwide audience through social media, and we invite you to watch it live.


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circus
A case against two circus owners and an employee from the well-known Brian Boswell Circus was taken off the court roll due to a lack of evidence

Charges against Boswell Circus three withdrawn

2016-04-26 - Port Elizabeth , South Africa.

Charges against two circus owners and an employee from the well known Brian Boswell Circus have been withdrawn in the Port Elizabeth magistrate’s court. Jane Boswell, her daughter Georgina, and elephant handler David Marais were facing a string of charges for allegedly beating, chaining, confining and not providing sufficient water and shade to elephants between December 2012 and January 2013.


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evolution

DNA proves mammoths mated beyond species boundaries

2016-04-23 - Hamilton, Canada.

Several species of mammoth are thought to have roamed across the North American continent. A new study in the open-access journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, provides DNA evidence to show that these mammoths, which should only mate within their species boundaries, were in fact likely to be interbreeding.


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smuggle

Vietnam seizes 100kg of ivory at Hanoi airport

2016-04-23 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

More than 100 pieces of tusks were seized as customs officers checked a suspicious cargo in Noi Bai International Airport on Friday. The shipment was held on suspicion of being elephant tusks upon its arrival to the Hanoi airport from the Turkish Airline flight TK 6562 on April 6, according to the airport customs.


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relocation

Circus elephants retiring after Providence shows

2016-04-23 - Providence, United States.

The Greatest Show on Earth is headed to Providence next week and it will be the last time elephants are ever a part of the show. For the first time in its 146-year history, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus is saying goodbye to its legendary elephants.


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medical

Elephant surgery at Birmingham Zoo scheduled for May

2016-04-21 - Birmingham, United States.

The Birmingham Zoo’s beloved African elephant, Bulwagi, is set to receive potentially life-saving surgery in May to remove his infected tusk. The surgery is a very involved process requiring intense preparation, so the Birmingham Zoo is bringing in experts from the Colyer Institute and extra veterinary assistance from across the country to help with the multiple hour operation.


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accident

Zurich firemen use crane to haul old elephant to her feet

2016-04-21 - Zuerich, Switzerland.

Druk, the oldest of the zoos elephants, found herself on the ground after a tussle with other members of the herd, the zoo said in a statement. Seeing that the elderly elephant didnt have the energy to stand up by herself, zookeepers called on Zurich city fire service to help.


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misc

Cameroon destroys 2000kg of elephant tusks

2016-04-20 - Yaounde, Cameroon.

Cameroon will incinerate 2000 kg of elephant tusks and more than 1753 art objects made of ivory seized from traffickers over the years, at the request of the Head of State, His Excellency, President Paul Biya on April 19, 2016.


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relocation

Zoo Miami welcomes 2 new elephants to exhibit

2016-04-20 - Miami, United States.

Zoo Miami welcomed two new African elephants to its exhibit Tuesday, who were brought to Miami from the Virginia Zoo. The elephants, Cita and Lisa, are moving to Zoo Miami as part of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums recommendation. Cita and Lisa will be presented to the public at Zoo Miami on May 20 following the quarantine period.


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misc
The baby elephant that was pulled from a well in Dak Lak Province on March 28, 2016

Elephant herd rejects baby rescued in central Vietnam

2016-04-15 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

Conservationists in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak are continuing to try and reintroduce a baby elephant they rescued from a well back to its herd despite several failed attempts. Pham Van Lang, deputy director of the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Center, told Zing News that the two-month old calf remains at the center as they were seeking more advice from experts and higher authorities.


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misc
Pak Boon and previous baby Tukta. Taronga Zoo 2011

Taronga Zoo is expecting a baby elephant

2016-04-15 - Sydney, Australia.

Sydney´s Taronga Zoo will hear the thump thump of little feet when expectant mother Pak Boon delivers her baby elephant after a 22-month pregnancy. The new calf, expected this time next year, will be the fourth born as part of the zoo´s conservation breeding program for Asian elephants.


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smuggle

Thailand Seizes 87 African Ivory Tusks Worth $800,000

2016-04-07 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Officials in Thailand say they seized 315 kilograms (695 pounds) of African elephant tusks worth an estimated $800,000 at Bangkok´s international airport. Kulit Sombatsiri, director-general of the Thai Customs Department, said Tuesday that the haul of 87 ivory tusks was found March 27 in a dozen barrels sent from Mozambique on a Kenya Airways flight. A routine X-ray at Suvarnabhumi International Airport detected the contraband.


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conference

Elephant Conference @ SOAS 2016

2016-04-04 - Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.

The conference programme will address all aspects of elephant culture, past, present and future and in all continents. It will deal with both material and cultural concerns, and will cover both the Indian and the African elephant.


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poaching

Thirty eight illegally caught elephants in Wildlife custody - AG

2016-03-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Attorney General yesterday informed Court that 38 illegally caught wild elephant were taken into the Wildlife Department custody following the CID investigation into a massive racket where illegally caught wild elephant calves being sold to third parties.


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misc
 Baby elephant rescued from well in central Vietnam By Ngoc Quyen, Thanh Nien News  DAK LAK - Tuesday, March 29, 2016 12:03Email Print  A baby elephant pulled from a well in Dak Lak Province March 28, 2016. Photo courtesy of Dak Lak

Baby elephant rescued from well in central Vietnam

2016-03-29 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

Animal rescue officers in Dak Lak Province on Monday saved a baby elephant that fell into a five-meter deep well, possibly while looking for water.
Members from the Central Highlands province’s Elephant Conservation Center and forest rangers spent one hour pulling the elephant up, after tying a rope around its belly. Local officials believed the elephant belongs of a herd of more than ten elephants which were traveling to a nearby lake for water.


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medical

Elephants Will Get New Artificial Legs Soon

2016-03-25 - Lampang, Thailand.

The prosthetic leg factory, just for elephants, will soon be operating at Friends of the Asian Elephant hospital in Thailand. This is a unique and wonderful facility that can make and repair custom-fit artificial limbs for elephants who need them.


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conflict
Elephants cool off March 13 at Chiang Mai Zoo.

Elephant Kills Longtime Mahout at Chiang Mai Zoo

2016-03-23 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

A mahout was killed by an elephant yesterday at Chiang Mai Zoo. Somsak Panna was herding bull elephant Billy back to his corral to feed him breakfast Tuesday morning when the 25-year-old pachyderm gored the keeper with his tusk. “Another worker attempted to stop the elephant, but it was too late,” according to a statement from the zoo published Tuesday evening.


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poaching
Chinese nationals Xu Fujie and Huang Gin (right) are escorted to the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court cell after they were sentenced to 30 years in jail each or pay Sh100.7 billion fine after being found guilty of possessing 707 pieces of ivory worth

Chinese jailed 30 years for slaughter of 226 elephants

2016-03-19 - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Two Chinese poachers were yesterday sentenced to 30 years in jail each or pay a record Sh108.7 billion fine in one of the heaviest sentences aimed at curbing the illegal trade. The Kisutu Resident Magistrates Court found Xu Fujie, 31, and Huang Gin, 51, guilty of illegally possessing 706 pieces of elephants tusks.. They were each ordered to pay Sh 54.3 billion in fine each or face the lengthy sentence of a whole three decades behind bars.


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conflict

391 people died in 2014-15 due to human-elephant conflict: Minister

2016-03-16 - New Delhi, India.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said eight elephants were killed in 2014015 and 391 humans were killed by elephants. Nearly 400 people have died during 2014-15 due to human-elephant conflict in various parts of the country, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.


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blog

Sangduen "Lek" Chailert and Elephant Nature Park (ENP), Chiang Mai, Thailand

2016-03-15 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

Its time to step forward and give a balancing report of one of the largest scams I have witnessed in Asia, in no way, a paradise for elephants or the staff, although it has according to sources, an estimated annual income between $US 3. 650. 000 and $US 5. 475. 000 dollars.


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conflict
According to reports, the 10 year old female elephant known as Mee Sook, was rescued from an elephant riding camp in Krabi province.

Burmese Mahout Dies After Elephant Mee Sook Tramples Him at Elephant Nature Park

2016-03-15 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

On March 11, rescue teams and local police in Mae Taeng were called to Elephant Nature Park after a Burmese mahout who had recently visited the center in search for work and to meet with his brother, was trampled in the veterinary enclosure where a rescue elephant known as Mee Sook, was being kept. According to reports, the 10 year old female elephant known as Mee Sook, was rescued from an elephant riding camp in Krabi province.


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relocation

Omaha zoo"s elephants loaded onto plane in Swaziland, should arrive in Omaha within 48 hours

2016-03-09 - Mbabane , Swaziland.

The Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium and its partner zoos sent an airplane to Swaziland, sedated 18 elephants and loaded them up Tuesday, forcing a judge to make an emergency decision to allow the transport. All signs point to elephants arriving in the U.S. late Wednesday or Thursday, depending on the travel itinerary. After temporarily freezing the import while he deliberated, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates decided to allow the import for fear that sedating the elephants an additional time ...


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poaching
Anti-poaching patrols protect wildlife in Garamba National Park in the DRC.

Armed groups threaten elephants in DRC’s Garamba Nat Park

2016-03-01 - , Congo.

Elephants in the vast Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) face a precarious future following reports that armed gangs of poachers are wreaking havoc in the game reserve, threatening both the animals and rangers. According to reports, last year, about 114 elephants were killed in the Garamba National Park, located in the north-eastern part of the DRC.


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conservation
Some of the rescued elephant calves.

Sabah Wildlife concerned over rising number of orphaned baby elephants

2016-02-27 - KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia.

The increasing number of orphaned baby Bornean elephants being rescued from plantations near forest reserves is worrying the Sabah Wildlife Department.
The fact that the baby elephants were found wandering alone was an indication that the adult animals including their mothers had been killed.


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evolution

Alarm over elephant inbreeding in Sabah

2016-02-26 - Kota Kinabalu , Malaysia.

Experts believe that the state’s 2,500 Bornean elephants were at risk of inbreeding in fragmented areas of its jungles as they are unable to meet elephants from other parts to mate and strengthen their gene pool.


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workshop
Wildlife experts demonstrating ultrasonography at an international workshop on Asian elephants and tigers organised on the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University campus at Pookode.

Kerala Wildlife workshop stresses need for more research

2016-02-04 - Pookode, India.

An international workshop on Asian elephants and tigers being held at the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) headquarters at Pookode stressed the need for more research on diseases affecting the animals. The four-day programme is being organised by the Centre for Wildlife Studies under KVASU in association with the Department of Forests and Wildlife.


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poaching

Execute elephant poachers on the spot, Tanzanian minister urges

2016-02-03 - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

A government minister in Tanzania has called for a "shoot-to-kill" policy against poachers in a radical measure to curb the mass slaughter of elephants. Khamis Kagasheki´s proposal for perpetrators of the illicit ivory trade to be executed "on the spot" divided opinion, with some conservationists backing it as a necessary deterrent but others warning that it would lead to an escalation of violence.


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death

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation Mourns the Passing of Young Asian Elephant Mike

2016-01-29 - Polk City, United States.

On Monday morning, January 25th, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® lost its youngest elephant to the elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Two-year old “Mike”, who was born at the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation, passed away despite the heroic efforts of our veterinary and animal care staff to save him. While final necropsy results are still pending, preliminary results, as well as blood tests sent to Smithsonian Insti...


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culling

Kill the elephants, now! Mpumalanga villagers feast on Kruger escapees

2016-01-25 - Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Villagers wielding pangas, grinders and knives slaughtered three elephants that were shot dead in Mpumalanga after escaping from the Kruger National Park. An African Eye News Service reporter witnessed armed rangers from the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) trying to calm residents of Matsulu outside Mbombela last week. The impatient residents, who had arrived on the scene with empty buckets, wanted the rangers to kill the elephants immediately.


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relocation

Young male elephant is coming to the Kansas City Zoo

2016-01-25 - Kansas City, United States.

The Kansas City Zoo will acquire a bull African elephant sometime in October, making possible a future breeding program, zoo officials announced Wednesday. Tamani, who will soon be 10 years old, now resides at the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama with three other males, including his father. In Kansas City, Tamani will join six female African elephants who are past their reproductive years. But Kansas City Zoo officials hope to acquire younger females in the future.


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conservation

Three U.S. zoos team up to save rare Borneo elephants

2016-01-22 - Washington, United States.

Three U.S. zoos announced a new agreement Jan. 21, 2016, with Borneo-based wildlife organizations to protect the endangered Borneo pygmy elephant. The first partnership of its kind, the effort will provide support for solutions to the frequent and sometimes deadly conflicts between people and elephants on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo.


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trade

Feds approve elephant import to Sedgwick County Zoo

2016-01-22 - Falls Church, United States.

Eighteen elephants from southern Africa soon will be on a 747 headed to the United States. A federal agency has officially approved the permits to import the elephants from Swaziland to zoos in Wichita, Dallas and Omaha. The Sedgwick County Zoo, the Dallas Zoo and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium will each get six elephants under an agreement announced last fall.


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misc

Stephen Payne: Ringling Bros. animals are well cared for, despite columnists unsupported claims

2016-01-19 - Venice, United States.

A contributing columnist to the Times Leader felt it was appropriate to attack Ringling Bros. animal care. Not only did he spread animal rights propaganda about the circus, he also insulted the dedicated men and women with Ringling Bros. who spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week, caring for our animals.


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circus
Elephants march in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus in Washington, D.C., in 2015. This year, the last of the circus

Ringling Will Retire Circus Elephants Two Years Earlier Than Planned

2016-01-13 - Venice, United States.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus announced Monday that early in May, 11 female elephants that together have spent decades on the road for circuses will step off train cars and super-semi trucks for the last time into retirement in central Florida. Most will be returning to family and friends.


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conservation
Researchers count elephants in Botswana as part of the Great Elephant Census, the largest aerial survey of African wildlife ever undertaken.

Largest Wildlife Census in History Makes Waves in Conservation

2016-01-10 - Arusha, Tanzania.

Early findings from the largest ever aerial survey of African wildlife—the Great Elephant Census (GEC)—are proving that big data can make a big difference when it comes to saving the world’s largest land mammal. Funded by Microsoft billionaire Paul G. Allen and staffed by 90 researchers, the initiative surveyed elephant populations in a combined distance of 285,000 miles throughout Africa.


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conflict

Elephant attacks claimed 14 lives in state in 2015

2016-01-10 - Pathanamthitta, India.

According to the Heritage Animal Task Force, a total of 14 people died in Kerala last year due to elephant attacks. Among these, 9 people were mahouts The committee, which was formed to provide guidelines to avoid such attacks, has not submitted any report


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circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey donated $10,000 to the Pediatric Oncology Unit at Huntsville Hospital.

Circus donates to Huntsville Hospital

2016-01-10 - Huntsville, United States.

Elephants have a low incidence of cancer, and scientists are examining why elephants are cancer resistant but humans lack this capability. Ringling Bros. dedicated a performance at the Von Braun Center to Huntsville’s oncology unit. That evening raised awareness to national cancer research by Dr. Joshua Schiffman, who has connected DNA from Ringling Bros. elephants to DNA from patients with cancer.


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medical
Elephant keepers Bob Lee, Phil Prewett, and veterinarian tech. Margot Monti use an ultrasound machine to tell how much sperm Tusko has at the Oregon Zoo.

Oregon Zoo staff infected by tuberculosis after exposure to infected elephants

2016-01-10 - Portland, United States.

Seven staff at the Oregon Zoo were infected with tuberculosis following an outbreak starting in 2013 among three bull elephants – Packy, his son Rama and Tusko. The seven people who developed a latent form of the disease without symptoms had close contact with the elephants, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An eighth person, a volunteer, also developed a mysterious case of tuberculosis.


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smuggle

SEIZED IVORY WORTH OVER $4 MILLION IN VIETNAM CAME FROM MOZAMBIQUE

2016-01-08 - Hai Phong, Vietnam.

In November 2015, Vietnamese officials seized more than two tons of ivory that originated in Mozambique. The haul was valued at over $4 million (US). All Africa News reported that the ivory was found on board a container vessel that docked in Hai Phong.


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misc
Elephants at the eighth annual elephant rejuvenation camp in Thekampatti

Wild Tusker Attacks Thekampatti Elephant Rejuvenation Camp

2016-01-08 - COIMBATORE, India.

Eye witnesses say, a herd of four wild elephants including a male, a female and two cubs, came near the elephant camp on Thursday early morning. At that time, the camp elephants were taking shower and the mahouts who saw the herd raised alarm. Suddenly, the male elephant separated from the herd and began to chase the temple elephants. Immediately, mahouts took the temple elephants to a safer location.


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zoo
A zookeeper feeds an elephant with Christmas trees at the zoo Tierpark in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. Every year discarded Christmas trees are offered to the animals as a snack.

Berlin elephants enjoy late festive snack: Christmas trees

2016-01-08 - Berlin, Germany.

Zoo elephants in Berlin have enjoyed a light festive snack: a late delivery of Christmas trees. The New Year feeding of unsold pine trees has become an annual event. Zookeeper Mario Hammerschmidt says the trees are certified as pesticide-free. Hammerschmidt said Thursday that the trees are "a good supplement to the food the elephants get during winter time."


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relocation
Kasturi, elephant of Sri Dhandayuthapaniswamy Temple at Palani, being sent to a rejuvenation camp for elephants in Mettupalayam on Wednesday

Temple elephant sent to rejuvenation camp

2016-01-08 - Palani, India.

Sri Dhandayuthapaniswamy temple administration here on Wednesday sent the temple elephant Kasturi to rejuvenation camp at Mettupalayam on Wednesday. After special pujas, the 49-year-old elephant, weighing 4,600 kg, boarded the lorry on Wednesday morning. Officials from HR&CE, Forest and Revenue Departments were present. Earlier, veterinary doctors checked the health condition of Kasturi. She was fit to travel, said veterinary doctor Rajendran. Kasturi had won the first prize in a competition hel...


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death
This incident took place on a day when temple elephants came to Coimbatore and the Nilgiris for a rejuvenation camp.

12-Year-Old Female Elephant Found Dead In Tamil Nadu Forest

2016-01-08 - Krishnagiri, India.

A 12-year-old female elephant was found dead on Wednesday in a forest in Tamil Nadu´s Krishnagiri district. This incident took place on a day when temple elephants came to Coimbatore and the Nilgiris for a rejuvenation camp. Authorities have conducted a post-mortem and have sent the samples for analysis. "We suspect the adolescent elephant might have been a victim of violent mating," said Mr Rajendran, District Forest Officer.


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birth

Berlin zoo elephant baby is actually a boy

2016-01-04 - Berlin, Germany.

Zoo workers in Berlin admitted on Monday that they had made a mistake about the sex of the newest member of their elephant herd. It´s easier than one might think with elephants, as pachyderms´ male member is discreetly hidden away in a pouch unless they are urinating or otherwise making use of it.


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conservation

PRESS RELEASE: Elephant population status in Tanzania

2015-12-12 - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.


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wild

Rare elephant species seen for first time in South Sudan

2015-12-10 - Juba, Sudan.

Wildlife researchers have found forest elephants for the first time in South Sudan, along with dozens of other rare animal species in Western Equatoria state, a conservation organization said. Scientists from Bucknell University, South Sudan´s Wildlife Service, and Fauna and Flora International organization set up dozens of camera traps over 8000 square kilometers in Western Equatoria state in the last six months, taking 20,000 photographs.


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misc
Camera trapping survey captures newest country

Remote cameras offer glimpse into the forgotten forests of South Sudan

2015-12-09 - Khartoum, Sudan.

Over six months, the camera traps captured more than 20,000 wildlife images, including the first pictures of forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) ever taken in South Sudan.The cameras also found a number of other species never before recorded in South Sudan (or in pre-independence records) including the African golden cat, water chevrotain, red river hog and giant pangolin.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-12-remote-cameras-glimpse-forgotten-forests.html#jCp


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misc

An albino elephant on Kapama Game Reserve

2015-11-27 - , South Africa.

Our wild herd on Kapama originated from the Kruger National Park and found their new home on the Kapama Game Reserve between 1992 and 1997. This calf is now about 5 years of age, and as you can see on the picture he still has the pink eyes and lashes.


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circus

Nellie Lockhart, The BIG Story

2015-11-24 - Tupelo, United States. Jim Clark

On Nov. 2, 1922, Nellie Lockhart arrived in Tupelo via the railroad. She had just given a performance in Booneville and after the Tupelo show was to be sold. Nellie was an elephant, part of the Gollmar Brothers Circus.


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conflict

Infrasound radar listens for elephant rumbles to warn villagers

2015-11-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Chamath Keppitiyagama of the University of Colombo is working on a radar system that listens out for the inaudible rumbles of elephants’ infrasound, something that was discovered in the 1980s. Infrasound is useful for locating and tracking elephants over long distances – the low frequency means the sounds travel a long way through the air.


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misc

Bizarre photo of life size elephant and tiger statues on back of trailer

2015-11-20 - Sydney, Australia.

Eerily life-like statues of an elephant and sabre-tooth tiger on the back of a trailer driving along the West Gate Freeway have been revealed as nothing more than a publicity stunt! 3AW Mornings listener Ziggy captured the bizarre photo and sent it into Neil Mitchell. He momentarily thought the elephant was real.


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film

Prince Williams NGO, Tusk, Discusses Terrorism and Ivory at Screening of Warlords of Ivory Documentary

2015-11-20 - New York, United States.

Prince William recently stated that he was initially drawn to Tusk by its innovative and holistic approach and its unwavering certainty that conservation is as much about people and community programmes as it is about wildlife protection. The imperative of balancing the conservation of wildlife and natural resources with the ever growing needs of the human race is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today."


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circus

Running Away With the Circus. On the road with Ringling Brothers at the end of an era.

2015-11-20 - Venice, United States.

Feld Entertainment was started by his father, Irvin; today, Kenneth, 66, runs it with his three daughters, Nicole, Alana and Juliette, all in their 30s. Earlier this year, they decided together that by 2018, Ringling Brothers would take its elephants off the road and retire them to the family’s vast preserve in Florida, where the Felds say the animals will breed and take part in research for everything from fertility to cancer.


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misc
A mahout, taken by mahouts, was roaming the street in front of Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate in Chon Buri in January 19 this year.

Mahouts welcome plan to take jumbos off city streets "Elephant Kingdom" project provides salaries, food in Surin

2015-11-18 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Many mahouts in Tha Tum and nearby areas on Wednesday were seen registering with the Khotcha-anajak or "Elephant Kingdom" programme at Pudin village in tambon Krapho. The project, operated by the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand, has set aside 25 million baht to improve the living conditions of 200 elephants and their mahouts.


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death

Rare Sumatran elephant found dead in Aceh

2015-11-18 - Aceh, Indonesia.

A RARE Sumatran elephant has been found dead in Indonesias Aceh province after apparently eating fertiliser. THE body of the six-year-old male was found in a coffee plantation in Pidie district on Tuesday, said Genman Hasibuan, the head of the provincial Nature Conservancy Agency. "We suspect he died of accidental poisoning because we found splattered fertiliser urea nearby," left behind by a farmer in his hut, Hasibuan said.


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medical
Bulwagi with repaired tusk after the procedure

Engineers Develop New Method to Repair Elephant Tusks

2015-11-17 - Birmingham, United States.

When Birmingham Zoo veterinarians approached researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Engineering to help them stop a crack from growing in their oldest elephant’s tusk, the engineers saw an opportunity to use their expertise in materials science to improve the industry standard for the repair process.


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misc

Rehabilitated elephants can be good moms!

2015-11-17 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

In August 2015, one of our frequently sighted females in Uda Walawe named Indika was seen suckling two calves of different ages on either sides of her. The younger male calf Indika was nursing was about three months old and merely skin and bones. He was obviously malnourished and weak. She already had a rounded and bulky belly suggesting another calf was on her way.


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poaching

Arms found in Rupabali reserve forest - Two elephants found dead

2015-11-17 - Dhenkanal, India.

Two elephants were found dead under the Sadangi range last week. Though Forest officials declined to disclose about reasons behind death of elephants but poachers are suspected to be active in the reserve forest. Forest officials said they have intensified the patrolling but locals dispute this saying they have rarely found forest officials camping or patrolling in the area


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relocation
The largest of the four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort, Disney

Tsavo arrives home at Disney from the National Elephant Center

2015-11-17 - Bay Lake, United States.

Tsavo has come back home. The 7-year-old elephant has arrived at Disney´s Animal Kingdom, where he was born, after spending two years at the National Elephant Center in Fellsmere. Tsavo and Thandi were two remaining elephants at the troubled center, which Disney helped found.


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conflict

Tuskers damage crops, drought-hit farmer dies of shock in Chhattisgarh

2015-11-17 - Raipur, India.

A drought-hit farmer in Chhattisgarh´s tribal Jashpur district died of a heart attack aftera herd of 40 elephants destroyed and fed on all his leftover crops on his eight-acre land, a few days ago. The matter came to light on Tuesday after district Congress raised the issue and claimed the forest department had not paid compensation to the family.


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abstract

Blood Compatibility Testing in Asian Elephants Using an Indirect Antiglobulin Technique to Improve Captive Breeding Success. Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances

2015-11-17 - Chiang Mai, Thailand. Pakkanut Bansiddhi, Preeyanat Vongchan, Achiraya Satityuenyong, Khajohnpat Boonprasert, Sittidet Mahasawangkul, Ronnachit Roongsri, Janine L. Brown and Chatchote Thitaram

The aim of this study was to examine blood compatibility in Asian elephants using the indirect antiglobulin technique, for use as a breeding management tool to reduce the risk of elephant fetal loss. Forty-four blood samples collected from 22 female and 22 male elephants were subjected to standard tube cross-matching tests and examined for macroscopic and microscopic agglutination reactions.


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death
Elephant Gireeshan, which died in Thrissur on Monday

Elephant of Cochin Devaswom Board dies

2015-11-17 - Cochin, India.

Gireeshan, one of the senior elephants of Cochin Devaswom Board, died on Monday. According to Devaswom Board sources, the elephant died due to old-age ailments. It was 80 years old. Gireeshan, which collapsed at the Kokkarni compound of the Devaswom on October 26, didn’t recover after that. It was undergoing treatment for almost one year for various ailments, under the guidance of veterinary doctor V. Sunil Kumar. The body was cremated at Kodanad.


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people

Napier man Patrick Cooper advised others on how to import ivory illegally

2015-11-17 - Napier, New Zealand.

A Napier man who imported illegal ivory was instructing suppliers on how to evade detection by Customs. Patrick Cooper, 62, a natural therapist, appeared in Napier District Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to five charges of trading in endangered species. In June 2012 quarantine inspectors carrying out a routine inspection of mail arriving in New Zealand found a box addressed to Cooper containing a large, carved tusk from an African Elephant.


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welfare

Pregnant jumbo forced into Dasara procession unchained

2015-11-17 - Bengaluru, India.

Chaitra, the elephant in the Bandipur camp who had been shackled ever since she gave birth to her 10th calf, has finally been freed. Following the publication of a report Forest dept forced heavily pregnant jumbo into Dasara in Deccan Herald on November 13, Conservator of Forests and Director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve B B Mallesh is learnt to have given directions to unchain the elephant and let her mingle with the other jumbos


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medical

Elephant Tova euthanized at Tulsa Zoo had bladder stone

2015-11-16 - Tulsa, United States.

Zoo veterinarians and other wildlife experts agreed that the use of humane euthanasia was the best course of action to end the animal’s suffering. The zoo released necropsy results that showed Tova had a 10 pound bladder stone blocking the flow of urine from the bladder.


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conflict

Javadekar expresses concern over man-elephant conflict

2015-11-16 - Jorhat, India.

Expressing concern over the rising incidents of man-elephant conflict on both the banks of the mighty Red River, Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar today said that he had taken personal initiative to release funds for undertaking compensatory afforestation in an effort to provide necessary fodder for the marauding elephants.


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trade

Seattle zoo transfers ownership of elephants to other zoos

2015-11-16 - Seattle, United States.

Seattle´s Woodland Park Zoo has transferred ownership of its Asian elephants to zoos in Oklahoma City and St. Louis, where the animals are now living.
Female elephants Bamboo and Chai were moved to Oklahoma City Zoo this past May when the zoo closed its elephant exhibit. Another female Asian elephant, Sri (SEE) has been living at the Saint Louis Zoo since 2002.


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medical

Birmingham Zoo, UAB team treat elephants cracked tusk

2015-11-16 - Birmingham, United States.

Bulwagi, the Birmingham Zoo’s 35-year-old African bull elephant, underwent what could be a breakthrough procedure this month to help correct a long-term crack in his tusk.Because of the tusk’s slow growth rate, according to the Zoo, the team will not be able to assess the procedure’s success for several months.


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conservation

Tanzania launches satellite monitoring of elephants poaching

2015-11-16 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Tanzania has launched with UN financial support, a special program for monitoring of elephants by satellite. Funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the program first concerns 30 elephants of Ruaha National Park, from now on equipped with radio transmitters, according to a statement by the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA).


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misc

Kenya to destroy vast ivory stockpile from thousands of elephants

2015-11-16 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyas wildlife authority on Monday vowed to destroy the east African country´s vast ivory stockpile from several thousand elephants, nine times more than the largest pile torched so far. Kenyas stockpile, if illegally sold on the black market at current prices, could be worth some $270 million (over 251 million euros), but conservationists say sale of ivory only serves to fuel further poaching.


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trade

Swaziland sells off 18 elephants to US

2015-11-15 - Mbabane, Swaziland.

The United States government is offering to pay $450, 000 to Swaziland’s Big Game Parks (BGP) in a deal to acquire 18 of 39 elephants blamed for destroying vegetation and causing negative impact on rhino conversation projects.”US government documents show that the elephants are fenced into a small portion of the reserves, denying them access to much larger areas of land and causing degradation,” the Conservation Action Trust said.


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pictures

How The Hunt used an elephant to capture groundbreaking footage of a tiger kill

2015-11-15 - Umaria, India.

It took an 65-year-old elephant called Gotham to capture a TV first in this week´s episode — and here´s how the feat was achieved. “We only had access to the elephant for half of the morning,” says Hughes. “The animal welfare rule was that it could work until mid-morning and then it had to go back to its house and have a nice bath and something to eat. So we had only this window in the morning, but it still managed to work.”


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conflict

Nine injured by startled elephant at Night Safari

2015-11-15 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

A STARTLED elephant barrelled into a crowd of tourists at Chiang Mai Night Safari on Saturday, mowing down nine, who were offered lifetime passes and Bt30,000 as compensation. The 23-year-old pachyderm named Lamduan had participated in the animal parade for the first time. Four of the injured were in a serious condition and had to stay at the hospital. The other five were allowed to go home.


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death

Tulsa Zoos Tova the elephant dies Sunday morning after rapid decline in health

2015-11-15 - Tulsa, United States.

The Tulsa Zoo reports that one of the zoo´s newest Asian elephants, Tova, has died. Zoo staff says they observed initial signs that Tova was sick on November 9th. The zoo says colleagues from the Center for Elephant Conservation aided experts to ensure all treatments were explored.


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misc
Trunk route … a previous Elephant Caravan troops through Laos. The animals won’t be ridden this year.

Elephant Caravan in Laos sparks conservation debate

2015-11-14 - Pak Lay, Laos.

In Laos, the elephant population has been decimated by logging. Now, a caravan of elephants and their mahouts is marching 400 miles to raise awareness of their plight. The caravan started in Pak Lay district on 27 October and will end, 391 miles later, in Luang Prabang on 9 December with 20 elephants parading through the streets.


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poaching
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Adelhelm Meru

Tanzanias war on poaching pays off

2015-11-14 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Adelhelm Meru told journalists in Dar es Salaam that the government was conducting a special operation to fight poaching and trafficking of government trophies.


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poaching
Prints on full ivory tusk

Police fingerprint science first set to identify wildlife poachers

2015-11-13 - London, United Kingdom.

Police in Britain have helped mastermind a forensic breakthrough that is set to transform law enforcement investigations against poachers and smugglers around the world. Imaging and fingerprint experts from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have teamed up with scientists from King´s College London and University College London to validate the use of new techniques for retrieving fingerprints from elephant tusks – for the first time. Around 50,000 African elephants are thought to...


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smuggle

Namibia: Police Seize Elephant Tusks, and Croc and Cheetah Skins

2015-11-13 - Windhoek, Namibia.

Members of the police in Kavango East Region have confiscated three crocodile skins, six elephant tusks, one cheetah skin and one skin of a honey badger from various suspects. On Tuesday, two Zambian nationals, a male and a female, were arrested by the police at Kangongo village in Mukwe in Kavango East Region for possession of controlled game products.


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conflict

Elephant menace: Villagers block road

2015-11-13 - Jorhat, India.

Hundreds of villagers blocked NH-37 at Kakojan in Jorhat district on Thursday in protest against the forest department´s failure to curb the menace of wild elephants in more than 100 villages. The mob raised slogans against the government and the state forest department demanding immediate steps to prevent elephant menace in their villages.


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fossil
UNLV geology students Marco Negovschi (left) and Joe Woodworth excavate the tusk.

UNLV paleontologists recover mammoth fossils northwest of Las Vegas

2015-11-13 - Las Vegas, United States.

A fossil mammoth tusk and molar recently excavated by UNLV paleontologists soon will give us a better idea of what Southern Nevada was like thousands of years ago when animals such as mammoths and camels roamed the valley. The fossils were excavated from a site adjacent to U.S. Highway 95 west of Indian Springs, about 40 miles northwest of Las Vegas.


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conflict

Man trampled to death in elephant attack

2015-11-13 - Jorhat, India.

A man was killed and five others were seriously injured by a herd of wild elephants at Jhanjimukh area in Assam´s Jorhat district, a police officer said. Pursaram Choudhury (55) and the five others had last night gone to chase a herd of marauding jumbos that had been roaming in the area for past 15 days destroying farmland, the officer said.


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wild
Ugandan elephants.

ELEPHANT CENSUS SHOWS A POPULATION INCREASE IN UGANDA

2015-11-13 - Entebbe, Uganda.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), working with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has completed an aerial survey, which shows that Ugandan elephant numbers have increased significantly since the 1980´s. The areas surveyed did not include all protected areas, such as the Maramagambo forest within Queen Elizabeth National Park.


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evolution
The European mammoth species, Mammuthus meridionalis, likely never made it to North America, a new study finds.

North American Mammoths Actually Evolved in Eurasia

2015-11-13 - London, United Kingdom.

The famous Columbian mammoth — an 11-ton creature known for traversing North America during the last ice age — might actually be the same species as the Eurasian steppe mammoth, said study co-researcher Adrian Lister, a research leader of paleontology at the Natural History Museum in London. The discovery suggests that the first mammoth to enter North America was the Eurasian steppe mammoth, and not its ancestor, a European creature called Mammuthus meridionalis.


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relocation
Rosie, left, and Sukari are together again at The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, along with Hadari, who arrived in the sanctuary in September

Sanctuary welcomes elephants from the Nashville Zoo

2015-11-13 - Hohenwald, United States.

The Nashville Zoo has sent all three of the its female African elephants to The Elephant Sanctuary in Lewis County.After successful transports last week, Sukari, 31 years old, and Rosie, 44, have joined their zoo mate, Hadari, in the Sanctuary. Hadari, a 33-year-old African elephant, arrived at The Sanctuary from the Zoo in late September.


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conflict

Help for Assam jumbos all the way from foreign lands

2015-11-13 - Jorhat, India.

The New Ram Terang Village was dedicated to the memory of Mark Shand. Ruth Powys, CEO, Elephant Family said, “An entire new village comes to fruition. We have solved a problem both for elephants and people. Elephant Family is proud to be part of this venture. I can feel that Mark is with us today. Now, every child can play here without danger, and every elephant can move without conflict.”


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conflict

Elephant dies as conflict with humans intensifies

2015-11-13 - Aceh, Indonesia.

Since last week, residents of Seumanah Jaya subdistrict in Ranto Peureulak district have been forced to stay away from their plantations after a herd of some 50 wild elephants took over the area. We no longer know what to do to get rid of the wild elephants, Sumanah Jaya subdistrict head Jamian told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.


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book

Wisconsin Photographer, Historian Explore Relationship Between Humans And Elephants In Captivity

2015-11-13 - Oregon, United States.

A new book, written and photographed by two Wisconsin residents, aims to capture the unique relationship between humans and elephants at the Oregon Zoo. They discuss some of the most powerful photos in the book, and talk about some of the big questions surrounding elephants in captivity.


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poaching

Increase in elephant poaching a concern for Kruger Park management

2015-11-13 - Kruger National Park, South Africa.

While nowhere near the same level as rhino poaching, a marked increase in the number of elephants killed by poachers could well signal the start of another onslaught on wildlife in the Kruger National Park.


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conflict

Elephants trample paddy fields

2015-11-13 - Vizianagaram, India.

A herd of elephants damaged two acres of paddy field at Karakavalasa village of LN Pet mandal in the early hours of Thursday. The pachyderms are frequently entering the paddy and sugarcane fields in LN Peta, Sithampeta, Veeraghattam and other places. District Forest Officer Ch. Shanti Swaroop sent elephant trackers and asked the staff to submit a detailed report on the damage so that the compensation would be paid to the farmers.


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facility
Princess Anne will officially open an elephant centre at one of North Somerset’s most popular tourist attractions.

Princess Anne to officially open elephant enclosure

2015-11-12 - Wraxall, United Kingdom.

HRH Princess Royal will visit Noahs Ark Zoo Farm in Wraxall on December 17 to open its Elephant Eden. The centre is the largest of its kind in Northern Europe and is home to bull elephants Janu and M’Changa. Final details of Princess Anne’s visit have not yet been released but she will meet staff and look around the premises before taking part in an official opening ceremony.


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trade
A police officer stands guard outside an ivory shop during a protest in Hong Kong. Amid growing pressure after China announced on September 25 that it will ban the ivory trade, Hong Kong said it is now “open-minded” to a ban on its legal ivory trade

With Ivory Ban Imminent, What Will Happen to China’s Legal Stockpile?

2015-11-12 - Bejing, China.

After years of defending and supporting a legal domestic trade in ivory, China made a big announcement in September: It’s shutting down the trade. The United States is, too. Together, the presidents of both countries have made an unprecedented public pledge to put a stop to all ivory trading—legal and illegal.


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misc

Zimbabwe blames rangers, villagers for elephant poisoning

2015-11-12 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe´s environment minister on Thursday blamed the poisoning of at least 71 elephants in recent months on disgruntled game rangers and local communities who do not benefit from wildlife revenues. Last week, police arrested three journalists at a weekly newspaper over a story implicating parks rangers, police chiefs and an Asian businessman in the poisoning of the elephants.


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relocation
Zoo CEO and executive director Dennis Pate stands in front of the 29,000 square foot elephant family quarters, will open soon. The zoo is expected to receive six elephants from Swaziland in the coming months

Elephants could be at Henry Doorly Zoo at years end

2015-11-12 - Omaha, United States.

The Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium filed a permit, along with its partner zoos in Wichita and Dallas, to bring a total of 18 elephants to the U.S. from Swaziland, six of which would head to Omaha. They filed the report in November 2014 and it opened for public comment earlier this month. Members of the public have until Nov. 23 to provide feedback to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before a decision is made on whether to allow the import.


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conflict

Elephants Trample Woman to Death in Meghalaya

2015-11-12 - SHILIONG, India.

A Garo tribal woman was trampled to death by wild elephants in Meghalaya´s West Garo Hills district, an official said on Thursday. Walji M. Sangma was killed on Wednesday in the forest area in Selbalgre village in the outskirts of Tura while she was collecting firewood, District Magistrate Pravin Bakshi told IANS. Tura is the district headquarters of West Garo Hills.


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evolution
The brain of Yuka was very well preserved, and we could compare it to the brain of an African elephant

The extinct woolly mammoth was as smart as African elephant, says pioneering new brain analysis

2015-11-12 - Yakutia, Russian Federation.

Elephants are famed for their intelligence, and now it seems likely that the long-gone woolly mammoths were just as clever. Scientists from Russia and South Africa combined to undertake the first-ever comparison between the brains of the two creatures, using remains of adolescent Yuka, found five years ago close to the Laptev Sea in the Ust-Yansky district of the Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia.


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conflict
Affected villagers in Nelamangala are being trained to ‘deal’ with the unwelcome visitors from the forest around Savandurga.

Elephants keep forest officials on their toes

2015-11-12 - Bengaluru, India.

Eleven tuskers, who have been gorging on a buffet of cultivated crop in Nelamangala, have kept forest officials on their toes for over a month. While the department is attempting to drive the elephants back to the forests, what is noteworthy is that villagers are being trained to deal with the conflict – a move that has perhaps led to minimal casualties in the area.


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facility

Call for govt-run shelters to take in tuskers freed from circuses

2015-11-11 - New Delhi, India.

Maneka´s NGO People For Animals runs a rehabilitation centre for jumbos, billed as the country´s only such facility built on private initiative. The Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Mathura was set up in 2010 and is now home to 18 elephants, most of them blind, lame, crippled or abandoned.


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misc

Troubled center that Disney helped found loses its last elephants

2015-11-11 - Fellsmere, United States.

Three of five elephants that went to the center since it opened in 2013 have died. Two had come from Disney and one came from the Nashville Zoo. The Nashville Zoo was going to send three more elephants to the center but instead has placed them in a sanctuary.


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misc

Elephants, hot springs and misty mountains: Forty-eight hours in Taungoo

2015-11-11 - Taungoo, Myanmar.

We departed for the Bago mountains on a tour up to visit an elephant camp, affiliated with the world renowned Save the Elephant Foundation. The work of SEF Myanmar is not just to help elephants and improve government regulations in regards to animal welfare and the environment, but also to provide education, improved healthcare and employment to the families of mahouts (elephant caretakers) and the poor villagers in the surrounding mountains.


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zoo
Aging Topeka Zoo elephants Sunda and Tembo have made a "remarkable transformation" in recent years and are in "really good health," zoo director Brendan Wiley told city council members Tuesday evening.

Topeka Zoo director: Not much is true in online petition seeking elephants removal. Wiley says aging pachyderms Sunda and Tembo are in really good health

2015-11-11 - Topeka, United States.

He made reference to a petition posted at change.org asking that Sunda and Tembo be removed to an elephant sanctuary. More than 150,500 people have signed the petition, which says the elephants — “after a lifetime of neglect” — should be able to spend the rest of their days happy and healthy.


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relocation
Currently there are only two elephants being housed at the National Elephant Center in Fellsmere, Tsavo, an estimated 7-year old male, and Thandi, an unrelated female around 35 or 36-years-old.

Exclusive: Remaining pachyderms leaving National Elephant Center in Fellsmere

2015-11-11 - Fellsmere, United States.

Fellsmere City Manager Jason Nunemaker said he and Mayor Susan Adams were assured by center officials that it will remain open despite the pending relocation of male and female elephants who were part of a herd of four that arrived in 2013 from Disney´s Animal Kingdom. Two of those elephants died at the center in 2014.


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medical
Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation (CEC) has partnered with pediatric oncologist Dr. Joshua Schiffman to tackle a new frontier of research and treatment

CIRCUS ELEPHANTS COULD BE THE CURE TO CHILDHOOD CANCER

2015-11-11 - Vienna, United States.

Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation (CEC) has partnered with pediatric oncologist Dr. Joshua Schiffman to tackle a new frontier of research and treatment. While humans have up to a 25 percent chance of getting cancer in their lifetime, elephants have a less than five percent chance.


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film
National Geographic filmmaker Geoff Luck has global experience in the natural world. He will give a TEDx talk on Friday about how working in Botswana with an elephant named Naledi became a life-changing event.

The big picture: Filmmaker Geoff Luck on what we can learn from elephants

2015-11-11 - Charlottesville, United States.

As a National Geographic filmmaker, Geoff Luck has experienced a wide swath of the microcosms that make up our world, covering diverse continents and cultures—but he also knows a hell of a lot about elephants. As part of TEDxCharlottesville’s November 13 event, Luck will give a talk on lessons he learned during his recent experience documenting a baby elephant in Botswana.


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misc

Elephants in Indonesia being trained to help fight forest fires

2015-11-11 - Riau, Indonesia.

Forestry officials in Indonesia are training elephants to help with the management of the local area. Trained elephants are now able to assist firefighter crews to put out forest fires, and prevent them from igniting. In the elephant conservation centre of Siak district, as many as 23 elephants have been trained to be ‘forest watchdogs’


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research

Can GPS Collars Protect Elephants At Virunga National Park?

2015-11-10 - Ituri, Congo. Dana Sanchez

The only way to save the fast-disappearing elephant population in DRC’s Virunga National Park is for rangers to be with them around the clock, says park director Emmanuel de Merode in an MSN video. The park has lost 95 percent of its elephants. With just 195 elephants left, rangers are turning to a solution they say may be the easiest: satellite collars on the elephants.


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smuggle

Five kilograms of elephant ivory, rhino horn seized in Jalpaiguri

2015-11-10 - Jalpaiguri, India.

The Forest Rangers seized five elephant tusks and a part of a rhino horn during a raid in West Bengal´s Jalpaiguri city on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, the Forest Rangers conducted a raid in Malbazar area of the city. Five men were also arrested on charges of smuggling.


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facility

Elephant clinic in Assam’s Kaziranga Panbari named after Mark Shand

2015-11-10 - Panbari, India.

A clinic for elephants of the northeast was inaugurated at the upcoming Mark Shand Memorial Learning Centre by Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, Founding Patron of the UK based charity Elephant Family and its CEO Ruth Powys in the presence of distinguished guests and a colourful audience from the neighbouring villages.


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circus

The day the elephants trumpeted their way through Cambridge

2015-11-10 - Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Robert Brothers Circus was a regular visitor to Midsummer Common, and rather than coming by road, the elephants arrived by train at Cambridge railway station, usually on a Friday or Saturday, as our archive photos show.


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conflict

Contraceptive Shot to End Jumbo Menace?

2015-11-10 - New Delhi, India.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests is proposing to immunise female elephants with contraceptives in West Bengal and Odisha to control increase in their population in an attempt to avoid human-elephant conflict. “Immuno-contraception is a technique of contraception, which induces hormonal changes in female elephants. So far, this technique has not been tried on Asian elephants, but the model has been quite successful in African elephants,” said a senior Union Environment Ministry...


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trade

Letters: Nicholas Serota answers Toby Young on arts teaching. Plus: saving the elephant

2015-11-10 - London, United Kingdom. Alexander Rhodes, CEO, Stop Ivory

The future of both elephants and rural communities across Africa depends on peace, security and tourism dollars. That future depends on us acting now to protect living elephants, not dead ivory.


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circus
An elephant paints as trainer Joey Frisco stands nearby, during a pre-show performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in March 2015 in Washington. The company will present "Circus XTREME" in June at the Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Ringling Bros. to present five shows at arena

2015-11-10 - Nebraska , United States.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday for five performances in June of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey´s "Circus XTREME.""Circus XTREME" also features Bengal tigers, two-humped camels ridden by Mongolian women and the most popular members of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey family: the magnificent Asian elephants.


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poaching
Militarised: Gunmen have turned a world heritage site the United Nations defines as

Armed poachers targeting elephants in Congo national park kill more than 200 in a year as rangers struggle to protect animals

2015-11-10 - Garamba National Park, Congo.

More than 200 elephants have been poached in Garamba since a census in April 2014 counted 1,780 elephants - down from more than 11,000 two decades ago. The shootout last month, in which three rangers and a Congolese army colonel were killed, highlights the challenge of protecting parks in a part of Africa plagued for decades by insurgencies, civil war, refugee flows and weak governments. It shows how some conservation efforts resemble a kind of guerrilla warfare in which rangers and soldiers sta...


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death

Carcass of elephant calf recovered

2015-11-10 - Dhenkanal, India.

Forest department officials today recovered a carcass of an elephant calf from Ganesh Khol forested area under Sarangi range in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district. Two persons have been injured by the mother of the dead calf. The injured are the local forester Sagramani and a photographer.


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poaching

Elephant poaching overlord NABBED!

2015-11-09 - Garamba National Park, Congo.

Ivory trade is so lucrative that gangs have been formed for the killing of thousands of elephants. The don of these gangs, Boniface Matthew Mariango, has been caught and arrested by Tanzanian officials according to John R. Platt, who writes for Scientific American as well as other publications.


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welfare

Captive Elephants Rules Amendment an Eyewash

2015-11-09 - Kochi, India.

In a serious lapse on the part of the State Government, the much touted Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules - 2012, framed for preventing abuse of elephants, was not tabled in the Assembly before being notified as a rule.

Replying to an RTI query, the State Information Officer stated that the examination carried out by the Information Commission had showed that there was no record to prove that the Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules-2012 (SRO No ...


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fossil
The discovery of the six-million-year old elephant skull in Shuitangba, Zhaotong City in China pushed back the species’ history by one million years. The fossil suggests that the species originated somewhere in Yunnan Province.

6 Million-Year-Old Skull Of Elephant Found In China

2015-11-09 - Zhaotong, China.

An Sinomastodon praeintermedius skull fossil, dating back to six million years, was discovered in Shuitangba in Zhaotong City in China. The recent discovery suggests the species originated somewhere in the Yunnan province or in nearby areas.


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conflict
Study reveals that rivers and streams are their favourite haunts in Karnataka national parks

Jumbos skip waterholes in Karnataka sanctuaries

2015-11-09 - BENGALURU, India.

With the elephant population relatively stable and reaching saturation point in many reserves, the focus had shifted to habitat management – that is, creation of water and food sources within National Parks to prevent elephants from venturing to the veritable buffet of cultivated crops that lie in the plains outside. However, do elephants frequent these spots? A study by researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences and Wildlife Conservation Society point to the contrary.


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conflict
Jadav Payeng standing near his cow-shed, which was recently damaged by wild elephants at Aruna Sapori.

Steps suggested to minimise man-elephant conflict

2015-11-09 - Jorhat, India.

Suggesting pragmatic measures to arrest the occasional death and destruction inflicted by herds of marauding wild elephants on both the banks of the Brahmaputra here, ‘Forest Man of India’ Jadav Payeng has mooted largescale plantation of fig, banana and bamboo in the vast sandbars of the mighty Red River, as he claimed to have achieved good results from such experimental forestry in a sandbar near Aruna Sapori within Jorhat district.


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circus
Mike the elephant, now 2 years old, was raised at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation—part day care, part school and part senior center for the company’s controversial circus herd—in Polk City, Florida. Mike can

Where Ringling Brothers Elephants Go To Retire

2015-11-09 - Polk City, United States.

Established in 1995, the 200-acre center is home to the largest herd of Asian elephants in the Western Hemisphere, some 28 pachyderms aged 2 to 70. Twenty-six elephant calves have been born here, including Barack, the now 6-year-old male who was the first CEC elephant conceived using artificial insemination.


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relocation

Nashville Zoo’s elephants relocated to sanctuary

2015-11-09 - Hohenwald, United States.

All three of the Nashville Zoos African Elephants have been relocated to a Tennessee sanctuary. It was decided in September that Rosie, 44, and 33-year-old Hadari would be moved to The Elephant Sanctuary (TES) in Hohenwald. It was recently decided that 31-year-old Sukari would also join the other two elephants.


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people

Rangers in Congo"s Garamba park fight, die in skirmishes with heavily armed elephant poachers

2015-11-08 - Johannesburg, South Africa.

The shootout last month, in which three rangers and a Congolese army colonel were killed, highlights the challenge of protecting parks in a part of Africa plagued for decades by insurgencies, civil war, refugee flows and weak governments. It shows how some conservation efforts resemble a kind of guerrilla warfare in which rangers and soldiers stalk — and are stalked by — poachers who are slaughtering Africa´s elephants and other wildlife.


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birth

Video: Clumsy And Cute Baby Elephant Plays With Orphaned Mother

2015-11-08 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Last month, orphan elephant Wendy got a new baby---and they have a roaring relationship which is both clumsy as well as cute, according to HNGN. The birth of a baby elephant is great news for conservationists, who are trying to increase the strength of the species.


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relocation
Eight-year old Masini at the Chadivayal elephant camp near Siruvani in Pooluvampatti Range in Coimbatore on Friday

8-year-old elephant preparing itself for new abode

2015-11-07 - Siruvani, India.

Masini, who was orphaned in 2007, has all along been in the Mudumalai Elephant Camp and is used to cool conditions. When it left the Mudumalai camp last week, after the government decided to give the elephant to the Samayapuram Mariamman Temple, the staff at the camp bid adieu to the friendly calf.


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birth

Pittsburgh Zoo awaits pregnancy news for trio of African elephants

2015-11-07 - Pittsburgh, United States.

Jackson, an African elephant bull, is doing his best to replenish the world´s shrinking pachyderm population, according to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. Jackson has mated with three females that could be pregnant


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medical
Elephant reservation with hospital facility in Way Kambas, Lampung, Indonesia

Elephant hospital set up in Way Kambas Lampung

2015-11-07 - Lampung, Indonesia.

Indonesia has set up a special hospital at Way Kambas Park in Lampung, Sumatra, to treat the Sumatran elephant. The elephant hospital named Prof Dr Ir Rubini Atmadijaja Hospital will also function as a facility for supporting conservation efforts, education and research on the Sumatran elephant, the parks public relations coordinator, Sukatmoko said here Saturday.


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conflict

Elephants raid village, kill one

2015-11-06 - Bardhaman, India.

A herd of wild elephants raided Pursha village under Galsi police station in Burdwan district killing a man and injuring his wife besides damaging several houses, DFO Ajay Das said today. Nanulal Soren (64) and his wife Phulmani were sleeping on the verandah last night when an elephant trampled them. While Nanulal died, Phulmani was under treatment in hospital, Das said.


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smuggle
The pair will have to pay a fine of HK$5 million (about $645,127.60) to avoid spending two years in jail

Pair held in Hong Kong over 36kg ivory

2015-11-06 - Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

TWO men who were travelling from Zimbabwe to Hong Kong have been detained after 36kgs of suspected ivory products were found in their luggage. The reports indicate that during customs clearance, customs officers found about 19kgs of suspected ivory products concealed in a tailor-made vest inside the hand luggage belonging to the 47-year-old


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misc

Israeli zoo donates to Thai elephant hospital with check in elephant’s trunk

2015-11-06 - Lampang, Thailand.

Thai Ambassador to Israel Angsana Sihapitak received a $1,500 donation from the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo for an elephant hospital in Lampang, Thailand. The check was delivered Thursday by an Asian elephant named Tamar, who presented it to the ambassador in her trunk.


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facility

Zoo officials say new maternal elephant facility construction underway in Pittsburgh

2015-11-06 - Pittsburg, United States.

Construction of an elephant maternal care center for the Pittsburgh zoo is in full swing — and just in time as three elephants could be pregnant. The new International Conservation Center facility, for the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, is located about 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, near Fairhope. The new center will be able to hold up to 15 elephants.


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research

Zoology Notes 009: Elephants use trunks like leaf blowers

2015-11-06 - Tokyo, Japan.

Researchers in Japan have now conducted a more detailed investigation of this behaviour, by setting two female elephants at Kamine Zoo a range of food-blasting challenges. Typically, it took the elephants just 3 blows to bring a food item within reach.


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trade

Sonepur ban may hit supply of elephants to Kerala

2015-11-05 - KOCHI, India.

Supply of elephants — those bling-bedecked pachyderms that take pride of place at the state´s numerous temple festivals — to Kerala could be drying up. That´s because trade in the large mammals has been banned at the annual Sonepur cattle fair in Bihar, the biggest source for the creatures in recent years.


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conservation

African countries agree on measures to protect elephants

2015-11-05 - Porto-Novo, Benin.

Representatives of wildlife conservation agencies from 20 African countries met on Wednesday in Cotonou, Benin´s capital, and came up with a series of measures aimed at protecting elephants on the African continent.


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conflict

India, Bangladesh join hands for safe cross-border elephant migration

2015-11-05 - GUWAHATI, India.

Human migration may remain a contentious issue between India and Bangladesh, but not for elephants. The two countries are working with their respective external affairs and home affairs ministries to ensure that jumbos can cross the international boundary with ease. "We (India and Bangladesh) are cooperating on trans-boundary conservation of elephants.


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trade

Zimbabwe earns US$1m from elephant sales – Report

2015-11-05 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe has earned US$1 million from the sale of 100 elephants to China early this year, state radio reported Thursday.According to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, the baby elephants were sold to the Asian country using guidelines of the International Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species. It said the proceeds from the sale have been channelled towards conservation programmes being undertaken by the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.


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medical

Elephants get ambulance service in Kerala

2015-11-05 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Kerala has taken on a jumbo project: elephants in the state will soon have the luxury of ´ambulance´ service to transport sick and injured jumbos. For the first time, the state forest department has launched an animal ambulance, a specially designed vehicle for elephants, at the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary (WWS), a paradise for wild jumbos in north Kerala.


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misc
Bill Starling Sr. of Medicine Hat joined the navy in the Second World War and here is seen holding, Salty, the ship

Lest We Forget: Animals were key to war efforts

2015-11-04 - London, United Kingdom.

If horses were quick and strong, elephants were exceptionally strong and intimidating. They could charge towards the enemy instilling fear and confusion. A British man, Billy Williams, had an uncanny ability to understand elephants and motivate them to do what he needed them to do.


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relocation

VIRGINIA ZOO PLANS TO RELOCATE ELEPHANTS LISA AND CITA

2015-11-03 - Richmond, United States.

Following the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the oversight and governing body of accredited zoos in the U.S., Lisa and Cita will relocate to Zoo Miami in 2016. Zoo Miami is home to two older female African elephants, Mable and Peggy.


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death
Bull elephant Hari Hi Way died on Tuesday after falling ill with a viral infection

Chester Zoo: Second young elephant dies in six weeks

2015-10-28 - Chester, United Kingdom.

A second young elephant has died in the space of six weeks at Chester Zoo.
Three-year-old Hari Hi Way was being treated by vets at the zoo after falling ill with a viral infection. Despite their efforts, the bull calf elephant died late on Tuesday afternoon. A post-mortem examination will take place, the zoo confirmed.


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medical

Over 50% elephants die before puberty: Study

2015-10-20 - New Delhi, India.

According to a study, over 50% of Indian elephants are dying before puberty. To discuss the matter, a two-day international symposium on ´Ecology and Health Management of Asiatic Elephant´ will be organized in the national capital.


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poaching
Visitors looking at a Sumatran elephant in its enclosure at Ragunan zoo in Jakarta on July 21, 2015.

Two rare Sumatran elephants found dead in Indonesia, poison suspected: official

2015-10-15 - BANDA ACEH, Indonesia.

Two critically-endangered Sumatran elephants have been found dead from suspected poisoning in Indonesia´s Aceh province, an official said on Thursday (Oct 15). Villagers found the carcasses of the female elephants, aged two and 15, bleeding from their mouths and rectums in the forest near Panggong village, in Aceh Jaya district, on Wednesday (Oct 14), local conservation agency chief Genman Suhefti Hasibuan told Agence France-Presse.


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fossil
Daniel Fisher, director of the U-M Museum of Paleontology and leader of the dig near Chelsea. Fisher is a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.   Read more at: http://ph

Washtenaw County mammoth find hints at role of early humans

2015-10-05 - Chelsea, United States.

A team of University of Michigan paleontologists and an excavator who donated his time worked all day at the site in Lima Township, roughly 10 miles southwest of Ann Arbor and several miles from the town of Chelsea. They were able to recover about 20 percent of the animal´s bones, including the skull and two tusks, numerous vertebrae and ribs, the pelvis and both shoulder blades.


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misc

Zambia elephant population tenth of 1981 numbers: first pan-African census in over 40 years

2015-10-02 - Lusaka, Zambia.

This count will be the first pan-African census in over 40 years. Researchers in 20 countries will use a standardized method of data collection to create an up-to-date picture of the status of African elephants. In 1981, Zambia alone had an estimated 160,000 elephants. Today their number is likely one tenth of that.


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misc
Tamani weighs in at close to 6,000 pounds. He currently resides with three other bull elephants at the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama.

Kansas City Zoo announces addition of young male elephant

2015-10-02 - Kansas City, United States. Chris Oberholtz

The Kansas City Zoo is preparing for a bull African elephant arrival sometime this month. Tamani, meaning "hope" in Swahilli, will turn 10 on Oct. 17 and will join six female African elephants that are past their reproductive years. But zoo officials hope to acquire younger females in the future.

"While our females are not in their reproductive years, it is our intent to exhibit some in the future," said Randy Wisthoff, the zoo´s executive director. "Tamani provides us the o...


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medical

4-year-old elephant dies at OKC Zoo

2015-10-02 - Oklahoma City, United States.

The Oklahoma City Zoo announced Thursday that 4-year-old female Asian elephant Malee died. Malee died about 4 a.m. Thursday. Zookeepers noticed that Malee was moving slower than usual Wednesday afternoon, although she was eating and doing other activities normally, according to a news release


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poaching

Beloved Elephant Yongki Killed by Ivory Poachers, Sparks Outrage

2015-09-29 - Lampung, Indonesia.

According to AFP, it’s suspected that Yongki, a 35-year-old Sumatran elephant who helped patrol Indonesian jungles, died of poisoning at the hands of poachers. His maimed and bloodied body was found nearby a camp at the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park where he had lived.


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conflict

Conflict with elephants leaves 660 dead in Odisha in a decade

2015-09-24 - Odisha, India.

The elephant population in Odisha continues to rise and so do cases of man-elephant conflict. Even though the government claims to have spent crores under various projects to avert such conflict, 660 men and women have lost their lives in past 10 years.


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pictures

Because We Could All Use Some Baby Elephants in Our Lives

2015-09-22 - London, United Kingdom.

Not that we need a reason to celebrate baby animals, because we actually love them all day, every day, but today is National Elephant Appreciation Day, so we wanted to highlight these specific babies. Scroll through to see some of the sweetest pictures we could find, and then check out all the rest of our photos, videos, and stories about elephants.


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death
The two-year-old elephant had contracted an illness called elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, which affects wild and captive elephants

Chester Zoo elephant calf Bala Hi Way dies after illness

2015-09-16 - Chester, United Kingdom.

Bala Hi Way, who was born in January 2013, became ill over the weekend and was being treated by veterinary teams at the zoo. Despite their efforts, the animal died on Monday night, the zoo confirmed. The two-year-old had contracted an illness called elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus, which affects wild and captive elephants.


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birth

Elephant calf, hippo, terrapins add zing to Bannerghatta Park

2015-07-01 - Bangalore, India.

An elephant calf, a baby hippopotamus and 72 rescued black-spotted terrapins are among the new attractions. The female calf was born in BBP 10 days ago to elephant Suvarna. With this, the number of female elephants at BBP has increased to 12.


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medical

Hogle Zoo"s 55-year-old elephant hoisted to its feet with crane

2015-05-10 - SALT LAKE CITY, United States.

The oldest African Elephant in North America and long-time Zoo favorite, 55-year-old Dari, had a difficult time getting up Friday morning. Zoo staff found Dari lying on the ground unable to stand. With a stiff and arthritic hind leg, Dari could not get the leverage she needed to get up on her own.


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death

45-year-old female elephant Champa dies in Indore zoo

2015-05-02 - INDORE, India.

Pall of gloom descended on Indore zoo following the death of 45-year-old female elephant Champa, barely two weeks after she was shifted to its new home on the zoo premises, on Friday late night.


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evolution
By drilling into mammoth tusks and other remains, researchers now have the the extinct creatures

Mammoth genome sequence completed

2015-04-23 - Stockholm, Sweden. Pallab Ghosh

A US team is already attempting to study the animals´ characteristics by inserting mammoth genes into elephant stem cells. The new genome study has been published in the Journal Current Biology, Dr Love Dalén at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm told BBC


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event
The Jumbo the Elephant statue at Tufts University.

Probably Not A Hero But Definitely A Mascot, Jumbo The Elephant Is Honored With A Statue At Tufts

2015-04-21 - CRAIG LEMOULT, United States.

Maybe you remember your school mascot as just a classmate in a bear outfit or some kind of pirate get-up at half time. But at Tufts University, the mascot is much more specific — and historic. Friday, the Tufts community gathered to unveil a huge new statue of their unique mascot Jumbo the elephant.


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zoo

Lanka’s first Open Air Zoo will open today

2015-04-20 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

The Zoological Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports took the initiative of expediting the construction work of the Open Air Zoo in Pinnawala. It has come up in adjacent to the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala. The public will be given the opportunity of visiting this Zoo free of charge from today until the 01st of next month. It spans 44 acres. The Open Air Zoo has been mainly built on behalf of animals endemic to the country. Zoological Director Anura De Silva said...


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misc

Athagarh gears up for elephant census

2015-04-20 - CUTTACK, India.

Athagarh forest division has chalked out elaborate measures to ensure an error-free elephant census. It will be carried out from May 26 to 28. Official sources said forest officers will sight the pachyderms and record their population from 37 watchtowers to be built across the division.


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smuggle

5 arrested for possessing elephant tusks in Namibia

2015-04-20 - Kavango, Namibia.

Police in Namibia said on Monday that they have arrested five men for possessing nine elephants tusks, a few days after reports that more than 11 elephants have been killed by poachers in the country this year. The arrested are two Namibians, one Angolan and two Tswanas, police said.


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smuggle
A Thai customs officer inspects smuggled African elephant tusks on April 20 in Bangkok.

Thailand seizes smuggled elephant tusks worth $6 million

2015-04-20 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Thailand seized 4 tons of ivory hidden in bean sacks tracked from Congo in what authorities said was the biggest bust in the country’s history, customs officials said Monday. The 739 elephant tusks, bound for Laos, were seized upon arrival at a port in Bangkok on Saturday after the authorities received a tip and had tracked the containers from Congo, Customs Department director-general Somchai Sujjapongse told reporters.


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poaching
One of the five elephants that have died in Dak Lak this year. Photo provided by Elephant Conservation Center of Dak Lak province.

Fifth elephant dies in Dak Lak in four months

2015-04-20 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

The authorities are still conducting investigations to clarify the cause of death of an elephant named H´Lun (38 years old), under the management of Mr. Y Nhuan Hmok, 69, of EaWer commune, Buon Don district, Dak Lak province, famous for elephants in Vietnam. It is reported that the elephant was stabbed on its left thigh by someone on March 30. The Elephant Conservation Center of Dak Lak Province brought the elephant to the Ranger Station No. 1 of Yok Don National Park for treatment.


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welfare

New SC Bench to hear PIL on elephant cruelty

2015-04-18 - New Delhi, India.

Justice Madan B. Lokur of Social Justice Bench of Supreme Court on Friday didn´t take up the public interest litigation petition filed against preventing cruelty to elephants by parading them in temple festivals and in other places. However, Justice Lokur transferred the case to Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Prafulla C. Pant.


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circus

The Elephant"s No Longer in the Room: Four Lessons Animal Rights Groups, Zoos and Circuses can Learn From the Shift at Ringling Brothers

2015-04-17 - San Francisco, United States. Bill Shireman

Now that Ringling Brothers has committed to end its elephant shows, for example, it would be tempting for many advocates to go for the kill, and seek to shut down every circus, zoo, or aquarium where animals are put on display for entertainment. But here is the elephant in the room: continuing to demonize animal venues would be a sell-out of the movement´s higher mission. Circuses and zoos can be among the strongest and most effective allies for animal protection, if we mix pressure with p...


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misc
An elephant loaded with fodder pillaged from the city’s trees navigates a busy Delihi road in monsoon rain.

India mulls ban on captive elephants

2015-04-15 - New Delhi, India.

Elephants have been kept on the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi for hundreds of years but the changing environment of the city and mounting pressure from animal welfare activists look set to consign this ancient way of life to the history books. On Friday, India’s Supreme Court is expected to reach a decision on banning the use of captive elephants in religious functions, processions and other events.


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conflict

4-year-old boy thrashed to death by an elephant

2015-04-15 - Ludhiana, India.

In a macabre incident, an elephant went berserk and repeatedly thrashed a 4-year-old boy to death with his trunk on the road in the Grain market situated on the Gill road here today, police said. According to police and eyewitness accounts the elephant was escorted by four persons who were moving on the road with the purpose of collecting money and food from the people. The boy was identified as Vickky, son of a slum dweller.


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misc

Cameroon: Elephant Poaching - New Tracking System in Place

2015-04-15 - Buea, Cameroon. Veyu Diana Ngoran

Meeting in Buea in the South West recently, regional experts decried the decline of elephants, pointing accusation to poachers. They unanimously agreed on the putting in place of a new tracking system known as the Elephant Trade Information System, ETIS, a tool kit that facilitates data collection on ivory trade.


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conflict

Elephant kills villager at Kadashole, Borjora Forest Ranger in West Bengal

2015-04-15 - Borjora, India.

50-year-old Swapan Bauri was cycling back home in Baguli village after attending ´Gajan´ or ´Charak Puja´ festivities in Kandashole village when he was chased by two male elephants. One of the pachyderms lifted him by his trunk and then trampled him to death at Kadashole, Borjora Forest Ranger, Mohan Chandra Shit said today.


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misc

Conflating the figures - Zimbabwe attempts to justify selling off its wild elephants

2015-04-15 - Harare, Zimbabwe. Adam Cruise

Zimbabwe’s elephant population is so large that it has reached double the country’s carrying capacity, claims Zimbabwe’s minister for the environment, water and climate, Saviour Kasukuwere, who believes that his country’s recent capture and selling off young wild elephants, to zoos and private collections to the middle and far-east are necessary in order to control the exploding population. Kasukuwere provided no scientific evidence to support his claims regarding ca...


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poaching
In this photograph taken on August 29, 2014, a mahout for the elephant patrol unit run by Leuser International Foundation prepares his Sumatran elephant for a patrol in Langkat District, North Sumatra Province, located near the Leuser ecosystem forest co

Endangered Sumatran elephant found butchered, tusks missing

2015-04-15 - Aceh, Indonesia.

A Sumatran elephant has been found shot dead in Indonesia with its tusks removed and its head badly mutilated, an official said Wednesday, the latest suspected attack by poachers on the critically-endangered animals. The carcass of the male elephant, aged around 20, was found Monday in a forest in Aceh province, on western Sumatra island, local conservation agency chief Genman Suhefti Hasibuan told AFP.


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event

Oregon’s beloved elephant Packy turns 53. Packy is the oldest male of his species in North America

2015-04-15 - Portland, United States.

The Oregon Zoo’s beloved patriarch elephant, Packy, is celebrating another birthday: the six-ton senior just turned 53. Zoo officials say Packy is the oldest male of his species on the North American continent. The zoo’s elephant curator Bob Lee said Packy has slowed down in old age and the zoo is trying to give him the most comfortable life possible.


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trade

Don’t crush seized ivory – flood the market with it!

2015-04-12 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Sherry UAE

I just got into work and I always have a cup of tea and read the paper. Why destroy the ivory (‘Crushing blow to ivory trade’, 7DAYS, April 9). Why not instead pay someone to make things out of it and then sell it cheap, this way by flooding the market the price will come down then they won’t kill them if it is cheap as chips, as they won’t make money. Flood, flood, flood the market.


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film

A love of elephants is not enough for film funders

2015-04-12 - Santa Monica, United States.

The much-vaunted film of Richard Leakey that is set to be made by Angelina Jolie may not get off the ground. Jolie wants the movie to focus on the battle with the poachers that Leakey undertook during the 1980’s while the movie funders wanted the movie to be a romantic love story.


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misc

Raising his voice against “a stolen generation” of elephant

2015-04-12 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

Reiterating that elephants are an endangered species, Mr. Samarasinghe is quick to point out that the illegal capture of baby elephants from the wild began after 1994, with powerful people including politicians of the then regime keeping them hidden. “Gradually, in the last two to three years it became a huge business,” he laments, stressing that people need to understand the gravity of capturing a baby elephant when it is still suckling. Both the mother and the baby are traumatised.


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conflict
The house of Kunjan at Aanappara, near Thirunelly, in Wayanad district that was destroyed by a wild elephant on Saturday morning.

Man suffers grievous injuries in elephant attack in Wayanad

2015-04-12 - Wayanad, India.

A wild tusker on Saturday morning attacked Kunjan, 55, of Cholangadi, near Aanappara, in the Tholpetty range of forests under the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. The tusker destroyed his house. Mr. Kunjan was admitted to the District Hospital at Mananthavady with serious injuries. His nine-year-old daughter escaped the tusker attack. The elephant also partially destroyed the house of Raju Cholangadi and a cattle shed of Raju Aranappara, the villagers said.


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conservation

DRONES ARE SAVING WILD ELEPHANT POPULATIONS FROM POACHERS IN AFRICA

2015-04-12 - Sydney, Australia.

A partnership between the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Kenyan Wildlife Service has led to the creation of a drone protection program targeted at identifying and discouraging poachers. The vehicles allow monitoring and identification of elephant populations, and provide a window in the sky from which to search for poachers.


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medical

Zoos clash with sanctuaries over treatment of elephant TB

2015-04-11 - Seattle, United States.

The country’s two elephant sanctuaries have, indeed, taken in several animals with confirmed or suspected cases of the disease. When officials at Woodland Park Zoo decided to send Seattle’s aging females, Chai and Bamboo, to the Oklahoma City Zoo instead of a sanctuary, TB was one of the reasons cited. But TB is by no means exclusive to sanctuaries. Three males at Oregon Zoo in Portland were recently diagnosed in quick succession, and six staff members tested positive for exposure.


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misc
Anjalee gets a bath from keeper Andrew Coers at the encloure in Niue where she

Anjalee the elephant: Auckland zookeeper has spent 6 months to get her here

2015-04-11 - Niue, Niue.

Anjalee arrived in Niue last month and will reside there in a purpose-built enclosure for around 90 days until biosecurity officials give her the all-clear. She was born in the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka. Her mother was rescued from the wild as a severely injured orphan, while her father was born at Pinnawala as part of its captive breeding programme. At two metres in height and weighing 1600kg, Anjalee has several years of growing yet to do and is significantly smaller than Burma...


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trade

Connecticut considers total ivory ban

2015-04-11 - Hartford, United States.

Antique dealers, collectors, auctioneers and museum representatives gathered in Connecticut last month to oppose a bill seeking a total and uncompromising ban on the sale of ivory.The Raised Bill No. 6955 goes significantly further than last year´s federal ban on the commercial sale of elephant ivory and rhino horn or the state legislation recently adopted in New York and New Jersey.


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zoo
State Archives of Florida Debbie the elephant at Jacksonville

Call Box: Englewood first-graders trumpeted arrival of Debbie the elephant

2015-04-11 - Jacksonville, United States.

I have a question concerning an elephant that was born in the Jacksonville Zoo I believe in 1956, maybe 1957, and there was a contest to name the elephant. My class named it Debbie, and we got to go to the zoo for the day.


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misc

Rescued baby elephant taken to Jaldapara from Jhargram Zoo

2015-04-11 - Jaldapara, United States.

A baby elephant, kept in Jhargram Mini Zoo for the past one-and-a-half-months, was today taken to the Jaldapara National Park by forest department, and named Durga. The little jumbo, of 4-5 feet height, was separated from its herd and rescued by wildlife personnel from Sankrail forest in West Midnapore district, Sahu said.


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people

Action Alert! Save a Species ~ Ride an Elephant

2015-04-11 - Perris, United States.

Animal rights extremists are trying to keep the elephants from coming to the Kern County Fair, where they´ve been loved for over a decade! Please voice your support for keeping elephant rides at the fair, before the decision 20th meeting. Write to the Kern County Fair Board of Directors: MOlcott@kerncountyfair.com, JBurton@kerncountyfair.com


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misc
A crane carries a dead elephant, electrocuted while foraging for food, near Guwahati

Fall of the giants

2015-04-11 - Guwahati, India.

In the last six years, Assam has lost more than 40 elephants to poisoning, electrocution, train accidents and bullet injuries. This gruesome man-animal conflict is only likely to worsen unless drastic measures are taken by the state authorities. Since 1987, more than 150 elephants have been killed in rail accidents across the country, many of them in Assam.


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misc
A bullhook is a blend of a bat and a fireplace poker, and it is ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE AUTHOR, used to dominate elephants by poking, prodding, and hitting the animals on their sensitive skin, causing searing pain.

California Not Dreamin’ as It Moves to Ban Bullhooks

2015-04-11 - Los Angeles, United States.

In a move closely related to the epochal March 5th announcement from Ringling Bros. that it plans to phase out the use of elephants in its traveling shows, California state Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) has introduced SB 716, a bill to prohibit the use of bullhooks on elephants in California.


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conflict

Jumbo tramples villager to death

2015-04-11 - Chipinge, Zimbabwe. Manicaland Correspondent

A CHIPINGE man was trampled to death by an elephant whilst guarding his field, recently. The incident happened at Mahenye village under Chief Garahwa area. Chipinge district police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Blessing Kadzuraumera, confirmed the death of Julius Sithole, 48.


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conflict
The project envisages mapping of the new paths that elephants have established to move away from forests. This will be done for the first time in tea gardens.

Three-year, joint management project to curb man, elephant conflict

2015-04-10 - KOLKATA, India.

Apeejay Tea and WWF India on Thursday announced a three-year, joint management project to find lasting solutions to manage the human-elephant conflicts in Assam. The first phase, which focuses on reducing human-elephant mortality levels substantially, will commence immediately with an intensive conflict management effort in Sonitpur district.


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circus

Ringling Brothers phases out elephants, builds sanctuary in FL

2015-04-09 - Venice, United States.

Ringling Brothers circus is phasing out elephants in its shows, and all of its elephants are expected to retire by 2018. Tucked away in rural central Florida, the elephant sanctuary is where some Ringling Brothers elephants are already enjoying their retirement. "It´s so quiet," said Kenneth Feld, Chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. "You can walk around, and you don´t hear anything." It´s located on 200 acres of land, and it´s a place where some of the elephants from ...


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facility

SR Instruments Installs New Platform Scale for Elephants and Rhinos at the Buffalo Zoo

2015-04-09 - TONAWANDA, United States.

SR Instruments, a leading manufacturer of customized, purpose-built scales for healthcare, veterinary, zoological, aquarium, theme and water park applications, today announced that it has successfully installed a new, large platform scale for the Buffalo Zoo’s elephant and rhino habitats.


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conflict
Terror prevailed at Korba forest region when three women were trampled to death at two separate spots by a herd of elephants on Sunday.

Tuskers trample 3 women to death in Chhattisgarh

2015-04-09 - Raipur, India.

Terror prevailed at Korba forest region when three women were trampled to death at two separate spots by a herd of elephants on Sunday. This is tenth death reported due to tusker attack in four months in northern Chhattisgarh, officials said.


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wild

KABINI MAGIC BECKONS TOURISTS, ELEPHANTS

2015-04-09 - Mysore, India.

The congregation of elephant herds at the Kabini backwaters has begun to unfold, much to the delight of wildlife enthusiasts and tourists. An annual phenomena which peaks during summer, scores of elephants have been sighted at Kabini backwaters in the last couple of days. Their numbers are expected to increase in the weeks ahead.


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misc

Elephant-minders at Yok Don National Park work to preserve remaining herd

2015-04-09 - Yok Don, Vietnam.

According to the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Center, the number of wild and domesticated elephants in the locality is declining in the area. A report shows there were more than 550 wild elephants in 1980, but the figure has dropped to 70-80. Seventeen elephants have been killed since 2009. There were 502 domesticated elephants in 1980, but now there are only 48.


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misc

UPDATE: Attempt to seize Oruwala elephants engaged in Polo results in jumbo encounter

2015-04-09 - Oruwala, Sri Lanka.

The elephant calf which was taken into custody of the wildlife officers in the Oruwala area in Athurugiriya recently was presented before the Kaduwela Magistrate on the night of Monday April 6. The magistrate ordered for the elephant calf to be transferred to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The Kaduwela Magistrate also ordered the release of the two mahouts on bail.


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relocation

Elephant Nadia Forced to Quit Phuket Resort

2015-04-09 - Phuket, Thailand. Prasit Tarnsirisin and Alan Morison

Nadia, a juvenile elephant that became target of an online petition to save her from a Phuket resort, has been moved. She has a new home, a new job - and a new name. Managers at the Marina Phuket Resort in Karon told the elephants owners to move her at the weekend from the resort because of an online campaign


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misc

Federal judge refuses to block Seattle elephants" transfer from one zoo to another

2015-04-09 - Seattle, United States.

A federal judge on Tuesday criticized conditions for elephants at both the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and the Oklahoma City Zoo but refused to block the transfer of two aging Seattle elephants to Oklahoma. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour said Tuesday he was "deeply troubled" that the Oklahoma zoo won´t be able to offer Chai and Bamboo "the climate nor nearly the amount of space that independent experts have said is necessary for their well-being," The Seattle Times reported (http://i...


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misc

Visiting the Temple Elephants of Kerala, India

2015-04-09 - Guruvayur, India. Mary-Rose Abraham

The unique sanctuary in the state of Kerala, India, is called Anakotta (“Elephant Fort”) and houses 58 elephants. They make their home on the grounds of a former royal palace and belong, quite literally, to God. The sanctuary is managed by the Guruvayur Temple, one of the most prominent Hindu shrines in India. And each elephant is a devotional offering to its presiding deity, Lord Krishna.


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misc

Kenya: Third Elephant Killed in Laikipia Conservancy

2015-04-09 - Laikipia, Kenya.

ANOTHER elephant has been killed by poachers at Naigera area of Engelesha Forest in the Laikipia Nature Conservancy, Laikipia county. Conservancy director Kuki Gallmann said the elephant´s tusks were hacked off by the poachers, who struck on Monday. This brings to three the number of elephants killed at the conservancy this year by poachers. "It was shot on the right front leg, right side, back and right ear," she said. The killing of the 20-year-old animal occurred a hundred metres away f...


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book

Review of Caitlin O"Connell"s book "Elephant Don"

2015-04-09 - Washington, United States.

Portions of the book are adapted from postings to the New York Times’s Scientist at Work blog that the author wrote while also publishing more technical presentations of her findings in Ethology Ecology & Evolution, American Zoologist and other peer-reviewed journals. When not doing fieldwork in Namibia, O’Connell is an instructor at the Stanford University School of Medicine.


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misc

UAE to destroy 10 tonnes of tusks as it takes a tough stance against ivory smuggling

2015-04-09 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Megha Merani

The UAE is to destroy more than 10 tonnes of ivory seized from smugglers as part of efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade. The Ministry of Environment and Water said the crushing of the ivory is the first of its kind in the Middle East and demonstrates the country’s “zero tolerance” on smuggling.


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circus

Circus elephant sanctuary ‘like “Jurassic Park” with a happy ending,’ owner says

2015-04-09 - Polk City, United States.

The Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation sits on 200 acres of land in rural central Florida, halfway between Orlando and Sarasota, off a nondescript country road. An armed security guard greets you at the entrance. Twenty-nine elephants currently live here, and 13 more will join the group by 2018, after Ringling Bros. decided this year to stop using elephants in its traveling circus.


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relocation

Auckland-bound elephant Anjalee arrives in Niue

2015-04-09 - Alofi, Niue.

An eight-year-old elephant eventually to reside in Auckland Zoo has made her much anticipated journey from Sri Lanka to Niue. Anjalee is to be a companion for Burma at Auckland Zoo, but first requires completion of a three month quarantine period in Niue. Auckland Zoo staff has been preparing for Anjalee´s arrival in Niue for five years, and are very excited to see their hard work pay off when she flies in on a C-130 Hercules.


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misc

Bid to make sanctuary haven for Bornean elephants

2015-04-09 - Kota Kinabatangan, Malaysia.

The community of Kampung Perpaduan here hopes to make the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (LKWS) as a haven for almost 300 Bornean elephants that reside there. EU-REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Project Manager, Dr Raymond Alfred said that it was a challenge for them to achieve that aim since LKWS was surrounded by human settlements, oil palm plantations and unprotected private lands.


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conflict

Thorny bamboo bushes to protect tea gardens from elephants

2015-04-09 - Assam, India.

To reduce tea crop losses and prevent man-elephant conflict, four tea estates of Assam will soon be "bio-fenced" with thickets of thorny bamboos. Under a strategic partnership to prevent and manage man-elephant conflict, Apeejay Tea has tied up with the World Wildlife Fund to make a series of interventions and also calculate the amount of damage caused by the pachyderms. Dipankar Ghose, Director (Species & Landscape) WWF-India, said on an average 400 people get killed in India each year in confl...


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film

ELEPHANTS, EASTENDERS & EMPLOYMENT: THE BEST OF TONIGHT"S TV

2015-04-09 - Dublin, Ireland.

From baby elephants to amateur cooks, there´s plenty to watch tonight! The Zoo – RTÉ One (7.00pm) The series is back to showcase the daily occurrences and major events happening at Dublin Zoo, including the arrival of three elephant calves.


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relocation
Bamboo, a 48-year-old Asain Elephant who has lived most of her like at Woodland Park Zoo. The zoo is preparing her and the other Asain Elephant, Chai, for a move to Oklahoma City Zoo.

Preparing To Move The Woodland Park Zoo Elephants to Oklahoma City Zoo.

2015-04-09 - Seattle, United States. JENNIFER WING

Woodland Park Zoo is actively preparing its two Asian Elephants, Chai and Bamboo, to make the journey to Oklahoma City Zoo. Nancy Hawkes, the zoo’s Curator, says it involves months of planning. “Anything to do with elephants takes time.” Two custom made crates were built for Chai and Bamboo. In February, one was put in their yard so they could get use to it. Keepers stood nearby with watermelons and honeydews to lure them in.


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relocation
(YouTube Photo/ElephantNews)

Mother-daughter elephants separated for years reunite

2015-04-09 - Indianapolis, United States.

Video of a reunion between a mother elephant and her baby is making its way around the Internet and prompting thousands of viewers to say, “awwwwwww.” MeBai and her mother Mae Yui had been separated for three years. A videographer was there when the mother-daughter pair were reunited on a sunny day. It’s plain to see the moment is a happy one. MeBai and Mae Yui appear to be dancing around, ears flapping in and out, and each donning smiles so big they’re infectious.


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poaching

Elephant poached in Bwabwata

2015-04-09 - Windhoek, Namibia.

An elephant was found dead at Muit’jiku village of Kavango East in the Buffalo core area of Bwabwata West last Friday. Muit’jiku is located in Bwabwata West National Park in Mukwe Constituency in Kavango East.
The elephant carcass was allegedly found by villagers who then informed the police at Divundu. It was discovered on Friday morning at about 06h00 and was believed to have been poached. An initial police investigation found two gunshot entry and exit wounds in the carca...


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welfare
Baby elephants, in particular, have been a focus of complaints.

Livestock officers check reports of elephant abuse on Phuket

2015-04-06 - Phuket, Thailand. Nattha Thepbamrung

Taveesak Sawasdivej, an official with the Muang District Livestock, said that he had led a team to check three places that were accused of abusing elephants, but had found no evidence of this.“This month, we will survey every elephant camp and places that are reported to have elephants working. There will be an annual health check that will include checks on their microchips and the licenses.”


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conflict

Strayed wild elephant kills a man in Bengal

2015-04-04 - Kolkata, India.

In a sad incident, a young man was gored and killed by a wild elephant herd in Bankura district of West Bengal on Saturday. According to information, the incident occurred in Kuchkunda village under Barjora forest range of the district in the early hours of Saturday while the 25-year-old man was sleeping outside his house.


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conflict

Border guard, woodcutter trampled to death

2015-04-03 - Coxs Bazar, India.

Two people, including a Border Guard Bangladesh member, were trampled to death by wild elephants in Cox´s Bazar and Chittagong yesterday. The BGB man was identified as Lance Nayak Habibur Rahman, 44, who hailed from Jhalakathi, reports our Cox´s Bazar correspondent. Commander of BGB-17 Battalion in Cox´s Bazar Col Khalequzzaman said Habibur was killed after three wild elephants attacked a BGB team which had gone to Himchhari Shampan Hill area in Ramu upazila around 2:00am...


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misc

Zimbabwe’s Plan to Export Wild Elephants: The Full Audio Interviews

2015-04-02 - Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.

Over the last few months, there have been ongoing and alarming reports about a group of elephant calves held captive in enclosures in the Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s flagship wilderness area.Inside sources, people on the ground in the park, have said that these animals were snatched from their wild herds, rounded up in a facility, and are now being readied for export to unconfirmed destinations around the world.


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death

Oregon Zoo euthanizes 31-Year-Old Elephant

2015-03-31 - Portland, United States. Felix Balthasar

On Monday, the Oregon Zoo euthanized a 31-year-old elephant named Rama. The zoo officials took this hard decision as Rama was in extreme pain due to an old leg injury. Rama was treated with physical therapy techniques and anti-inflammatory medications. But the zoo officials said that none of them were proving effective to lessen the pain. In fact, no new modifications were able to improve Rama´s quality of life.


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relocation

Auckland-bound elephant Anjalee is on her way

2015-03-13 - Auckland, New Zealand.

Auckland Zoo is delighted to announce that an eight-year-old Asian elephant na​med Anjalee has begun her journey to join the Zoo´s 32-year-old female elephant Burma. ​Anjalee is the first of two elephants that will be coming to Auckland Zoo from Sri Lanka´s Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage; at 7 o´clock (NZT) she boarded an Emirates freighter plane in Colombo. Following a 12-hour flight to Auckland Airport, she will continue the second leg of her journey on a Ne...


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misc
Feisal Ali Mohamed has been in Interpol

Interpol arrests businessman Feisal Ali Mohamed over ivory trafficking

2014-12-24 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Interpol has arrested Kenyan businessman Feisal Ali Mohamed over trafficking of ivory. Mohamed was tracked down to Tanzania following a warrant of arrest issued against him in October 2014. The organisation had posted Mohamed’s picture and details on its website saying he is wanted for dealing with ivory.


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misc

Time to Ban The Big Boy Elephants on Phuket and in Phang Nga

2014-11-20 - Phuket, Thailand.

The bludgeoning to death of two elephant handlers over just three days this week in separate incidents shows how real the risk is any time that male elephants are used in the tourism industry. Two Russian tourists on board one of the out-of-control elephants were fortunate to escape injury or death.


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fossil
A Mastodon skeleton on display at the National History Museum of Los Angeles County, July 8, 2010 in Los Angeles, California  Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-11-argentine-unearths-mastodon-yard.html#jCp

Argentine unearths mastodon in his yard

2014-11-06 - San Lorenzo, United States.

An Argentine man digging a well in his yard struck fossils believed to be the bones of a 10,000-year-old mastodon, an extinct mammal. San Lorenzo is located in the Pampas lowlands where other mastodons—part of the elephant family—have been discovered, several of which are on display at the history museum.


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zoo
Pictured today Wednesday, 17th September 2014 at Dublin Zoo are The Natural Confectionery Company Facebook competition winners Katie Bushe (left) and Sally Cullen (right) with Gerry Creighton Operations Manager for Dublin Zoo

Dublin Zoo names new baby elephant calves Kavi and Ashoka

2014-09-17 - Dublin, Ireland. Freya Drohan

Siobhan Cullen, from Balgriffin in Co Dublin, suggested the name Kavi, an Indian word which means poet or wise man, for the bull calf. Katie Bush, from Malahide in Co Dublin, won the honour of naming the second calf Ashoka, born in August, after one of India’s greatest emperors.


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misc

Announcing the M. Phil Kahl Postdoctoral Fellowship

2014-09-13 - Azle, United States.

Research proposals to conduct policy or management related projects (e.g. those directly mitigating human-elephant conflict or combating poaching) will not be considered. Additionally, research on ex situ elephants will not be considered unless it is a minor portion of a longer-term, in situ study. Studies involving a laboratory component (e.g., genetic or endocrine) are welcomed, but the emphasis should be on the field work.


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misc

Rosie and Opal, Hope elephants, will head back to Oklahoma: Not necessarily a permanent move

2014-09-11 - Hope, United States.

The Hope Elephants board of directors announced late Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 10, that Rosie and Opal will return to Oklahoma to the Endangered Ark Foundation, where they had lived before coming to Maine two years ago. The board has also established a Jim Laurita Fund. “The move back there is not necessarily a permanent move,” said Hope Elephants spokesman Andrew Stewart, this evening. “In the interim, we will make plans for the future and how best to move forward.”


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workshop

Elephant Ultrasound Course at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, UK

2014-09-11 - Whipsnade, United Kingdom.

This hands on course will be held September 11./12., 2014 and aims to teach the basics in elephant reproduction management. During the practical session, each participant will practice transrectal ultrasound on trained Asian elephants in different reproductive stages. Furthermore, basic set ups for semen collection and AI will be demonstrated.


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misc

Six Elephant Poachers Caught in Mozambique Reserve

2014-09-10 - MARRUPA, Mozambique.

Six suspected poachers were arrested in Marrupa on Sunday in a joint operation conducted by the Mecula District police, Luwire scouts and Niassa National Reserve Wildlife Conservation Society scouts. The arrests were the result of a 10-month investigation informed by crucial on-the-ground intelligence about their activities in the Niassa National Reserve, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, based in New York City. The Wildlife Conservation Society has been co-managing the Niassa Nat...


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abstract

First Fatality Associated with Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus 5 in an Asian Elephant: Pathological Findings and Complete Viral Genome Sequence

2014-09-10 - , United States. Wilkie, Davison, Kerr, Stidworthy, Redrobe, Steinbach, Dastjerdi, Denk

Here, we report the pathological characteristics of the first fatality linked to EEHV5 infection, and describe the complete viral DNA sequence. Gross post-mortem and histological findings were indistinguishable from lethal cases previously attributed to other EEHV genotypes, and the presence of characteristic herpesviral inclusions in capillary endothelial cells at several sites was consistent with the diagnosis of acute EEHV infection.


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medical

Herpes suspected to have killed jumbo calf in Kerala forest

2014-09-10 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

The death of a two-year-old elephant in Wayanad forest in Kerala is suspected to be due to herpes, a deadly infectious disease. Samples of the male calf´s carcass has been sent to Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences College in Pookkot in Wayanad for analysis and confirmation to ascertain if herpes virus was the cause of the death, a senior faculty of the college said.


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conflict

Co-Founder Of Elephant Rescue Jim Laurita Crushed To Death By Elephant

2014-09-10 - Hope, United States.

Veterinarian Dr. Jim Laurita, 56, was found dead in the barn of Hope Elephants on Tuesday morning, the Portland Press Herald reports. Police first believed he had fallen and hit his head on a cement floor, but an afternoon autopsy determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation and fractures from chest compressions.


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relocation

Madhya Pradesh forest department to get 9 elephants from Karnataka

2014-09-08 - Bhopal, India.

Madhya Pradesh forest department would soon be getting nine elephants from their Karnataka counterpart to expand its almost 50-strong pachyderm population used for monitoring tigers and patrolling in the various tiger reserves in the state, official said on Sunday.


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event

13th King"s Cup Elephant Polo in Thailand

2014-08-28 - Bangkok, Thailand.

The annual tournament, now in its thirteenth year, will take place at the Siam Polo Park at VR Sports Club in Bangkok between 28-31 August 2014.


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event
Under the full August moon, a large temple tusker leaves the Dalada Maligawa carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic Casket.

Kandy Perahera 2014

2014-08-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

The most popular and colourful festival in Sri Lanka, Kandy Perahera is celebrated once a year usually in August. Dates for Kandy Perahera 2014 will be from 01st to the 11th of August 2014.


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poaching

Sumatran Elephant Found Dead in Riau

2014-06-27 - Riau, Indonesia.

A wild Sumatran elephant was found dead in a village in Riau, allegedly hunted and killed for its tusks, according to Antara. The elephant was found dead in Lubuk Kembang Bunga village in Pelalawan district last week. The elephant was part of a herd from Tesso Nilo National Park (TNTN). This case adds to the long list of elephant deaths in Riau due to hunting and conflict with humans. Forty-five elephants have died in Sumatra since 2012.


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smuggle
The elephant tusks and ivory artifacts that were seized by customs officers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on June 22, 2014

Vietnam confiscates 90kg of elephant tusks, ivory artifacts allegedly smuggled from Africa

2014-06-25 - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Vietnam’s customs officers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport discovered Sunday 39 African elephant tusks and about 100 ivory handicrafts worth over US$188,000 hidden in a package allegedly shipped from Africa. Customs officers have seized all the tusks and ivory artifacts, worth VND4 billion ($188,271), for investigation.


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birth

Adorable Elephant Calf Makes Debut At Howletts

2014-06-17 - Bekesbourne, United Kingdom.

Keepers at Howletts Wild Animal Park, one of Kent’s most popular visitor attractions, are celebrating the birth of an adorable baby elephant. Born just over a week ago, the calf and her mother Tammi are both reported to be doing well.


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death

Joy the elephant dies en route to new home

2014-06-16 - Greenville, United States.

Joni (Joy), a beloved 44-year-old African elephant at the Greenville Zoo, died while en route to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo which was to have been her new home, zoo officials said Sunday. She was being transported because both zoos believed she would receive better geriatric care and have more opportunities for socialization at her new home in Colorado Springs.


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people
Stephen, who raised £4.2m for Teenage Cancer Trust, was pictured hugging the baby

West Midlands Safari Park names baby elephant after Stephen Sutton

2014-06-12 - Bewdley, United Kingdom.

The first elephant born at West Midlands Safari Park has been named Sutton after cancer fundraiser Stephen Sutton. The names ´Stephen´ or ´Sutton´ were frontrunners in a competition to name the male which was born on 5 May.


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poaching

Alarm as 117 elephant carcasses found in Maasai Mara Game Reserve

2014-06-09 - Narok, Kenya.

Scientists who have been carrying wildlife census in Maasai Mara Game Reserve have stumbled on 117 fresh and old elephant carcasses. The elephants, whose tusks were missing, may have been killed by poachers or the local community in human-wildlife conflicts. Last month, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) acting Director General William Kiprono said elephant population in the Mara was declining at an alarming rate and called on residents to help security agencies reverse the trend.


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relocation
A man climbs atop Sambo the elephant at Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace in 2000 after a woman with a hose gave Sambo a shower.

Sambo’s return to Phnom Penh city nixed

2014-06-09 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Sambo the elephant will not be allowed to return to work in Phnom Penh, because both City Hall and the Forestry Administration oppose the idea, the FA’s director-general said yesterday. The 54-year-old Sambo left the city in 2012 after decades of entertaining and giving rides to tourists at Wat Phnom, a job that left her painfully lame and in need of serious rehabilitation.


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smuggle
A policeman arranges seized elephant tusks to be inspected at Makupa police station in Mombasa  Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-kenyan-police-seize-300-elephant-tusks-being-packed-at-port-city-2014-05#ixzz33vu4RMKj

Kenyan police seize 300 elephant tusks being packed at port city

2014-06-07 - Mombasa, Kenya.

Kenyan authorities seized 228 whole elephant tusks and 74 others in pieces as they were being packed for export in the port city of Mombasa, police and wildlife officials said. Police arrested one suspect and were searching for another who escaped, Marwa said, noting that the suspect in custody tried to bribe police officers by offering them 5 million shillings ($57,100).


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facility
Three of the zoo

Zurich Zoo opens new 57-million-franc ($63.5-million) facility for elephants

2014-06-05 - Zurich, Switzerland.

The 11,000-square-metre park features six times the space of the previous enclosure and six water basins for the elephants to swim in. Visitors can get an aquarium view of them under the water in one of the basins, which has a glass wall. The cost of the elephant park was financed through foundation grants, legacies and sums donated by 5,500 individuals.


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misc

At least 34 wild elephants poached in Myanmar last year

2014-06-01 - Yangon, Myanmar.

"We arrested poachers in 34 cases of elephant slayings last year but we believe there were a lot more deaths," said Aye Myint Maung,deputy minister of environmental conservation and forestry. "There are some areas we can’t reach because of fighting between the government and ethnic rebels," he told dpa. There are 2,500 to 3,000 wild elephants left in Myanmar’s jungles, down from 6,000 in 1960-1970, and 4,639 recorded in a 1991 census, the deputy minister said, citing government estimates.


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misc
A photo taken in 2012 shows a hidden Image of two elephants at Siem Reap’s Angkor Wat. Through a digital enhancement technique called decorrelation stretch analysis, Noel Hidalgo Tan was able to reveal the images on temple walls.

Angkor still has secrets to reveal

2014-05-29 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Every day, hundreds of pilgrimages to Angkor Wat come to an end without a single glimpse of a centuries-old secret, one that long ago faded into the ancient temple walls. By using digital photography and computer analysis, researchers recently discovered elaborate depictions and murals of elephants, trees, boats and Buddha that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye, erased from plain sight by years of weathering.


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welfare
Sambo the elephant gets hosed down by one of her caretakers yesterday on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Sambo retired two years ago after spending more than 20 years as a tourist attraction at Phnom Penh’s Wat Phnom

Short-lived retirement for Phnom Penh elephant Sambo?

2014-05-28 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Two years after she was walked out of the city in the middle of the night to a quiet life of retirement on the outskirts of the capital, Sambo, Phnom Penh’s iconic and much-beloved elephant, might soon be back at work entertaining tourists. With funding for her recently concluded rehabilitation program now gone, her owner is insisting he has little choice but to begin showcasing her once more at Wat Phnom, a decision contested by the elephant rescue organisation that bankrolled her two-year sa...


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smuggle
Customs officials in the northern city of Hai Phong on Saturday seized more than one ton of ivory smuggled into Vietnam.

Vietnam seizes over 1 ton of elephant tusks smuggled from Hong Kong

2014-05-25 - Hai Phong, Vietnam.

The tusks were concealed in a 40-foot container. The customs declaration for the container claimed it held 15 tons of charcoal. Local customs officers inspected the container and found that the haul of elephant tusks, each of which was cut into many pieces and hidden in charcoal bags. The shipment was smuggled into Vietnam from Hong Kong by sea before being exported to China, they said.


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welfare

Knysna Elephant Parks Response to Abuse Allegations

2014-05-23 - Knysna, South Africa.

This press statement is being put out by the Knysna Elephant Park (KEP) and Elephants of Eden (EOE) in response to the abuse allegations and Facebook entries on the NSPCA Facebook Site and disseminated by the NSPCA to the various news stations and probably newspapers as well. The legal adviser for EOE, Mr. F J Fischer of C J Ballan Inc of Knysna, has received the necessary instructions to investigate civil action against the NSPCA and Mr. Gerhard Van Rooyen.


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misc

Alleged animal abuse at Knysna Elephant Park

2014-05-19 - Knysna, South Africa.

The National Council of SPCA’s (NSPCA) has laid criminal charges against a well-known elephant sanctuary in Knysna for extreme cruelty to animals after photographs emerged showing wounded elephants. The Knysna Elephant Park, part of the Elephants of Eden group before it moved from the Eastern Cape to Knysna, offers visitors a range of experiences with elephants – from close encounters (their ‘Be Touched by an Elephant tour) to exclusive walks, rides and even a sleepover with elephants.


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misc

Hong Kong begins destroying 131,000 pounds of elephant ivory

2014-05-17 - Hong Kong, China.

Hong Kong has begun destroying its 29.6-metric-ton stockpile of confiscated ivory. On Thursday authorities in the semi-autonomous Chinese city crushed and incinerated a ton of seized ivory in an action they hope will send a message to poachers and traffickers. Conservationists welcomed the move but said more must be done to address the demand side of the issue.


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poaching

Shock as SANParks discovers first poached elephant in ten years

2014-05-15 - Kruger National Park, South Africa.

The South African National Parks (SANParks) has today announced the first confirmed elephant poaching incident in the Kruger National Park (KNP) in well over ten years. The incident occurred in the Pafuri region, in the northern part of the KNP. According to SANParks Rangers Corp Officer Commanding, Major General (Ret) Johan Jooste, forensic evidence suggests that this elephant bull was purposefully shot for its tusks, which were hacked off and carried away by suspected poachers.


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conference

Elephant summit set in Tanzania late this week

2014-05-09 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The Tanzania government, in collaboration with the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) of the United States of America and the United Nations Development Program, has organized a special conference late this week to address elephant conservation and anti-poaching initiatives. This conference, to be taking place in Tanzania’s capital city of Dar es Salaam, will take place Friday this week and is expected to attract national and international stakeholders in conservation of wildl...


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poaching
Plai Boonmee is recovering at his residence in Hua Hin.

Thieves cut tusks off live elephant at Hutsadin Elephant Foundation

2014-05-06 - Prachuab Khiri Khan, Thailand. Post Publishing PCL.

Ivory thieves broke into the Hutsadin Elephant Foundation in Prachuap Khiri Khan province and cut both tusks off an elderly male elephant on Sunday night, and a sacked mahout is one of the suspects. The foundation manager, Piyawut Phetchumpol, said Plai Boonmee, the male elephant, was recovering from the shock of having his ivory snatched and was being given vitamins hidden inside bananas and pineapples.


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misc

Rescued Jumbos a Burden for Bannerghatta Zoo

2014-05-06 - Bangalore, India.

Sources told Express that the Forest Department had not kept its promise to release more money towards feeding those pachyderms and the additional burden has fallen on the zoo. The zoo required just three to four elephants for display purposes, but it has 15 elephants. Maintaining them has become a big problem.


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fossil
3-D digital skeleton of an adult male mastodon, part of the new University of Michigan Online Repository of Fossils website. A mounted cast of the Buesching mastodon skeleton, which is on display at the U-M Museum of Natural History, was used to align th

Paleontologists unveil online showcase of 3-D fossil remains

2014-05-06 - Ann Arbor, United States.

More than two decades ago, University of Michigan paleontologist Daniel Fisher and some of his students began the laborious task of digitally scanning the bones of mastodons, mammoths and other prehistoric creatures so the images could be displayed on computers.


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misc
An african elephant enjoys herself as zoo staff hose her down with water at the Karachi Zoological Gardens. The rise in temperature has affected the zoo animals as there are no ponds for them to cool off in.

As temperatures run wild, Karachi zoo residents hit the ice bucket

2014-05-06 - Karachi, Pakistan.

The people of Karachi are not the only ones suffering from the heat wave. The rise in temperature has also affected the animals at the Karachi Zoological Gardens as the ‘ponds’ where they can escape the heat are small and uncomfortable and in one case, nonexistent. While other animals have been provided ponds ‘according to the sizes’, the pair of elephants at the zoo have not been as lucky. To escape the heat, they are being kept under shelter during the day and are shifted to open cages...


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conservation
A UQ study has shown the captive elephant population in Laos is declining as the elephants are not allowed to breed at a rate sufficient to sustain the population.

Captive elephants in Laos face extinction

2014-05-05 - , Laos.

The captive elephant population in Laos will be extinct in just over a century if current management practices do not change, a University of Queensland study has found. It is estimated that only 480 captive elephants remain across Laos, and the study shows that changes to conservation management are necessary to prevent extinction.


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zoo

Zoo"s kitty swells with elephant adoption plan

2014-05-05 - Pune, India.

The adoption of elephants, as part of the Katraj zoo adoption scheme, contributed to a major chunk of the money raised through this scheme last year. The zoo raised Rs 5.55 lakh in 2013, the second highest amount collected since the scheme´s launch in 2010. It costs Rs 45,000 a month to care for an elephant and last year, the elephants were adopted several times


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book

On My Nightstand: ‘Water for Elephants’ tender and cruel

2014-05-04 - Punta Gorda, United States. Barbara J. Bonsignore

Jacob reminisces about his earlier life as chief medical person for all of the animals at the Benzini Bros. Circus – “The Greatest Show on Earth.” He dropped out of vet school before his final exam so was technically a vet student. The author gives us a varied tapestry of life behind the scenes at “The Big Top” – the greed, poverty, violence, tawdriness, friendship and caring between the circus employees.


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misc

ARAs increasing their market shares in India, complains about elephants being "paraded on uneven surfaces" etc...

2014-05-04 - Thrissur, India. Dhinesh Kallungal

Dhinesh Kallungal:"The stage is set for one of the ‘mammoth misuses’ of captive elephants in the country, with the festival organisers of Thrissur Pooram, the largest temple festival in the South India, doing the final preparations to make the festival a roaring success at the cultural capital of Kerala."


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people

This "Kalpana Chawla" obeys 50-odd commands

2014-05-04 - Pollachi, India.

Every love story is interesting. This one is more so as R. Palanisamy begins saying ‘Kalpana Chawla’ will be expecting him back home. He is a mahout and ‘Kalpana Chawla’ is the elephant he has trained. And, they both live in the Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s elephant camp in Topslip.


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conservation

In Land That Values Ivory, Wild Elephants Find a Safe Haven

2014-05-04 - Xishuangbanna, China.

At a time when tens of thousands of elephants across Africa are being slaughtered to feed the Chinese appetite for ivory, it turns out the best place to be a wild elephant may be here in the tropical forests of southwest China. Over the past two decades, the number of Asiatic elephants in Yunnan Province in China has roughly doubled, to nearly 300, thanks to government-financed feeding programs, wildlife education efforts and a strict elephant protection law unmatched anywhere else in the world....


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misc

Ivory Ban Impacts Musicians

2014-05-04 - Washington, United States.

In June, the United States begins strict enforcement of a ban on ivory from the tusks of African and Asian elephants. But the ban is forcing musicians to make a choice, perform without their favorite instruments, or give up work that takes them across the U.S. border.


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misc

Peruvaram Mahadeva temple: Squad checks on jumbos after complaint

2014-05-04 - Kochi, India.

Following a complaint that wounded jumbos were being paraded at the Peruvaram Mahadeva temple at Paravur, a five-member flying squad of the forest department inspected the elephants being readied for the ´kazcha seeveli´ ritual on Saturday evening. We´ve found a wound near the knee of an elephant, Mangalakunnu Karnan. But Dr Gireesh, the veterinarian who issued fitness certificates for the jumbos said the wound is not as severe as to cause pain to the animal.


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death

Wild elephant succumbs to blast injuries in the mouth

2014-05-04 - KANNUR, India.

A wild elephant that is suspected to have killed a tribal woman at Aralam here two weeks ago died on Thursday apparently due to injury caused by some explosion. Forest officials said the elephant was found wandering in Aralam with some injury in its mouth in the last week of April, nearly a week after the tribal woman was trampled to death.


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people
Dr. Milton Ness hold Lucy

Man who tended to Lucy the elephant dies

2014-05-04 - Edmonton, United States.

A man who fought vigorously against animal rights activists who wanted to see Lucy the Elephant moved to an animal sanctuary, has died. Doctor Milton Ness, a chief veterinarian at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, passed away last week. In 2012, Ness was honoured by the Alberta Veterinarian Medical Association for his exceptional communication with Edmonton residents.


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zoo

Oakland Zoo Receives Statue in Memory of Sidney Snow

2014-05-03 - Oakland, United States.

On Saturday, May 3, 2014, at 11:00am, Dr. Joel Parrott, President & CEO of Oakland Zoo, will accept the dedication of a bronze elephant statue from the Snow family, in memory of Sidney A. Snow, who personally procured the land for Oakland Zoo and founded the Alameda County Zoological Society, now the East Bay Zoological Society. Snow served as Director of Oakland Zoo from 1936 until his death in 1959.


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smuggle

2 Kenyan police arrested transporting ivory

2014-05-03 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan wildlife authorities say two police officers have been arrested transporting illegal elephant ivory as the government cracks down on poaching of the country’s endangered elephants and rhinos. Kenya Wildlife Service said Saturday the officers were caught with six pieces of ivory at a road block while travelling from the central Kenyan town of Meru to the capital Friday night.


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poaching

KWS launch manhunt for poachers who killed 6 elephants in Tsavo

2014-05-03 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) said Saturday its rangers have launched a major manhunt for poachers who killed six elephants and carted off ivory in a poaching incident last Thursday. KWS spokesman Paul Mbugua said the six elephants have been confirmed poached and two - female adults, tusks’ chopped off at Dawida ranch in the periphery of Tsavo West National Park. “Four others were all tusk-less juvenile. All carcasses had gunshot wounds. The area is prone to livestock herding with a number o...


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facility

Agra provides unique haven for elephants to roam unfettered

2014-05-03 - Agra, India.

A first of its kind unique elephant conservation centre in Agra rescues elephants from various party of the country and provides a safe haven where the animal can roam about unfettered. The 10- acre centre has been opened by the Wildlife Association and Save Our Souls (SOS) and is located near Mathura. A similar elephant centre is underway in Haryana.


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poaching

Investigations on poaching an elephant calf from Udawala sanctuary : Video

2014-05-03 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka.

Wildlife Director General W.B. Rathnayake says that he will hold an investigation with regard to the attempt of poaching an elephant calf from the Uda-Walawa Sanctuary yesterday afternoon. Later Wildlife officers have chased after the poachers, and the poachers have fired gun shots at wildlife officers. However wildlife officers found the calf elephant after it was abandoned by its poachers in a nearby shrub jungle.


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misc

Attempt to abduct elephant calf from Udawalawe averted

2014-05-02 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka.

Some gangsters who had allegedly attempted to remove an elephant calf from the Udawalawe National Park on Thursday and transport it by a tractor were intercepted by the wildlife officers and the residents. When their motives came to light they had fled leaving the calf behind. Residents in the area believe that his high handed act of piracy was attempted with state patronage.


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poaching
Another male elephant, Genk, was found dead in Aceh Jaya last year. His poachers are currently on trial.  Genk

Police apprehend elephant-killers in Sumatra

2014-05-01 - Aceh, Indonesia.

Eleven people were arrested on April 16 by West Aceh police for allegedly killing a Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), in a forest six kilometers away from Teupin Panah village, Kaway XVI, in the West Aceh district. The suspects -- five from Ceumara village, one from Babah Lueng village, three from Seumantok village, and two from Teupin Panah village -- confessed to killing two elephants in Pante Ceuremen forest and one elephant in Kaway XVI over the course of a year.


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misc

Not just any elephant can take part in Thrissur pooram!

2014-05-01 - Thrissur, India.

It is common knowledge that the Thrissur Pooram was the brain child of King Sakthan Thampuran, who also had the dense teak forests of the renowned Thekkinkadu Maidanam cleared, just for its sake. "There won´t be a next generation of elephants in Kerala, and consequently, no more Poorams! Enjoy them while they are still on,


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circus
City Councilman Paul Koretz holds a bullhook as he argues for a ban on the use of such implements to train or control elephants in an October 2013 meeting at Los Angeles City Hall.

City Council bans use of bullhooks on circus elephants in L.A.

2014-05-01 - Los Angeles, United States.

The bullhook ban will go into effect at the beginning of 2017 a delay meant to give circuses time to change how they handle elephants or remove them from their shows completely. "We´re not going to come to L.A. without our elephants," said Stephen Payne, vice president of corporate communications for Feld Entertainment, the parent company for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.


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poaching
It is thought that the killings were at least partly motivated by revenge against officials because the calves, not having tusks, had no value to poachers.

Poachers held after revenge attack on elephants

2014-04-30 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Three suspects will appear in court in Kenya next week after six elephants, including four juveniles, were found shot dead in a private reserve in one of the worst poaching incidents in several years. A wildlife official said that it is thought that the killings were at least partly motivated by revenge against officials because the calves, not having tusks, had no value to poachers.


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misc
The female wild elephant standing in the Edamalayar Dam reservoir feeding on palm fronds offered by Forest officials.

Wild elephant reluctant to go back

2014-04-30 - Ernakulam, India.

An injured female wild elephant that took refuge in the reservoir of the Edamalayar Dam in Ernakulam district a week ago after getting isolated from its herd is reluctant to return to the forests. The elephant that limped back into the forests on Saturday morning was found back in the reservoir on Sunday morning


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misc

NGT stays construction of wall inside Rajaji Park

2014-04-29 - Uttarakhand, India.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stayed construction of a 2-km wall inside the Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand, after it found the wall would obstruct a passage used by elephants along the Song River. The Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE), an NGO, had filed a petition with the NGT about the construction being carried out by the state irrigation department, without taking permission from the Union forest ministry.


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misc

Camilla and Charles "utterly devastated" as Duchess"s brother Mark Shand, 62, dies after slipping and smashing his head when he left £1million fundraiser in New York for his elephant charity

2014-04-24 - , United Kingdom.

The Duchess of Cornwall was left ‘utterly devastated’ last night by the death of her younger brother in New York. Mark Shand, 62, suffered a head injury when he slipped and fell on the pavement on a night out in Manhattan. He was put on life support but doctors could not save him and he died 12 hours later. Camilla, 66, was extremely close to her only brother, who was known for his swashbuckling travel books and passionate commitment to conservation.


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misc

100 forest department employees on election duty could not cast vote; boss puts it as "natural"

2014-04-20 - GARUMARA, India.

Over 90 captive elephants of West Bengal Forest Department are inseparable part of Election process in Northern part of the state that hosts a vast forest area under many reserved and unreserved forests including Buxa Tiger reserve, Garumara National park, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary or Chapramari WL Sanctuary.


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fossil
University of Washington paleontologist Christian Sidor uncovers a small part of a fossilized mammoth tusk partially wrapped in layers of foil, plaster and plastic to allow it to slowly dry at the school

Fragile Seattle mammoth tusk must dry out before DNA is tested (with photos)

2014-02-27 - Seattle, United States.

The fossilized mammoth tusk discovered at a Seattle construction site will reveal its age, gender and life story, but probably not for another year, because that´s how long it will take scientists to dry out the water-logged and fragile tusk, officials at the Burke Museum said Wednesday.


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conservation
Namibia’s delegate to the London Conference, Minister of Foreign Affairs Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah

2014-02-27 - Windhoek, Namibia.

Namibia’s successful implementation of conservation policies has seen the country’s wildlife population rebound dramatically in the past two decades. More than 25 000 elephants exist in Namibia currently, up from a mere 7000 elephants in 1995.


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event
International comedian and actor John Cleese surveys the elephant exhibit during his visit to Taronga Western Plains Zoo in 2006.

"Basil Fawlty" to open accommodation

2014-02-27 - Sydney, Australia.

International comedian and actor John Cleese is coming to Dubbo to put on a show and help open new accommodation at Taronga Western Plains Zoo (TWPZ). The unforgettable star of shows like Fawlty Towers and the cult Monty Python films will travel to the city in late March. The general manager confirmed that the 40-year veteran of stage and screen would perform at TWPZ.


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birth
The Asian elephant Ryuka that has become pregnant. At Okinawa Zoo & Museum on February 10.

Elephant becomes pregnant for the first time in Okinawa

2014-02-25 - Okinawa, Japan.

The Okinawa Zoo & Museum has announced on February 10 that 13-year-old Asian elephant Ryuka is pregnant. It is the first time that an elephant has become pregnant in Okinawa. She is scheduled to give birth around next March. Ten elephants have been born in Japan since the war. The people related to the zoo hope the elephant will be born in Okinawa for the first time.


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circus
Carol, one of three Asian elephants performing with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, sniffs about during a powerwash bath from handler Brett Carden before showtime at Landers Center in Southaven, Miss. Thursday March 22, 2012.

Ringling Bros. Wins $9.3 Million In Settlement From ASPCA Over Claims Of Elephant Abuse

2014-02-22 - Washington, United States.

A decade-long legal battle is finally coming to a close after the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) agreed to pay the owners of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus $9.3 million for alleging the circus abused their elephants. “Animal activists have been attacking our family, our company, and our employees for decades because they oppose animals in circuses,” Kenneth Feld, chairman and chief executive officer of Feld Entertainment, said in a stateme...


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misc
Elephant handlers use a tool called a bullhook that guides the animals. The tool has been ruled safe and acceptable, according to Janice Aria, head of animal stewardship with Ringling Bros.

Elephant "bullhook" guide is safe and widely accepted, says Ringling Bros. director of animal stewardship

2014-02-21 - New York, United States.

Our animals are inspected by animal welfare officials and routinely inspected and are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Despite this heavy regulatory scrutiny, many animal-rights groups criticize our animal care and the use of approved and widely accepted elephant tools, like the guide (often referred to by animal extremists as a “bullhook”). Groups like the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Elephant Managers Association and other professional organizations recognize ...


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relocation
Noah

Noah"s Ark Zoo Farm: Buta the elephant arrives at her new home

2014-02-21 - Wraxall, United Kingdom.

NOAH´S Ark Zoo Farm in Wraxall welcomed a new arrival at its Elephant Eden site on Thursday. Buta, a female African elephant, became the first to move into the largest purpose-built elephant habitat in northern Europe where the zoo hopes to establish a herd. Buta was transported to the new 20-acre area from Knowsley Safari after four months of special training


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conflict
Staff members of the zoo of Kunming look over the elephant enclosure on Feb 19, 2014 after a zookeeper died in it on Wednesday afternoon.

Chinese zookeeper dies in elephant enclosure

2014-02-20 - Kunming, China.

A zookeeper died in an elephant enclosure on Wednesday afternoon in southwest China´s Yunnan province, a source at the zoo said. The man, 46, was found dead at about 4:30 p.m. He had injuries to his head, according to the zoo of Kunming, the provincial capital. It is not yet known whether the man had been attacked by an elephant. The cause of the accident is being investigated.


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misc

New elephant Mila/Jumbo at San Diego Zoo meeting her zoo-mates

2014-02-11 - San Diego, United States.

Animal care staff has been introducing Mila to one the female elephants of the herd -- the most dominant of the group -- an Asian elephant named Mary. They say the interactions have been largely positive, with Mila and Mary reaching through the barriers with their trunks to get to know each other. The 41-year-old elephant arrived in San Diego from a zoo in New Zealand back in November.


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conflict

5 forest officials, 5 civilians injured in elephant attack

2014-02-09 - DHARMAPURI, India.

Five forest department staff and as many as five civilians were injured after they were attacked by a herd of elephants near Denkanikottah, 32km from Hosur in Krishnagiri district, official sources said today. All the injured persons have been hospitalised and are out of danger.


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conflict

2 injured in elephants attack in China

2014-02-09 - Xishuangbanna, China.

Two tourists were injured by a group of wild elephants at a scenic spot in China´s southwestern Yunnan Province, local officials said today. The incident took place at the Wild Elephant Valley in the Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna yesterday when the elephants trying to cross a river attacked a family of five.


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misc

Japan"s eldest elephant, Hanako, celebrates 67th birthday at Inokashira Park Zoo

2014-02-09 - Mitaka, Japan.

Hanako, a female Asian elephant who arrived in Japan shortly after the end of World War II celebrated her 67th birthday on Feb. 2 at Inokashira Park Zoo -- continuing her distinction as Japan´s eldest elephant. Also attending the occasion was the family of the late Thai businessperson Somwang Sarasas, who presented Hanako as a gift in 1949 with his own funds.


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circus

Ringling Brothers Barnum and Baileys Circus elephant Carol is returning to Tupelo

2014-02-07 - Tupelo, United States.

A circus elephant is coming back to Mississippi, nearly a year after being injured in a drive-by shooting. Carol, a 39-year-old Asian elephant, spent several weeks recovering at a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus farm in Springfield, Mo., after the April 9, 2013, shooting outside BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Miss. The animal was shot in the shoulder. No arrests have been made but the case remains open.


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poaching

Drones Enter the Battle Against Elephant, Rhino Poachers

2014-02-06 - Windhoek, Namibia.

To give park rangers in Africa an upper hand in the fight against poachers, conservationists are bringing drones to the places where vulnerable elephants and rhinoceroses roam. Google gave the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) a $5 million Global Impact Award about a year ago to look for new ways to detect and deterwildlife crime.


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conflict

Mahouts no longer stand by elephants

2014-02-06 - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India.

The brutal death of Saneesh, a mahout who was mauled by a 19 year old elephant at Thevara, is due to the disruption of a long standing relationship of trust and love that mahouts and elephants used to have till a decade ago. Saneesh was the twenty eighth mahout that 19 year old Uttoli Mahadevan, had to take orders from in the last seven years.


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people
The elephant that killed its mahout and smashed part of a house in Thevara on Tuesday evening.

Only 1 licensed vet in Kochi to dart rampaging animals. Shortage of hands for sedating restive elephants a cause for concern

2014-02-06 - Kochi, India.

Don’t blame it on the veterinarians if they arrive late to dart restive wild animals as Kochi has only one licensed government veterinarian for the jumbo job. Though there is enough number of government veterinarians in the district who can dart the animals, including elephants, only one has the licence to pick up the dart gun and fire to sedate them. And it may take hours for making his service available as proved in the city on Tuesday. It took nearly three hours for the veterinarian to arr...


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zoo
The highlight of a visit to the Adelaide Zoo was a ride in Samorn

Adelaide, remember when Samorn the elephant and George the orangutan lived at the zoo?

2014-02-06 - Adelaide, Australia.

A gift from the king of Thailand in 1956, Samorn the elephant charmed children and adults alike at the zoo for 35 years by hauling them around the zoo grounds in a cart. Meaning "beautiful lady" in Thai, Samorn was admired by everyone as a gentle giant who loved her "mahout", Hero Nuus and enjoyed her regular contact with children. The three-tonne elephant retired from the role in 1982 and moved to Monarto Zoological Park nine years later. She died in 1994 and in 1998 her bones were put on displ...


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conflict

Tusker attack kills man in Chitwan

2014-02-06 - Chitwan, Nepal.

A man died after a wild elephant attacked him at Gardi VDC-1 in the district on Wednesday night. The victim is identified as 43-year-old Sher Bahadur Darjee of Gardi VDC. Notorious elephant called Dhrube had killed other three people in a row of attacks after it first took one’s life at Ameliya village in the Madi area last year. The government had spent 1,600,000 rupees in a bid to take Dhrube under control.


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trade

Illegal ivory trade increasing in Myanmar

2014-02-05 - Yangon, Myanmar.

“Simply speaking, smuggling ivory out of the country is increasing. Surveys also show that. As a result, the Forest Department is trying to control it in collaboration with international wildlife preservation organisations,” said the researcher, requesting anonymity. An official from the Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE) called for systematic measures, stating that the increasing illegal ivory trade is a danger to the nation.


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research

KWS Launches Elephant Census Exercise in Kenya

2014-02-05 - Nairobi, Kenya.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has launched a programme to count the elephant population in both the Tsavo National Park and Mkomanzi Park in Tanzania. A total of 1193 elephants were counted in the year 2013 compared to a similar dry season in October 2010 count of 1065, a 12 per cent increase. In April 2013, the wet season count found 1930 elephants compared to 1420 in April 2010, a 35 per cent increase. Elephant population increased from 1420 to 1,930 while elephant carcass ratio declined fr...


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zoo

Row brewing over Indonesia"s "death zoo"

2014-02-05 - Surabaya, Indonesia.

A MALE giraffe died an agonising death at Indonesia´s Surabaya Zoo with 20 kg of plastic found in his stomach, in 2012. Three months later, a 30-year-old female elephant died after living with a broken leg for two years. So far this year, six animals have died at Indonesia´s largest zoo, in East Java province, including a protected 3-year-old Komodo dragon and an African lion called Michael, found with his head caught in a cable in his enclosure.


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conservation
File photo of an open coal mine in the Ledu area of Tinsukia district of Upper Assam. No forest cover can be seen for miles in these hills which were once covered with thick forest cover due to continous mining.

NGT notice to PSUs on threat to Assam elephant corridor

2014-02-05 - Calcutta, India.

National Green Tribunal on Tuesday sought a response from the Centre and Assam government on a petition alleging that work of some state-owned companies in and around the Dehing-Patkai wildlife sanctuary in Tinsukia district was affecting the environment. Based on the petition, the tribunal also issued notices and sought responses of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Oil India Ltd, National Highways Authority of India, Coal India Ltd and various state authorities. The petition alleged that their activ...


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medical

False-Positive Supports Elephant Owner"s Suit

2014-02-05 - Panama City, United States.

Elephant Walk, a USDA-licensed elephant exhibitor, used the STAT-PAK kit to test one of its elephants, Topsy. After the test showed a "reactive" result, Elephant Walk asked for clarification and a retest, claiming that the test was often unreliable. When Elephant Walk later retested Topsy, it allegedly got a negative result. It claimed that the inaccurate "reactive" result stopped it from exhibiting Topsy in circuses and other events because animal rights groups and certain states had interprete...


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people
Udo Wedekind on the elephant hunt in Botswana.

Elephant hunter becomes agriculture boss

2014-02-05 - Erfurt, Germany.

A German conservation official who caused uproar after he boasted about shooting an elephant in Botswana has been made president of a state agricultural institute rather than being sacked. Elephant hunting was, when Wedekind fired his shots, allowed to an extent in Botswana. The country banned it at the beginning of 2014. Wedekind will be the head of Thuringia´s Institute for Agriculture, the environmental ministry confirmed.


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birth

Jokowi to name elephant calves in Raguna zoo

2014-02-04 - Jakarta, Indonesia.

Two new born elephants at Ragunan Zoo are waiting for Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to name them. On Dec. 2, 25-year-old Sumatran elephant Mulyani gave birth to a female calf, while on Oct. 20,Mulyani´s eldest daughter, Agustin, gave birth to a male calf. "We have given the calves temporary names until the governor names them," Ragunan Zoo spokesman Wahyudi Bambang said recently.


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relocation

Jumbos Get Ready for Homeward Trip

2014-02-04 - Mettupalayam, India.

After 48 days in the rejuvenation camp, 31 temple and 18 forest elephants from different parts of Tamil Nadu would leave for their respective places on Tuesday evening. The annual camp was held on the banks of Bhavani river at Thekkumpatti and Nellithorai near Mettupalayam. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) and Forest Department organised the camp to help the temple elephants regain vitality.


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trade
Sweeney

Assembly En. Con. chair asks DEC to ban sale of ivory in New York

2014-02-04 - New York, United States.

After receiving information that African elephants are headed for extinction and elephant ivory poaching is funding terrorism, Assemblyman Bob Sweeney wrote a letter imploring the Department of Conservation to prohibit the sale of ivory in New York.


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poaching

New Veerappans on the prowl? Serial killing of tuskers has forest officials alarmed

2014-02-04 - Bangalore, India.

Not since forest brigand Veerappan was killed by the Special Task Force in 2004 has the forest department been so jittery. Three young elephants have been killed for their tusks in the last six months — two of them in just a month in the ´D´ (demarcation) line between Karnataka-Tamil Nadu.


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death
Plastic waste from Sabarimala devotees kills wild elephant in Kerala forest

Tusker eats plastic waste thrown by pilgrims, dies

2014-02-04 - Pathanamthitta, India.

A 40-year-old female elephant has died after consuming plastic waste dumped by Sabarimala pilgrims. Forest officials found the carcass at Valiyanavattam along the path leading to the pilgrim centre in Pathanamthitta district. Veterinary surgeon Saseendra Dev, who conducted the autopsy, said the animal had consumed 2 kg of food packaging waste, including plastic bags, biscuit covers and aluminum foils.


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birth
Shanti, shown here with visibly bulging sides, has been pregnant for 683 days.

Houston Zoo Waiting For First Elephant Birth Since 2010

2014-02-04 - Houston, United States.

Zookeepers and volunteers are now watching around the clock for any signs of labor in Shanti. “She might swap her tail, lift her legs, maybe she can’t get as comfortable at night. Oftentimes too, you’ll see her lift her tail like she’s straining a little bit.” Like elephants in the wild, Shanti will give birth standing up, and gravity will help the calf drop out of her. The calf might weigh 350 pounds or more.


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research

Kenya to launch elephant census in Tsavo-Mkomazi ecosystem

2014-02-04 - Nairobi, Kenya.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and various stakeholders say they have finalized plans to carry out aerial census of elephants in the expansive Tsavo-Mkomazi ecosystem starting on Tuesday. KWS said Monday the results of the Feb. 4-10 exercise will help the wildlife officials establish the current elephant and other large mammals population size and distribution and compare these results with the results of past aerial counts


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smuggle
A Vietnamese man identified as Huu Dinh Khao, left, and two Togolese men stand next to a haul of ivory tusks after being seized by security forces at the port of Lome January 28, 2014. The three men were arrested by Togolese security forces who seized 1.

Togo seizes tusks of 500 dead elephants hidden in cargo bound for Vietnam

2014-02-04 - Lome, Togo.

Authorities in Togo have seized nearly 4 tons of ivory — the tusks from over 500 dead elephants — hidden in containers destined for Vietnam, officials said on Monday. Two locals and a man from Vietnam, where the containers were headed to, were arrested but it was not clear where the ivory came from.


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smuggle

Elephant tusk smuggler caught at Prague airport

2014-02-03 - Prague, Czech Republic.

A man smuggling 33 kilos of elephant tusks was caught at the Prague international airport on Tuesday, the Czech customs authority and the Czech environmental inspectorate told CTK Friday. The smuggler was heading to Asia where the tusks could be sold for up to $2500 per kilogramme on the black market, or for over $80,000.


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conflict

5 injured as elephants run amok

2014-02-03 - Mysore, India.

The injured included a journalist, a mahout, a kavadi and two girls, who had visited the venue for the fair. The incident occurred when two elephants of Suttur mutt, Drona and Champa, raised a ruckus owing to the noise of crackers that were burst during Rathotsava, at the venue. The elephants which were near the mutt premises, reacted out of fear as the crackers burst, and ran haywire, resulting in losses to vendors, who had set up shop for the fair.


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medical

Greenville Zoo elephant being treated for illness

2014-02-02 - Greenville, United States.

Ladybird, one of the Greenville Zoo´s African elephants, is undergoing treatment and close observation for a medical condition, zoo officials said. Officials said Ladybird experienced an episode of abdominal pain, which can be fairly common with a weather change. As a result, she has been receiving supportive care, including oral fluids and high fiber foods. She may also be taken off exhibit, officials said, while she recovers.


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people
Udo Wedekind poses beside the corpse of an elephant during a hunting trip in Botswana, south Africa

German conservation official legally shoots an elephant and legally poses with its corpse in Botswana

2014-02-02 - , United States.

A German conservation official has shot dead an elephant in Botswana. Udo Wedekind, whose job includes environmental protection and care of endangered species, fired at the animal during a hunting trip in the African country last year. Today, Thueringen´s regional government environment minister, Juergen Reinholz, said: ´It is not of interest what civil servants do in their free time as long as they follow the law and don´t break the rules.´


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relocation

No harm in gifting baby elephants – Minister

2014-02-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Minister of Wildlife Resources Conservation Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa defended the Government’s practice of gifting baby elephants to various parties, stating criticism of the action was unwarranted. Speaking to The Nation, the minister brushed aside criticism leveled by environmentalists, claiming the Government ‘will not be dictated by environmentalists.


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relocation
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) tasked themselves with the mission of transporting a rare subspecies of elephants across the Ivory Coast to improve their safety, as well as the safety of local villagers. These are not the elephants discu

International Fund for Animal Welfare Transports Elephants in Africa - 33% died...

2014-02-01 - Daloa, Ivory Coast.

Due to the increasing conflict between elephants and villagers in the town of Daloa, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) was tasked with the mission of transporting a rare subspecies of elephants across the Ivory Coast to improve their safety as well as the safety of local villagers. Of the six African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) that were transported, two died during the trip.


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misc

Melbourne Zoo"s boisterous new baby elephant has plenty to trumpet about - he has a new name.

2014-02-01 - Melbourne, Australia.

The new calf has been named Man Jai, which means "confident" in Thai. A special naming celebration was held at Melbourne Zoo on Saturday. The elephant´s name was chosen by zoo members as part of an online poll. Other possible options for the lively zoo addition included Sai, meaning tropical tree or Look Nam, which means "likes water".


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pictures

Myanmar"s Elephant Logging Camps Under Threat

2014-02-01 - , Myanmar.

This government-owned camp holding 62 elephants and about 330 local villagers is one of many which are under threat due to upcoming changes in laws that reflect the steady depletion of forests in the country. The local government blames illegal loggers for this, while others are under the opinion that the government carelessly sold land for construction and development purposes to the wrong people. Either way, elephant logging which has been a source of income for many in this country for genera...


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abstract

DETECTION OF ELEPHANT ENDOTHELIOTROPIC HERPESVIRUS INFECTION AMONG HEALTHY ASIAN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS) IN SOUTH INDIA.

2014-01-31 - Bethesda, United States. Stanton JJ, Nofs SA, Zachariah A, Kalaivannan N, Ling PD.

We used previously validated EEHV-specific quantitative real-time PCR assays to detect subclinical EEHV infection in three regionally distinct Asian elephant cohorts, totaling 46 in situ elephants in South India, during October and November 2011. Using DNA prepared from trunk washes, we detected EEHV1, EEHV3/4, and EEHV5 at frequencies of 7, 9, and 20% respectively. None of the trunk washes was positive for EEHV2 or 6. At least one EEHV species was detectable in 35% (16/46) of the samples that w...


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event

Anantara Moves King"s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament to Bangkok

2014-01-31 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas has confirmed that the King´s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament will this year move from its original home of Hua Hin to the Thai capital of Bangkok. The annual tournament, now in its thirteenth year, will take place at the Siam Polo Park at VR Sports Club in Bangkok between 28-31 August 2014.


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conservation
 The Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) says it will start using surveillance drones to help protect elephants and other endangered animals that have come under increased threat from poachers in recent months.  The unmanned aircraft are scheduled to be fly

Drones to Protect African Wildlife

2014-01-31 - Entebbe, Uganda.

The Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) says it will start using surveillance drones to help protect elephants and other endangered animals that have come under increased threat from poachers in recent months. The unmanned aircraft are scheduled to be flying by the end of the year. UWA Executive Director Andrew Seguya told reporters that the drones will catch poachers “while in the act.”


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book

Jumbo - The Unauthorised Biography of a Victorian Sensation by John Sutherland, book review

2014-01-31 - London, United Kingdom.

As John Sutherland, the literary academic, admits from the off, his new book is not really an “unauthorised biography” at all. It is more a treasure trove of elephant ephemera with eye-popping statistics on trunks, dung and sex and characters from Chunee, Jumbo’s popular show animal predecessor in London, to Disney’s fictional Dumbo.


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relocation
Picture by Chandana Perera

President Mahinda Rajapaksa gifted two baby elephants to the Sri Lanka Army and the Police

2014-01-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday gifted two baby elephants to the Sri Lanka Army and the Police. Three and a half year old ‘Kandula’ was handed over to the Army and four and half year old ‘Abeetha’ to the Police. The baby elephants donated by the Department of Wildlife will be used at ceremonial occassions by the Army and the Police.


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trade
The UN Security Council votes to target illicit wildlife trade in a resolution on the Central African Republic.

UN Security Council targets poaching and wildlife trade with DRC sanctions

2014-01-30 - Washington, United States.

The United Nations Security Council took a critical step today in tackling elephant poaching and illicit ivory trade by addressing the link between instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo and wildlife trafficking. In renewing the DRC sanctions regime, the resolution targets individuals and entities illegally supporting armed groups through the illicit trade of natural resources, including wildlife and wildlife products, such as elephant ivory.


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welfare

Elephant Sunder was not tortured, temple trust tells HC

2014-01-28 - New Delhi, India.

Devasthan Management Committee, which manages the famous Jyotiba temple in Kolhapur, today denied that elephant Sunder was tortured and starved during the last six years while it was under the temple´s care, as alleged by NGO PETA. The management committee of the temple, by a resolution passed on December 26, 2013, gifted Sunder to Warna Sahakari Dudh Utpadan Society. Accordingly, it has been shifted to the company premises where it walks in open air, said the affidavit.


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facility

Elephant Preserve Planned in California for "Near-Wild" Herd. Preserve Aims to Keep African Elephants Healthy, in Shape and Breeding

2014-01-26 - Tehama, United States.

In the rural, rolling hills of Northern California, plans are under way for a 4,900-acre preserve that would keep African elephants healthy, in shape and breeding. Part fat farm and part laboratory, the elephant preserve would start with three to five elephants and let them grow into a herd of 12 to 15 over two decades. Scientists also would conduct research into the "near-wild" herd, and school groups would come to learn about African elephants, considered to be a threatened species because of ...


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event

Mammoths of the Ice Age: Huge new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh from January

2014-01-24 - Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

This January National Museums Scotland presents Mammoths of the Ice Age, a major exhibition exploring the mysteries of the Ice Age and revealing what life was like for the iconic mammals of this era; the mammoth and the mastodon. Unlike dinosaurs and other prehistoric mammals, mastodons and mammoths lived side by side with humans for thousands of years. In Mammoths of the Ice Age visitors can again come nose-to-trunk with these intriguing animals.


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misc

Sunder the elephant"s fate to be decided in Bombay High court today

2014-01-21 - Bombay, India.

Sunder the elephant, who has been the subject of a petition for his release will have his case heard in front of the Bombay High court on Tuesday. Through an investigative video, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), a non-governmental organisation working for the welfare of animals, had furnished evidence of abuse that the pachyderm was allegedly being subjected to. Officials from PETA and a few supporters had met state forest minister Patangrao Kadam regarding Sunder’s case. At thi...


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birth
The new elephant calf is a playful male born Jan. 6.

Nong Nooch welcomes first elephant calf of 2014

2014-01-17 - , United States.

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden celebrated the birth of its first elephant calf of 2014 with the arrival of a playful male Jan. 6. Park Director Kampol Tansajja announced that 14-year-old cow Sarai had given birth to her first calf, which appeared healthy and was feeding normally. It was sired by 16-year-old bull Ning Nong.


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facility
displays during Wednesday

Topeka Zoo master plan contains elements for all. North America, Asia and Africa zones highlight zoogeographic approach

2014-01-17 - Topeka, United States.

So far, the zoo only has a price estimate for building out the elephant exhibit. In 2012, Wiley said, that cost was estimated at $9.8 million, which would increase the exhibit from three-quarters of an acre and two elephants to 3 acres and six to eight elephants. Expanding the elephant exhibit would be the zoo’s first priority, should the plan be set into motion, he said.


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event

Audubon Zoo"s Asian elephant turns 50

2014-01-16 - Audubon, United States.

How do you slice a birthday cake for elephants? You don´t - the elephant honoree gets an entire cake. At least, that´s what the Audubon Zoo did Thursday for Panya´s 50th birthday. The Asian elephant got one complete chocolate cake. The zoo´s other Asian elephant, 41-year-old Jean, got another.


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misc
Norma Jean on the day before she died in 1972.

A Good-Bye to Norma Jean

2014-01-16 - Oquawka, United States.

This is a bittersweet tale about a 6,500-pound circus elephant, her final resting place, and her legacy. It is a story in which some see a grain of humor, perhaps something we all need to find when tragedy strikes under unusual circumstances and is recalled years later.


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death

Elephant put down after Kruger Park attack

2013-12-31 - Kruger National Park, South Africa.

An elephant bull has been put down after it attacked a couple in the Kruger National Park on Monday, trampling their blue Volkswagen car. Apparently the South African couple were following the elephant bull to videotape it and suddenly the animal turned on them and pushed their car into the bush for about 400m. According to eyewitnesses the animal was extremely aggressive and our rangers were alerted of the incident by the tourists,” Phaahla said.


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medical

Foot-and-mouth disease hits elephant rental business

2013-12-29 - Kochi, India.

The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) that has afflicted domestic cattle in southern States is looking to threaten an unexpected sector — Kerala’s flourishing elephant rental business. The rental business’ high season has just opened and elephant owners are flush with bookings. In the case of certain top-end elephants with high brand value, the booking is for four or five months in advance. But the FMD outbreak in the State over a month ago left thousands of cattle infected. Though the airborne...


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fossil

Mastodon mania: Indiana"s prehistoric beasts the stars of Indiana museum"s new exhibit

2013-12-29 - Indianapolis, United States.

Indiana´s own prehistoric beasts are the focus of the museum´s new exhibition. "Ice Age Giants" re-creates the process of uncovering the fossilized bones of mammoths and mastodons, identifying them, studying them and finally reassembling the skeletons to tower once again.


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people

Hard life of Nepal"s first female elephant drivers

2013-12-28 - Chitwan, Nepal.

Breaking into the all-male profession, Meena Chaudhary and Meena Mahato are the first female mahouts of Nepal. Taking control of the elephant rides, they spoke Saturday with Xinhua of the challenges of being one of the few females into the stereotyped male profession.


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conflict
Picture for representational purpose only.

Elephant runs amok, woman escapes

2013-12-27 - Thrissur, India.

A woman had a miraculous escape after she was caught in between the legs of an elephant which ran amok during a temple festival at Kumaranchira near Nandipulam here on Thursday. Shobana of Mupliyam suffered minor injuries and has been admitted to the Puthukkad Government Hospital. According to police, the elephant, Irinjalakuda Kannan, turned violent when the mahouts were adorning it with caparisons before the procession at 9.30 a.m.


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trade

EU Pledges 170 Million Rand To Help Fight Illegal Ivory Trade

2013-12-27 - Johannesburg, South Africa.

The European Union Commission has pledged more than 170 million Rand (12 million Euros) to assist in combating the illegal trade in ivory in which the fight will be taken more to the organized crime and rebel forces. Key states involved in the illegal ivory value chain have committed to urgent measures to halt the illegal trade. The measures, which include enhancing legislation and wildlife protection at national level, were adopted at the African Elephant Summit in Gaborone, Botswana, earlier t...


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conflict

Elephant Ka Crushes Zookeeper at Dai Nam Open Zoo in Vietnam

2013-12-23 - Dai Nam, Vietnam.

A Vietnamese zookeeper died Monday after being crushed by a two ton elephant. Doan Huu Tai, 27, was attacked by the Elephant who grabbed him with his trunk and slammed him into a water tank. According to Vietnamnet the man attempted to slip into the cage to paint a fence. The Dai Nam tourist area, where the incident occurred is located in the Binh Dong province.


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smuggle

Woman sentenced for ivory smuggling

2013-12-20 - Johannesburg, United States.

A Chinese woman was sentenced to a R50 000 fine or three years´ imprisonment by the Kempton Park Regional Court on Wednesday for trying to smuggling ivory through South Africa, the SA Revenue Service said. “She attempted to smuggle 12.7kg ivory, two lion claws and 10 Pangolin scales to Hong Kong,” spokesman Adrian Lackay said in a statement.


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medical
Veterinarians say the foot-and-mouth disease will only have a mild impact on the health of the animal and the infected ones will recover quickly. But the disease could prove fatal for calves.

Panic grips Kerala"s elephant owners as jumbos develop Foot and Mouth Disease

2013-12-20 - Guruvayur, India.

Concerned over the cases of two captive elephants that were infected by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), elephant owners in the State are coming together to protect the national animal from the epidemic. As a precautionary measure to prevent infection among its herd, the Guruvayur Devaswom had recently banned visitors from its Punnathurkotta elephant camp. The 60 elephants of the devaswom are housed at the camp, which is visited by hundreds every day.


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medical
Dwarf adult Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

Little elephant is the first scientific record of dwarfism in the wild

2013-12-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Biologists in Sri Lanka have published the first documented evidence of dwarfism in an adult wild animal. A male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) measuring just over 1.5 meters (five feet) in height was seen in an aggressive encounter with another male of average size, according to the findings published in the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group journal Gajah.


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facility

Tehama County supes hear plan for elephant reserve

2013-12-19 - Oakland, United States.

Joel Parrott, the Oakland Zoo CEO who earlier this month proposed a plan to develop an elephant reserve in Tehama County, assured county supervisors Tuesday that the reserve would not cost the county money, and water concerns would not be a prohibitive factor.


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welfare
Srirangam temple elephant Andal getting into a lorry to commence its journey to the rejuvenation camp, on Wednesday

Rejuvenation Camp Begins Today

2013-12-19 - Chennai, India.

For the first time in seven years, the elephants belonging to the forest department would attend the rejuvenation camp, so far held for their temple counterparts, near Mettupalayam from Thursday. Though the 48-day camp would see around 100 elephants, including temple and kumkis. While the 33 temple elephants would attend the Thekkampatty camp, the 55 forest elephants from Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Coimbatore range and Vandalur Zoo would camp at Nellithorai.


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death

Young female elephant Tonya dies in Prague Zoo

2013-12-19 - Prague, Czech Republic.

The five-year female elephant Tonya died in the Prague zoo today, probably of a viral infection, director Miroslav Bobek has said in a press release, adding that she had shown signs of a disorder from Sunday afternoon. “On Monday, when her condition worsened, an intensive treatment was applied. Today, Tuesday, December 17, Tonya collapsed in agony in spite of all effort made,” Bobek wrote.


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people
Father figure: Osamu Shiina looks after African elephants at Tobe Zoological Park in Ehime Prefecture on Nov. 21.

Keepers teach orphaned elephants to raise young

2013-12-17 - Tobe, Japan.

African elephants brought to zoos in Japan are often unable to raise their offspring because many lost their parents to poaching by ivory hunters. But they are smart enough to learn from their keepers, said Osamu Shiina, who cares for the animals at a prefectural-run zoo on Shikoku. Shiina, 51, is in charge of a family of four African elephants at Tobe Zoological Park in the town of Tobe, Ehime Prefecture.


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zoo
Packy, steaming from a bath, gets a banana from Oregon Zoo elephant curator Bob Lee.

Lily Tomlin vs. Oregon Zoo: Poll respondents lean toward keeping elephants in Portland

2013-12-16 - Portland, United States.

An online poll Friday asking, "Should the Oregon Zoo keep its elephants?" drew 5,332 responses. The results: Yes: 3,066 votes or 57.5 percent, No: 2,266 votes or 42.5 percent. The poll was prompted by news Friday morning that comedian-turned-animal-activist had emailed the Oregon Zoo and Metro, which operates the zoo. Her goal: persuade the zoo to send Packy, the zoo´s beloved, 51-year-old male Asian elephant to a sanctuary.


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people
Eric Peterson feeds Christie and Zuri as they perform a routine Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013 at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. Peterson, who is the zoo

Elephant caretaker at Hogle Zoo has big responsibility

2013-12-16 - Salt Lake City, United States.

Eric Peterson works with a pair the zoo´s African Elephants. With the only spectators consisting of a couple of other keepers and a wandering rooster, Peterson interacts with the elephants in an extraordinary manner.Peterson, who commutes from American Fork each day, works as the zoo´s elephant manager.


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birth

Abu Camp Celebrating the Birth of a New Baby Elephant

2013-12-16 - Maun, Botswana.

Earlier this month Kiti, an elephant from the Abu Camp’s herd, gave birth to a new calf named Naledia – Setswana for star. She earned her name being born on a completely clear and cloudless night. It is a rare experience to be able to experience a baby elephant first hand, and Mirus Journeys are urging customers to book now will the calf is still young.


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facility
This artist s illustration incorporates a pond on Diamond Ranch and what it might look like with a elephant tent camp.

Group pitches elephant reserve in Tehama County

2013-12-09 - Tehama, United States.

Representatives from the Oakland Zoo and Ndovo Foundation shared their vision Thursday at a Tehama County Planning Commission meeting of a 4,900-acre facility that at peak capacity would house around 50 African elephants.


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misc

PC game: Zoo Tycoon Review (XBO)

2013-12-06 - New York, United States.

In Zoo Tycoon you can hose down a baby elephant and pull faces at a chimpanzee. The premise is fairly simple: you must build a popular, profitable zoo and care for all of the animals and visitors inside your gates. You can buy the PC game at the link to the right >>>


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misc

5 ways elephants changed history: A brief history of stomping victories and disastrous reversals

2013-12-05 - London, United Kingdom.

It was the arrival of the cannon in the 19th century that finally heralded the end of elephants being used as an instrument of war. Until that time, from as early as 1000BC, they trampled across battlefields around the globe. So far, it seems as though the elephants’ easily panicked nature meant that they weren’t useful companions for battle.


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death
One of six elephants that died near the Chapramari wildlife reserve in Jalpaiguri district on November 14. The jumbos were mowed down by a speeding Jaipur-Kamakhya Kabiguri Express

Bengal’s rail graveyard of elephants

2013-12-05 - New Delhi, India.

Seventy elephants have died on Bengal’s railway tracks since 1994, all but three of them in north Bengal, the state government has told the Supreme Court. According to the state’s affidavit, 57 elephants have died in train hits and 13 of electrocution on the tracks in the past 19 years. Since 2009, the number of elephants killed on Bengal’s railway tracks has been 29.


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facility

Modern enclave for elephant at Safari Park

2013-12-05 - Karachi, Pakistan.

KMC Administrator Rauf Akhtar Farooqui has said that construction of a modern elephant enclave on 65 thousand square feet has been completed in Safari Park. He said that a bath pool for elephants along with rest area and shades on 2800 square feet was also constructed. He was speaking during a visit of Safari Park to inspect development work, said a statement on Wednesday.


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research
Estimates of the African elephant population vary between 410,000 and 650,000 and in some countries there haven’t been surveys for many years, Elephants Without Borders said.

Microsoft Co-Founder Allen to Fund African Elephant Survey

2013-12-05 - Gaborone, Botswana.

Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft Corp (MSFT:US). with Bill Gates, will fund a survey of the number of elephants in Africa to help combat poaching that is claiming the life of one of the pachyderms every 15 minutes. The family trust of Allen, who’s worth $15.7 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, will fund an $8 million count of the animals in 13 countries using three fixed-wing airplanes and two helicopters, Botswana-based Elephants Without Borders said today in an e-mail...


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poaching
A Kenya Wildlife Services ranger shows elephant tusks intercepted from poachers

Biggest Ivory Consumer China to Criminalise Elephant Poaching

2013-12-05 - Beijing, China.

Despite being the largest market for illegal ivory, China has agreed to label the trade of elephant ivory as a serious crime along with 30 other countries at a summit in Botswana. The deal is proposing a cooperative, multi-national effort to prevent the killing of thousands of elephants, caused by the lucrative ivory trade, in which China buys 70% of the world´s illegal ivory.


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research
"This is an exciting discovery because it tells us the problem isn

Breeding captive elephants depends on better semen

2013-12-04 - New York, United States.

So the team removed the sperm to examine the seminal plasma, the nutritive brew that helps fuel and protect sperm in the female reproductive tract. Good samples had higher volumes of plasma. They also found that a particular protein showed up in almost all of the good samples and almost none of the bad ones.


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facility
Limba, beloved by her trainers at the Bowmanville Zoo, was euthanized humanely early Tuesday because of an illness.

Bowmanville Zoo: will they replace Limba?

2013-12-04 - Bowmanville, Canada.

On Tuesday, as zoo staff mourned, Hackenberger told the Star he couldn’t say whether Limba would be replaced. “At this point I’m dealing exclusively with Limba, so I don’t know. Anyone anywhere in the world, as long as you comply with the laws, can get an elephant. It’s not just Bowmanville Zoo. A private person who has the necessary land can own an elephant.”


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poaching

Sri Lankan elephant amnesty will lead to poaching, warn conservationists

2013-12-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Environmentalists have responded with alarm to a proposed amnesty permitting the registration of illegally captured elephants in Sri Lanka. Recent reports in Sri Lankan media have outlined the proposal, stating that during the amnesty period it would be possible to register elephant calves for a fee of about $7,600.


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death
Sanook weighed 131 kilograms at birth, grew quickly and remained

Baby elephant Sanook died accidentally while playing with favourite toy, Melbourne Zoo says

2013-12-04 - Melbourne, Australia.

Sanook, the 11-month-old Asian elephant calf at Melbourne Zoo has died after becoming entangled in a favourite toy. "The CCTV footage shows that at 7pm while playing with the tyre, Sanook managed to manoeuvre it in an unusual way that caused his head to become caught," Melbourne Zoo director Kevin Tanner said in the statement.


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conflict

Jumbo concern only gets bigger. In six years, 354 persons killed by elephants in state Odisha

2013-12-04 - Bhubaneswar, India.

Rising incidents of human-elephant conflict has become a headache for the state government. As many as 354 people were killed by the jumbos in the past six years, while 368 elephants died during the same period. Between 2008-09 and 2013-14 (till November 15 this year), the number of elephant deaths caused by poaching, electrocution, and accidents is higher than the casualties due to natural reasons and diseases. Nearly 150 elephants died due to poaching, electrocution, and accidents as against 1...


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death
Limba, the only elephant at the Bowmanville Zoo, died on Dec. 3, 2013.

Elephant Limba dies at Bowmanville Zoo

2013-12-03 - Bowmanville, Canada.

Limba, a beloved elephant at the Bowmanville Zoo, has died. The zoo confirmed that she was euthanized at 12:34 a.m. on Tuesday. Limba was walking through the zoo and on the flood plain on Monday, the zoo said, but became very ill in the evening. “We have always been very clear that Limba would not suffer. Our decision was made to honor that commitment,” the zoo said in a statement.


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research

KWS to fit more satellite collars on Amboseli elephants

2013-12-03 - Amboseli, Kenya.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the School for Field Studies, East Africa (SFS) will Tuesday start fitting tracking collars on four elephants within the Amboseli ecosystem in Kajiado County. The fitting of collars, will be conducted by a team of scientists, researchers and veterinarians from the partnering organisations.


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smuggle
Elephant tusks confiscated in October by Hong Kong authorities join the country’s enormous cache of seizures, which some want destroyed.

Hong Kong’s ivory cache poses risk

2013-12-03 - Hongkong, China.

When Hong Kong intercepted yet another huge shipment of illegal African ivory in early October, it added to a growing headache for authorities: What exactly do you do with one of the world’s biggest stockpiles of elephant tusks?


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smuggle

Heathrow ivory seizures hit record

2013-12-03 - London, United Kingdom.

Heathrow airport is at the centre of a booming trade in illegal ivory, with most of it being carried by big-name courier companies. Border officials are making record seizures, the vast majority taken from newly slaughtered African elephants. Last year a specialist UK Border Force team made 50 seizures of ivory weighing 80.7kg at British airports — compared with just 3.3kg in 2010. Most was at Heathrow. The number of seizures is thought to be a fraction of the amount being smuggled.


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conflict
A house at Hamlet 20 in Cu Jut District’s Dak Drong Commune was ravaged by three wild elephants.

Wild elephants destroy houses, crops in central Vietnam

2013-12-03 - Dak Drong, Vietnam.

Three wild elephants ravaged crops and damaged dozens of houses in a hamlet in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong last week, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported. Initial statistics by Dak Drong Commune showed 47 households had their houses and crops damaged by the elephants.


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smuggle

Chinese ivory traders receive sentences of up to 15 years

2013-12-02 - Beijing, China.

The CITES office in China has released details of a number of cases involving ivory importing and trading. In the most recent case 8 people accused of illegal ivory trading received prison sentences of between 3 and 15 years. The recent case involved the import of 3.6 tonnes of ivory between 2010 and 2012.


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event
Deepak Dugar arrives at the TPC clubhouse aboard Tiny the elephant. Dugar

An elephant, dancing and a Hindu wedding in Ponte Vedra

2013-12-02 - Ponte Vedra, United States.

In a traditional Hindu marriage ceremony, the groom travels from his city to the bride�s in a procession called a Baraat, entourage in tow, often riding a mare. �We were lucky enough to find an elephant,� Puja Roy said. It was Deepak Dugar�s first time aboard one. Tiny arrived late Saturday morning, said Cyndi Benzel, the wedding planner. She has used Tiny before, she said. Tiny is no newcomer to Hindu weddings.


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birth
Ella Kiernan (6) and Mia Creighton (7) reading

Dublin Zoo getting ready for some jumbo deliveries

2013-12-02 - Dublin, Ireland.

ALL four female elephants in the herd at Dublin Zoo are pregnant, the keepers believe. The happy news, which was supposed to be kept secret until after Christmas, emerged at the launch yesterday of a new book for children titled ´Dublin Zoo Elephants´.


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death
Maude, a 41-year old Asian elephant at Zoo Miami, died Wednesday morning of what appears to be constipation.

Severely constipated Asian elephant dies of condition at Zoo Miami

2013-12-01 - Miami, United States.

On Wednesday morning Maude, a 41-year old Asian elephant at the popular South Miami-Dade attraction, died while receiving treatment for a severe digestive impaction. Essentially, Maude appears to have died of constipation.During a treatment session at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Maude collapsed and passed away in less than a minute


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misc

The elephant database had half a million visits in one year!

2013-12-01 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

From 26 November 2012 to 27 November 2013 elephant.se had almost 500 000 visitors, and totally since 23 Nov 2009 over 1,500,000 visits. Thank you for supporting the website, and promoting it during its 13 years on Internet.


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film

Of Ozies and elephants

2013-12-01 - Bath, United Kingdom.

Local film makers presents their beautiful and moving documentary on Myanmar timber elephants and the relationship between elephants and the men they work with. The film made by Suzanne and Simon Campbell-Jones (both of whom are Bath residents), will be shown to public in Bath film festival on 1st December, 2013 (4:00pm).


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film
Khyne U Mar is affectionately known as "The Elephant Lady of Burma". As a trained vet, Khyne has spent years studying captive working elephants within Myanmar (Burma) and throughout Southeast Asia.

Wild Burma: Nature"s Lost Kingdom

2013-11-29 - London, United Kingdom.

Burma (also known as Myanmar) has been closed off to the world for over five decades. As Burma takes steps towards democracy, it will have to decide the fate of its forests. For the first time, the government has granted unprecedented access to an expedition team of scientists and wildlife film-makers.


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medical

Lion Cub Dies, Elephant Sick at Zoo Miami

2013-11-27 - Miami, United States.

Zoo officials also announced that Asian elephant “Maude,” is gravely ill. “She has displayed symptoms of having a severe impaction in her digestive tract which has resulted in no bowel movements and an almost total loss of appetite,” said Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill in a press release. Maude arrived at Zoo Miami from the Central Florida Zoo in 2011. The elephant is believed to be age 40 and suffers from arthritis.


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death

Four elephants killed by illegal electric fence in Southern Sri Lanka

2013-11-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Three adult elephants and one baby elephant were found dead in the Hadilla area of Gannoruwa in Hamabntota in southern Sri Lanka. The elephants were killed when they got caught in an illegally set up electric fence in a private land, local media reported. The Wildlife Department has commenced an investigation in to the incident.


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zoo

USDA finds no issues at Springfield zoo after zookeeper killed by elephant

2013-11-25 - Springfield, United States.

Federal inspectors have found no issues with the care of an elephant that killed a zookeeper last month in Springfield. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates zoos under the Animal Welfare Act, released a report last week that found “no non-compliant items.”


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misc
Mila, a 7,600-pound African elephant, plays with a feed bag in a quarantine enclosure at the San Diego Zoo. Mila accidently crushed veterinarian Helen Schofield at a zoo in New Zealand on April 25, 2012. She arrived in San Diego on Nov. 14 and is being r

Elephant who killed veterinarian settles into San Diego Zoo. (And the victims sister once again tries to make us believe her sister was not killed by purpose...)

2013-11-25 - San Diego, United States.

Read the bullshit: >> "A coroner´s investigation later branded the death as the result of an accident, not an attack. A witness told reporters that Mila seemed to be trying to protect, not harm, Schofield." The coroner and the witness are they elephant experts? Not really...


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culling

Botswana: A missed opportunity on elephants

2013-11-24 - Gaborone, Botswana.

When word started getting around that Botswana is to host an emergency African Elephant Summit on December 2-4, 2013, residents of Chobe and Ngamiland naturally started rekindling hope that finally the elephant problem is being addressed. It, therefore, comes as a shock that the Botswana government has missed this rare opportunity to include the concern of over-population into the agenda of the forthcoming emergency elephant summit.


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conflict
The elephant being kept in custody of the Nagaland forest department.

Elephant ‘arrested’ for damages. Domestic jumbo from Assam camps in Nagaland, search for owner on

2013-11-23 - Peren, India.

The Nagaland forest department has “arrested” a domestic elephant, believed to be from Assam, for allegedly destroying large patches of crop land and bamboo groves in a village in Peren district, bordering Assam. “The elephant is in safe custody. We have engaged a few persons to look after it till the owner shows up and claims it by producing proper documents,’ Mokok Jamir, a forest official in Peren district, told The Telegraph over phone today.


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film

Gajakesari gets Waynad elephant

2013-11-23 - Wayanad, India.

The team of Gajakesari has selected the elephant that will play an important role in the film. the elephant for the film has been found in Waynad, Kerala. The elephant, named Arjuna, and the shoot for the fourth schedule of the film involving him started earlier this week. Arjuna is a tusker and is one of the biggest domesticated elephants in India.


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medical
Perth Zoo’s senior veterinarian Dr Simone Vitali with Tricia

Perth Zoo elephant gets massage therapy

2013-11-22 - Perth, Australia.

Perth Zoo´s 56-year-old Asian elephant Tricia is receiving 25 minute back and shoulder massages twice daily using a specially designed massage pad usually used on horses. Perth Zoo Senior Vet Dr Simone Vitali said he hoped the massages would starve off the aches and pains of old age as the elephant stomps towards her twilight years.


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relocation
Two of the elephants being moved, Luk Chai (centre) and Pathi Harn (right), play with a female, Tukta, at Taronga Zoo Sydney in 2011.

Dubbo"s Western Plans Zoo plans for arrival of Asian elephant bulls Pathi Harn, Luk Chai and Gung from Sydney"s Taronga Zoo

2013-11-20 - Sydney, Australia.

The Taronga Western Plains Zoo is planning to build a multimillion dollar home for three male Asian elephants due to arrive in Dubbo next year. The bulls, Pathi Harn, Luk Chai and Gung, are being moved to the west to free up space at Taronga´s Sydney zoo.


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event

World famous "Sonepur mela" begins

2013-11-16 - Sonepur, India.

The globally renowned, month-long ´Sonepur mela´ at which elephants, horses and cattle are sold and purchased began today on the bank of the river Ganga in Bihar´s Saran district. The fair originates from the times when Emperor Chandragupta Maurya used to buy elephants and horses from across the Ganga.


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people

Zimbabwe: 10 More Arrested for Cyanide Poisoning, Poaching

2013-11-16 - Lupane, Zimbabwe.

FIVE more people believed to be involved in the cyanide poisoning of 10 elephants in Ngamo Safaris in Lupane have been arrested while five others were arrested for poaching game at the University of Zimbabwe farm in Harare this week. This brings to 22 the number of people who have been arrested following the deaths of about 100 elephants in Hwange National Park in August this year.


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relocation

San Diego Zoo welcomes elephant from New Zealand (and claiming San Diego Zoo Global was a pioneer in development of positive reinforcement some 3000 years after it was first used?)

2013-11-16 - San Diego, United States.

The 41-year-old elephant, named Mila, arrived in San Diego on Thursday, through collaboration with the Franklin Zoo Charitable Trust. Mila has been living at the Franklin Zoo since 2009, where she has been cared for and trained under a system of positive reinforcement. San Diego Zoo Global was a pioneer in development of this training system for managing elephants.


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event

Surin annual elephant round-up

2013-11-16 - Surin, Thailand.

The over 200 elephants and mahoots congregate at the Elephant Stadium to the south east of the city centre. Here the main show is performed culminating in a re-enactment of the battles of a past century.


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conservation
WWF-UK’s president, HRH The Prince of Wales, has visited an elephant conservation project in the southern Indian state of Kerala, whilst on a tour of the country.

The Prince of Wales meets elephant conservationists in India

2013-11-15 - Vazhachal, India.

Prince Charles met representatives from WWF India at the Vazhachal Forest in the south of the country in an area known as the Western Ghats. He was told about the issues and challenges related to conservation in this area, including the role of corridors, the illegal trade in elephant tusks, and the human-elephant interface in India.


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misc

International Society Condemns Crushing of Ivory in U.S.

2013-11-15 - Los Angeles, United States.

Ivory stockpiles were destroyed in Kenya in 2011, Gabon in 2012 and the Philippines in 2013. But those events haven´t deterred poaching and the illegal trade of ivory, and raw ivory prices in China have doubled since 2011, said Godfrey Harris, a representative of the Political Action Network of the International Ivory Society.


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misc
Elephants seen at Pho Kyar Elephant Camp

Myanmar keeps over 40 percent of captive Asian elephants

2013-11-15 - Yangon, Myanmar.

“There are only around 50,000 Asian elephants in the world,” said elephant expert Khine Oo Maw. “More than 14,000 elephants have been held captive and 40 percent of them are in Myanmar. Besides Asian elephants, there are also white-coloured elephants. These elephants are regarded as white elephants in Buddhist countries.”


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misc

Police complaint against railways for elephant deaths

2013-11-14 - Kolkata, India.

Wildlife authorities Thursday lodged police complaints against the railways, a day after five elephants were mowed down by a speeding train. The incident took place around 5.45 p.m. Wednesday near the Nagrakata-Jaldhaka bridge in West Bengal´s Jalpaiguri district. An earlier report said six elephants were killed, but authorities later revised the figure to five.


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trade
Governemnts that destroy seized illegal ivory are ignroing the basic economic facts of how the ivory markets work.

US ivory crush sends the wrong message to elephant poachers.

2013-11-14 - Los Angeles, United States. Dr Daniel Stiles, IUCN/SSC African Elephant Specialist Group

Don´t give an incentive to criminals to kill more elephants. They see this as ivory getting scarcer, prices and demand going up. In response, USFWS will crush seized ivory, almost certainly sending a message to criminals that they had better step up their killing of elephants before all the ivory is gone.


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poaching
Ivory tusks are displayed by the Hong Kong Customs in Hong Kong on October 3, 2013

US posts $1 mln reward targeting Laos poaching ring

2013-11-14 - Washington, United States.

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday offered a $1 million reward to help smash a Laos-based poaching network slaughtering endangered elephants and rhinos for their precious horns and tusks. The reward, the first of its kind by the State Department, targeted the Xaysavang network which operates from Laos as far afield as South Africa, Mozambique, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China.


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misc
Wildlife Repository supervisor Bernadette Atencio shows elephant tusks in the clay figure that was used to smuggle them into the country on Sept. 9 in Commerce City. They will be part of an estimated 6 tons of confiscated ivory that will be crushed by th

Does destroying Denver ivory really save elephants?

2013-11-14 - Denver, United States.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is about to destroy 6 tons of confiscated ivory being held in Denver — ostensibly to help the campaign against the illegal killing of elephants.But does the destruction of stockpiles really help the cause?


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event
Edward Grace, a wildlife enforcement agent, holds a carved ivory tusk at the the National Wildlife Property Repository at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge near Commerce City, Colo., on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013. The tusk is part over 6-

US officials crushing 6 tons of illegal ivory to send global anti-poaching message (But will increase the ivory price on the black market, and probably therefore the poaching)

2013-11-13 - Denver, United States.

U.S. wildlife officials in Denver plan to destroy 6 tons of ivory to send a message against elephant poaching that has reached record levels. The ivory tusks, statues and jewelry that will be destroyed Thursday were confiscated by federal agents around the country.


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fossil

Mammoths: The Misunderstood Giants. (Even by this article author, who think trees were bad food for mammoths....)

2013-11-13 - Ontario, Canada. Oliver Knevitt

As someone who works on Silurian age fossils, I can´t help but be jealous every time a new mammoth "fossil" is found in permafrost. These mammoth corpses can barely be considered to be fossils. My most recent pang of jealousy occurred on finding out that Yuka, one of the more famed frozen mammoth corpses is to have her brain scanned.


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medical
Robert Crawford, the elephant manager and trainer at the Bowmanville Zoo, posed for pictures with Limba the elephant in the Animatheatre at the zoo. Limba has been invited to participate in the Bowmanville Santa Claus Parade November 16.

Bowmanville elephant might be too sick to be in Santa Parade. Beloved Limba from the Bowmanville Zoo may have cancer

2013-11-13 - Bowmanville, Canada.

Limba, the beloved Bowmanville elephant, has been invited to walk in the Bowmanville Santa Claus parade but she may be too ill to attend. The zoo is about to announce she may have cancer. “Our number-one commitment has always been Limba’s health and welfare,” said Michael Hackenberger, Bowmanville Zoo director.


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death
The accident took place at the Jaldhaka Bridge near Chalsa forest, 55 kms from Jalpaiguri town.

Six elephants killed by train in West Bengal

2013-11-13 - Jalpaiguri, India.

Six elephants were killed and several others injured after a herd was run over by a train today near West Bengal´s Jalpaiguri district. The herd was hit by a passenger train which was headed for Dibrugarh. In a similar incident, seven elephants had been killed by a speeding train in September 2010 near Binnaguri in Jalpaiguri.


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misc

Elephant rides made available for tourists at Similipal

2013-11-13 - Baripada, India.

Elephant rides will be an added attraction for tourists visiting Similipal National Park as the state´s only tiger reserve, located in Mayurbhanj district, opened for public today. Kunki elephants -- Mahindra, Sobha and Raj Kumar -- will take tourists on joyrides, said an official of the park, which opened today after a 12-day delay caused due to efforts to clear trees uprooted by Cyclone Phailin.


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trade

Deep River and the African Elephant

2013-11-13 - Deep River, United States. Paula Kahumbu

Indeed, Deep River owes a steep debt to the African elephant. Nestled in the lower Connecticut River Valley, it and the nearby village of Ivoryton in Essex at one time processed up to 90 percent of the ivory that was imported into the United States. According to the Deep River Historical Society, it began with Phineas Pratt’s invention of the circular saw. This led to the area’s dominance in the production of piano keys—made of ivory.


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misc
Even in death, Jumbo could pull in the crowds.

Tufts University Archives: Jumbo the Elephant: the afterlife

2013-11-13 - Medford, United States.

Jumbo took the United States and Canada by storm as the headline act in Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth. But in the fall of 1885, tragedy struck in the shape of a passing freight train. The elephant’s untimely death should have spelled the end of his career. Instead, the act of stuffing Jumbo transformed him into the stuff of legend


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smuggle

China"s ivory-regulation loopholes are as big as elephants

2013-11-13 - Beijing, China.

Meng Xianlin, deputy director of China´s Endangered Species Import and Export Management Office said that China, which has been making prestigious products from elephant ivory for almost 5,000 years, has taken most stringent regulatory measures on ivory trade. China does not ban domestic ivory trade, but it sets a ceiling for the amount of legal market consumption at five tonnes each year.


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misc
Lizzie in World War I pulls munitions in Sheffield. Elephant trainer is Richard Sedgwick.

World War One: The circus animals that helped Britain

2013-11-13 - Sheffield, United Kingdom.

As World War One raged, the military purchased most of England´s horses and sent them to the Western Front. Many farmers and traders had to find alternative beasts of burden, but none more exotic than elephants. Lizzie, as she was known, was used to performing tricks as part of a travelling menagerie.


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facility
Buffet, one of the elephants living on the Elephant Valley Project grounds, walks through a forested area of the ecotourism initiative’s compound in Mondulkiri province.

Mondulkiri elephant row continues. Elephant Valley Project (EVP) will remain open for daytime visits only for the time being.

2013-11-12 - Sen Monorom, Cambodia. Sean Teehan and Khouth Sophak Chakrya

A long-running animosity exists between local tour guides – some of whom include elephant rides in their tours – and EVP, which brands itself as an ethical alternative to traditional tours in the area, said Phearakech Than, a tour guide in Sen Monorom, who signed one of the letters of complaint and attended Friday’s meeting.Chear Chantorn, who owns a local guesthouse and attended the meeting, added that local restaurant and guesthouse proprietors lose tourists through rumours posted on EVP...


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wild

Crocodile bites trunk of thirsty elephant

2013-11-12 - Luangwa National Park, Zambia.

An elephant was bitten by a hungry crocodile as it reached its trunk into a watering hole at the Mfuwe Lodge in the South Luangwa Nation Park in Zambia.


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conflict

Dasara elephant goes berserk, tranquilized

2013-11-12 - Mysore, India.

Three weeks after the returning of Dasara elephants to the woods, one of them went berserk on the forest fringes of Nagarahole and charged out of the woods. The drama that began on Tuesday ended on Thursday with the tranquilizing of elephant Harsha.It took 36 hours for the foresters to capture Harsha, otherwise known for his composure, and bring the situation under control.


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misc

Royal Elephants" Stable Museum

2013-11-12 - Bangkok, Thailand.

The Royal Elephants´ Stable Museum is open to the public on weekdays during office hours, but reservations must be made in advance.The museum was visited by His Majesty the King on Nov 26 last year, officially opened by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on May 13 this year and has been welcoming the general public since last month. Under the supervision of the Royal Chitralada Projects, the museum consists of two former stables for royal elephants covering a total area of 176m2, as well ...


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event
Baby elephant Mali has helped Melbourne Zoo become Victoria

Victoria"s top tourist attraction named at awards

2013-11-12 - Melbourne, Australia.

The Melbourne Zoo was named the best major tourist attraction at the RACV Victorian Tourism Awards on Monday night. The nod to the zoo breaks a three-year winning streak by the Melbourne Museum, which had won the top award on the back of some blockbuster exhibitions including Tutankhamun and Titanic. The zoo´s award, announced at a black-tie event at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, was given for its 150th anniversary campaign last year that featured major events around baby...


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misc

Elephant vs. hippo: extremely rare images show attack

2013-11-11 - Erindi Private Game Reserve, United States.

This female hippo was flipped several feet into the air as she stood her ground against an aggressive elephant bull at the Erindi Private Game Reserve in Namibia.The elephant was grazing alongside a group of hippos, but took exception when the mother hippo ventured slightly too close. Amazingly, the mother emerged relatively unscathed from the attack, apparently suffering nothing worse than a little gash on her side - and a rather bruised ego.


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conservation
Catastrophe: Around 38,000 elephants are slain by illegal poachers each year for their highly valuable tusks

British troops deployed to save Kenyan elephants from illegal slaughter trade that is funding terrorist attacks

2013-11-10 - Nairobi, Kenya.

In an initiative backed by Prince Charles and Prince William, 25 soldiers from 3rd Batallion Parachute Regiment have been sent to train Kenyan rangers. Al Shabaab, a group linked to Al Qaeda, is said to be funding their training and attacks by selling elephant and rhino horns on the Somalian black market - a trade worth £12billion a year. In the past year, 60 wardens and 38,000 elephants have been killed by illegal poachers.


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relocation

Malaysia: Humans and elephants at loggerheads

2013-11-10 - Perak, Malaysia.

Elephants and humans are coming into contact with each other more often in Malaysia. The areas where elephants used to roam are being built upon or used for agriculture. Some favour relocating them to a national park - but is this the right thing to do? A team from the University of Nottingham is investigating the impact of the relocation process. Certain hormones can indicate a rise in stress levels with potentially serious consequences for the animal´s health.


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research

Now, GPS collars to track elephant movement

2013-11-07 - Bangalore, India.

A Bangalore-based conservation organisation is testing GPS collars that could help tackle man-elephant conflicts. These collars are designed and developed by a team of engineers at the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering (DESE, formerly CEDT), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The collars will be used by the Aane Mane Foundation to track the movement of tame elephants that the state government had decided to release into the wild.


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misc
Celebration of Auspiciousness is just one of Chu Chung-shing

Master carver uses mammoth tusks to keep 3,500-year-old art alive

2013-11-07 - Hongkong, China. Samuel Chan

Hongkongers have the chance to see more than 200 pieces of mammoth tusk carved by ivory master carver Chu Chung-shing and his 100-strong team at a free show at the Convention and Exhibition Centre today and tomorrow. Chu has been using the tusks of the prehistoric creature, which became extinct more than 10,000 years ago, as a substitute for African elephant ivory ever since a transnational ban on the ivory trade was imposed in 1989 to protect the African elephant.


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conflict

Scary close encounter as elephant rolls bakkie, breaks part of tusk

2013-11-06 - Maputo, Mozambique.

A man, who wants to remain anonymous, sustained light injuries when the elephant cow attacked his large 4x4 bakkie. He was alone in the bakkie when he visited the reserve on October 16. A cow in the herd lifted her trunk, flapped her ears and then approached his bakkie. She got so close that she scraped past his passenger side door. In an attempt to frighten them off, the panicky man decided to give the elephants an earful by pressing the vehicle’s hooter.


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facility

Tourist arrivals on the upswing at Pho Kyar Elephant Camp

2013-11-06 - Yedashe, Myanmar.

The number of tourists visiting Pho Kyar Elephant Camp during the peak season between October and February is expected to increase by as much as 50 percent, camp officials say. Pho Kyar Elephant Camp is located in Yedashe Township, Bago Region. It is situated in the foothills of the Bago Yoma mountain range, lying within the Saing Ya tropical reserve, 10 miles west of Thargaya near Yoma crossing road.


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poaching
An elephant walks in Amboseli National Park, approximately 220 kms southeast of Nairobi, Kenya on October 7, 2013.

Tanzania Suspends Campaign Against Elephant Poaching To Investigate Reports Of Killings

2013-11-06 - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

According to the Agence France Presse, Tanzania shelved its anti-poaching operations on Friday in order to investigate reports of wrongful property seizure, torture and killings that were allegedly perpetrated by officials during the campaign, dubbed "Operation Terminate."


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event

ARAs Facebook event made Elephant Limba excluded from Bowmanville parade

2013-11-05 - Bowmanville, Canada.

A Facebook event shows that a group was planning to form a human blockade to stop the elephant from being part of the procession, and the parade’s organizing committee was concerned about what could happen if protesters got involved, said Terryl Tikas, the committee’s chairperson.


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taxonomy
Albertus Seba made enough money as owner of a pharmacy to indulge his true passion. Among Seba’s final acquisitions was the elephant fetus, which was either sold or given to him by the Dutch West India Company.

Linnaeus"s Asian elephant was wrong species

2013-11-04 - Stockholm, Sweden. Ewen Callaway

Linnaeus dubbed the species Elephas maximus, which is now commonly known as the Asian elephant. He recognized just one species of elephant in the world, and this would be its archetype. In some ways, the specimen looked more like an African elephant, two curators later suggested in unpublished notes and at academic meetings.


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people
Baby elephant Sheila with Denise Austin at her home on Belfast

Story of how Belfast Zoo"s baby elephant was kept in backyard of home during Second World War Blitz to be made into film

2013-11-04 - Belfast, Ireland. CLAIRE MCNEILLY

The true story of a Northern Ireland woman who kept a baby elephant in her backyard during the Second World War is going to be made in to a £5m film. Denise Weston Austin – better known as the "elephant angel" – rescued the calf from Belfast Zoo and kept it at her home on the Whitewell Road in the north of the city when we were being bombed by the Luftwaffe in the 1941 blitz.


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circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

Feld Entertainment seeks repayment of legal fees in elephant suit

2013-11-04 - Ellenton, United States. Michael Pollick

Ringling Bros. circus operator Feld Entertainment Inc. has asked a federal judge to make three animal rights groups pay $25.4 million in legal fees incurred by Feld during the activists´ unsuccessful lawsuit challenging Ringling´s use of elephants in circus acts. One of the original four complainants, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, already paid Feld $9.3 million in December.


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smuggle
Natural Resources and Tourism minister, Ambassador Khamis Kagasheki, in disbelief as he looks at a pile of elephant trophies impounded at a Mikocheni house in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Kagasheki unveils Chinese ivory haul in Dar es Salaam

2013-11-03 - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

At a time when poaching has tremendously scaled up in the country, about 706 pieces of ivory, representing more than 200 tuskers killed, were found yesterday in Dar es Salam Mikocheni area at a residence of Chinese nationals.Three Chinese, Che Jinzhan, Xu Fujie and Huang Qin, are said to use a special Noah microbus with registration number T713 BXG to transport the ivory pieces to the house.


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facility
The elephant kraal in Kodanad, near Perumbavoor, which has a long tradition of taming elephants in the State, is in a state of disrepair

Dearth of money, rare timber holding up repair of elephant kraal in Kodanad

2013-11-03 - Kochi, India.

Dearth of money and a serious shortage of hardwood kambakam (Hopea parviflora) is holding up repair work on the famed elephant kraal (aanakkood) at Kodanad, a village whose history is intimately linked to the tradition of capture and taming of wild elephants.


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people

Katherine Connor, founder Of BLES Elephant Sanctuary In Thailand Is Named "Traveler Of The Year"

2013-11-03 - Sukhothai, Thailand.

"I am deeply honored to have won the People’s Choice Award. It is a very exciting opportunity to raise the profile for Thailand’s elephants and educate the public about the cruelty elephants suffer when forced to entertain tourists traveling to Thailand," she said. She hopes her work will inspire others to explore and preserve the world around them.


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relocation

Thai Police release 28 elephants to Mahawang elephant camp

2013-11-03 - Sai Yok, Thailand.

Police released 28 seized elephants back to a kraal in Kanchanaburi´s Sai Yok district on Friday after their owner presented correct registration papers for the animals. The elephants were seized from the Mahawang camp in tambon Wang Kra-jae by the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division on Aug 29.


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misc
Tourists riding on elephants look at the one-horned Rhinoceros at the Kaziranga National park in Guwahati Assam on Friday. The park was reopened for tourists on Friday.

Kaziranga National Park opens for tourists

2013-11-03 - Kaziranga, India.

The Park was opened for four months by Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain today. Over 67 foreign travellers besides hundreds of domestic tourists took the elephant rides on 17 pachyderms pressed into service from the Mihimukh ground inside the Park, KNP officials said.


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conflict
A rare white elephant is put in chains in a compound of Upatasanti Pagoda in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. An albino elephant, deemed an auspicious creature in Myanmar, killed his mahout who happened to bear the same name as the current president

Myanmar: White elephant kills mahout

2013-11-03 - Yangon, Myanmar.

The mahout was killed by tusker Yaza Gaha Thiri Pissaya Gaza Yaza, 19, who was the first white elephant captured under the junta that ruled Myanmar between 1988 to 2010. Thein Sein, 56, died en route to hospital after being gored accidentally by one of the three white elephants kept at the Royal White Elephant Garden on the outskirts of Yangon, said a garden official. The pachyderm was reportedly moving his massive head up and down when he caught the mahout in the left chest.


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circus

Bangladesh"s Traveling Circus

2013-11-03 - Jamsha, Bangladesh. Getty Images

Two circus performers ride an elephant past the circus tent of the Olympic Circus, November 1, 2013 in Jamsha, Bangladesh. As modernization slowly takes over landscape of Bangladesh, the circus is a dying art form and is moving further and further away from mainstream entertainment. Generations of low income families are born into circuses with rarely the hope of ever working in different profession or escaping the harsh realities of the circus.


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culling

To Cull or not to Cull?

2013-11-01 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Srilal Miththapala

Charles Santiapillai, recently penned an article about the perpetrated suggestion to cull Sri Lankan elephants; this has caused considerable concern and debate among a wide cross section of people. Firstly,one must establish the context in which this statement was supposed to have been made, by the eminent Indian Elephant Expert Ajay Desai during a recent lecture in Sri Lanka.


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research

Elephant cull effects last decades

2013-11-01 - Sussex, United Kingdom.

African elephants´ decision-making abilities are left impaired by culling operations that ended decades ago, according to research. Scientists from the University of Sussex found that elephant herds that had lost adults to culls during the 1970s and 1980s were less able to respond appropriately to other elephants´ calls.


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poaching

Zimbabwe: More Poachers Jailed As Lawyers Probe "Torture" Claims

2013-11-01 - Hwange, Zimbabwe.

Two more men accused of poaching elephants in Zimbabwe were this week handed jail sentences, amid an ongoing crackdown that has followed the poisoning of dozens of elephants in the Hwange National Park. Caroline Washaya-Moyo, the spokesperson for Zimbabwe´s Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks), on Wednesday welcomed the sentence, saying such jail terms are a ´deterrent´ to would-be poachers.


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poaching

Elephant Poachers Are Becoming Park Rangers in the Congo

2013-11-01 - Odzala National Park, Congo.

In its first push, 56 former poachers applied to become park rangers, but the park only had the ability to train 28 of them. Thursday, the parks, along with the Richardson Center—a nonprofit group set up by former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson—announced plans to make the program permanent. They’ll be building a training facility sometime within the next six months and plan to sign up more poachers in early 2014.


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death

2 elephants die in Kaziranga after a fight

2013-10-31 - Kaziranga, India.

Tusker ´Ratan´ (26) in Musth, suddenly attacked another elephant ´Gautam´ (25) when they were playing with each other on Tuesday and seriously injured him. Gautam, who does not have tusks, succumbed to his wounds within three hours of being attacked. Ratan was also grievously injured in the fight and died yesterday, the Park director said.


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circus
In this image released by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, circus elephants pass under a freeway bridge during their walk to the Staples Center in 2009. The pre-dawn pachyderm march is a decades-old tradition for the circus.

Question of the Week: Do animal-welfare activists go too far?

2013-10-31 - Los Angeles, United States.

Cheered on by animal-welfare activists, City Council members voted unanimously last week to make Los Angeles the only place in the United States to ban the use by elephant trainers of the implements known as bullhooks. Is this a case of animal-welfare activists going too far and pressuring elected officials to take a politically correct stand that really isn’t necessary?


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misc
Ron Simpson in the front yard of his Childers business Pick-It Papers. His collection of fibreglass animals range from a life size elephant, dinosaurs and cows to crocodiles, pigs and dogs.

Annual feed bill is low in fibreglass animal zoo

2013-10-31 - Childers, Australia.

RON Simpson may not look like your typical zookeeper but then his "zoo" in Childers isn´t your typical collection of animals. Ranging from a $13,500 life-size elephant to a $605 replica of Scooby-Doo, his business, Pick-It Papers, which he runs with his wife Heather, has an animal for every occasion.


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birth
Baylor and Tupelo, born in 2010, are seen at the Houston Zoo McNair Asian Elephant Habitat

Houston Zoo awaiting birth of Asian elephant calf

2013-10-31 - Houston, United States.

Houston Zoo is making preparations for 23-year-old Asian elephant Shanti to give birth in January 2014. Shanti gets regular ultrasounds and zookeepers have been monitoring her weight and her diet and leading the expectant mother through a regular exercise program. The night watch pregnancy monitoring will begin in late November and will continue until the calf´s birth.


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welfare
Baby elephant owner Sarayuth Khamkonyai, left, denies his young mahouts attacked the elephant.

Baby elephant not abused, young mahouts say

2013-10-31 - Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Maybe we need to look at that video again. What appears to be cruel and abusive treatment of a baby elephant may just be a case of young mahouts trying to deal with an animal that was acting, well, like a baby. That´s what the two teenage mahouts involved in the incident claimed yesterday. Local authorities and wildlife officials yesterday visited the home of Sarayuth Khamkonyai, 50, the owner of the four-year-old elephant shown in the video clip which was circulated online last week.


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welfare

Police act on elephant abuse video

2013-10-31 - Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Police have launched a hunt for two teenage mahouts who were filmed attacking a baby elephant on a street in Ubon Ratchathani province. Wildlife officials yesterday filed police complaints against the two mahouts. The video clip has been circulating online since late last week and shows two young mahouts using hooks to attack a baby elephant after it collapsed from exhaustion because of a lack of food and water.


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misc

Elephants banned from Mumbai

2013-10-31 - Mumbai, India.

The Maharashtra wildlife department has passed an order prohibiting the entry of elephants into Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane regions. The directive was issued on Monday by additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Suresh Thorat. The circular said that elephants were mostly brought into city limits to beg, entertain, "bless" people and even used for shoots though they were a Schedule-1 protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.


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poaching
The remains of three wild Asian elephants were found inside the protected area of Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province on Monday

3 Elephants in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province likely shot: NGO

2013-10-31 - Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia. Phak Seangly and Amelia Woodside

A group of endangered Asian elephants found dead in Mondulkiri province on Sunday were likely slaughtered, investigators from conservation group WWF-Cambodia have found. The organisation said in a statement yesterday an investigation into the deaths in protected Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary suggested the elephants were “slaughtered by well-organised poachers”.


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relocation

Goodbye, Yoga! Bull elephant travels to Sweden

2013-10-31 - Basel, Switzerland.

On 23rd October, bull elephant Yoga (16) left Basel Zoo for Boras Zoo in Sweden. An articulated lorry and an extra large crate were required to transport the 4.6-ton bull. Yoga should be back in three years’ time for the opening of the new elephant enclosure. On Friday 25th October after 48 hours of travel, Yoga arrived safe and sound at Boras Zoo.


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birth

Melbourne Zoo elephant expecting second calf soon

2013-10-29 - Melbourne, Australia.

A Melbourne Zoo elephant that gave birth to the first female calf in Australia four years ago is about to make history again. Zoo head vet Michael Lynch says it could still be a while before the calf is born. "We really expect it between the 1st and the 21st of November."


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relocation
TRAGIC END: Keeper Helen Schofield was crushed to death by Mila the elephant.

Mila the elephant US bound

2013-10-29 - Auckland, New Zealand.

Mila was with her former trainer, Hamilton man Tony Ratcliffe, for 31 years before being taken to Franklin Zoo by vet Schofield in 2009. At the time of Schofield´s death, Tony Ratcliffe´s brother Robin told the Waikato Times the family had warned officials something would happen if the transition was not handled correctly.


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job

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee: Lead Caregiver

2013-10-28 - Hohenwald, United States.

The Lead Caregiver position is a working, front-line supervisory position. This position implements policies and procedures established by The Elephant Sanctuary with direction from the Director of Husbandry. Provides and supervises daily care of elephants utilizing positive reinforcement to manage elephant behaviors.


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job

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee: Lead Caregiver

2013-10-28 - Hohenwald, United States.

The Lead Caregiver position is a working, front-line supervisory position. This position implements policies and procedures established by The Elephant Sanctuary with direction from the Director of Husbandry. Provides and supervises daily care of elephants utilizing positive reinforcement to manage elephant behaviors.


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circus

Ban on elephant bullhooks might mean the end of the circus in LA (YOU CAN VOTE AGAINST THE ARAs in the poll)

2013-10-27 - Los Angeles, United States.

Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey, argues they are an accepted tool and that the new law is misguided. “There are already laws in place — federal, state and local ordinances – that prohibit animal cruelty," said Payne. "So this is basically an animal rights driven bill to kick out the circus.” Payne says his company is waiting to see the exact wording of the new law, which will be phased in over three years.


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smuggle

Fight to save Kenya’s wildlife uses the tools of the drug war

2013-10-27 - Mombasa, Kenya.

Kenya is borrowing a page from America’s war on drugs. Sniffer dogs, normally used to ferret out cocaine shipments, are being put to work in Kenya to track down hidden tusks and horns passing through Kenya’s seaport and airports.


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misc
Oozies control the three-ton giants using their feet, vocal commands and sometimes a stick

Myanmar"s timber elephants and their handlers have survived wars and dictatorships, but will they survive democracy?

2013-10-27 - Yangon, Myanmar. Nirmal Ghosh

The Ministry for Environmental Conservation and Forestry has pledged to reduce its logging by more than 80,000 tonnes this fiscal year. Myanmar will ban raw teak and timber exports by April 1, 2014, allowing only export of high-end finished timber products. MTE says that the private elephant owners contracted by the government will be the first on the chopping block. Saw Moo, a second generation private elephant owner, sees a bleak future for his stable of 20 elephants. He fears the family busin...


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conservation
Dr Raman Sukumar, IUCN/AESPG

Jumbos safe in South India

2013-10-27 - Chennai, India.

Elephants in the Nilgiri biosphere comprising Ta­mil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, are relatively safe, with the number of poaching cases having reduced over the years, renowned conservationist and expert on Asiatic elephants Dr Raman Sukumar said here on Saturday.


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culling

Mulling over culling of elephants in Sri Lanka

2013-10-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Charles Santiapillai & S. Wijeyamohan

In 2012, a total of 252 elephant deaths were reported from Sri Lanka. In the same year, 66 people were killed by wild elephants. Thus it appears that in Sri Lanka, annually about 100 to 120 animals may be killed deliberately in the human-elephant conflict. The pocketed elephants can be captured and relocated to other Range States so that they can still live in the wild, and a few could even be maintained in well managed zoological gardens and safari parks. Thus culling of elephants is not an opt...


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zoo

54-year-old elephant, Laxmi, and 55-year-old zoo keeper Prakash Gangaram Kadam are the oldest residents of Byculla zoo

2013-10-26 - Mumbai, India.

54-year-old elephant Laxmi is the oldest resident in Jijamata Udyan zoo, Byculla. And everyone is fond of her mahouts, keepers and the public. A few years back the elephants were supposed to be moved out of the zoo to a protected sanctuary. But because of their old age and inability to adapt to new surroundings they were kept back in the company of mahouts who are extremely fond of them.


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misc

Mahouts fight against elephant ownership bill. Many say draft will not solve problem at the root; demand removal of minister

2013-10-26 - Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Hundreds of mahouts gathered with their elephants yesterday at Ayutthaya´s elephant corral and called on the government not to approve the draft Wild Animals Preservation and Protection Bill, which would transfer the ownership of domesticated elephants to a state agency supervising wildlife protection.


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relocation
Baby Sukjai, found chained to a tree.

Baby elephant taken in by authorities after alleged smuggling to Phuket

2013-10-26 - Phuket, Thailand.

Kathu district chief officer Veera Kerdsirimongkol visited a coconut farm yesterday afternoon (October 25) in Baan Bangthong, Kathu, following a complaint. Here Mr Veera found a one-year-old baby elephant, named Sukjai, chained to a tree. The elephant is believed to have been smuggled to Phuket without any permit. At the scene was Prasop Jerkaew, 37, who is understood to have brought the elephant to Phuket from Phang Nga two days ago, and did not report it to authorities.


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misc
Thika, youngest of the three, explores the confined area just outside the African elephant barn at PAWS.

Toronto elephant handlers speak out about trip to California, their too-brief time at PAWS and losing the animals they loved.

2013-10-26 - Toronto, Canada.

Bob Barker may have called the Toronto elephant keepers �miserable� on Monday � in fact, he declared they should all be fired, but to those who participated in or observed the elephants being unloaded from their crates at PAWS, it was clear the zoo handlers played a key role in their safe delivery.


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conflict
Kumki elephants escorting the wild elephant (second left) from a sugarcane field that entered at Nagaranai near Sathyamangalam on Saturday.

Kumkis deployed to chase wild elephants

2013-10-26 - Thondamuthur, India.

The Forest Department on Thursday night deployed two kumki (tamed/trained) elephants, Nanjan and Pari, at Kuppepalayam near Thondamuthur to send back the lone female elephant and a herd deep into the forests. For the last ten days, the herd and the lone elephant have been straying out of the forests and two days ago, the female elephant trampled a 55-year-old woman to death.


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conservation
Ajay Desai (right) fixes a radio collar to a wild elephant in India as it recovers from a tranquilizer drug

Indian elephant expert critical of conservation methods in Sri Lanka

2013-10-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Considering all these failed options Mr. Desai said there was a fourth option—the difficult choice of culling these elephants in ‘troubled’ spots. He said this method was cost effective and would even have conservation gains such as using funds to conserve other viable elephant populations. It would also bring a quick end to these elephants instead of a slow lingering death which is what actually awaits them or a life time in captivity and death in the end.


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event

Elephant race scrapped on Sri Lanka"s new trunk road

2013-10-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Twenty-four elephants lined up for a race Thursday on Sri Lanka´s newest expressway, but thousands of spectators were left disappointed when organisers scrapped the event due to safety concerns. The animals and jockeys were jostling at the start line on the Chinese-built 25.8-kilometre (16 mile) four-lane expressway from the airport to the capital when authorities had a sudden change of heart. Police felt that the tuskers could pose a threat to the safety of spectators if one of them went ...


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poaching
4 suspects in the murder of a wild elephant in the southern province of Dong Nai in 2011

Vietnam police arrest suspects in elephant murder

2013-10-25 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.

Police in the southern province of Dong Nai have arrested five people on suspicion of killing a wild elephant in 2011 with military weapons, and for illegally trading and keeping the rare animals. According to police, they suspected the poachers of murdering a wild elephant in Tan Phu Forest, Dinh Quan District, nearly two years ago. The elephant was found dead on December 23, 2011, with one of its tusks missing.


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smuggle

Zimbabwe: Bus Drivers Jailed in SA for Ivory Smuggling

2013-10-25 - Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

TWO Zimbabwean cross-border bus drivers arrested in South Africa last week for smuggling ivory into that country have each been jailed for four years. Parks and wildlife spokesperson, Caroline Washaya-Moyo said Langton Saka, 35, of Silobela and James Nyirenda, 37, of Bulawayo were convicted after being found guilty by a Musina court in South Africa. The pair worked as drivers for Citiliner bus company.


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research

The elephant catcher from Kochi

2013-10-24 - Kochi, India.

Juhaim Ibnu Abdul Jabbar, 22, is studying engineering at Toc H Institute of Science and Technology, Kochi. The name of my device is EDD (Elephant Deterrent Device). When elephants run wild, they end up dying in rail accidents or they become a threat to people on the streets, farmers and crops. My device can avert these tragedies.


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misc
A wildlife ranger trying to protect elephants has been trampled to death by them in Zimbablwe

Elephants kill anti-poaching ranger

2013-10-24 - Hwange, Zimbabwe.

Three elephants have trampled a park ranger to death during an anti-poaching patrol in a Zimbabwe nature reserve where more than 102 of the animals have been poisoned with cyanide in past weeks. The veteran ranger was charged by the elephants when separated from colleagues in the remote Hwange National Park. The National Parks Department said Lovemore Maphosa, 61, was out on a 10-day foot patrol.


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death
A wild female elephant is thought to have been electrocuted on an orchard near Tai Rom Yen National Park in Kanchanadit district.

Elephant found dead by electric fence

2013-10-22 - SURAT THANI, Thailand.

Park officials on Tuesday said they are investigating the death of a wild female elephant believed to have been electrocuted and killed on an orchard near Tai Rom Yen National Park in Kanchanadit district. The dead elephant was found by the road side adjacent to an orchard around 300 metres from one of the six national parks in Surat Thani province. A team of park officials and veterinarians found a wooden pole wrapped with a 200-Volt electric wire in a shack about five metres from the animal, p...


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smuggle

2.4 tonnes of elephant tusks seized

2013-10-22 - Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Authorities in Vietnam have seized 2.4 tonnes of elephant tusks illegally imported from Malaysia in the second large seizure this month. Customs official Truong Cong Thanh in the northern port city of Hai Phong says the tusks were found in a container on Monday. The cargo had been declared as sea shells. Thanh said Tuesday that the case was under investigation.


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conflict
In this Feb. 9, 2011 file photo, an Asian elephant poses for a photo with visitors at Two Tails Ranch in Williston. A woman was seriously injured by an elephant at the ranch in August, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Elephant at Williston ranch injured woman, FWC says

2013-10-21 - Williston, United States.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson Karen Parker on Monday said Diane Bedard was injured Aug. 26 by an elephant at Two Tails Ranch at 18655 NE 81st St. Bedard has been in the hospital since Aug. 26 with “life-threatening” injuries, Parker said. According to Parker, Bedard was at the house of the owner, Patricia Zerbini, taking pictures of the elephant.


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poaching

Wild Elephant Poaching Increases in Pegu

2013-10-21 - Pegu, Myanmar.

In January, residents and lawmakers from Irrawaddy Division’s Ngaputaw Township reported the deaths of five elephants within seven months by hunters. Myint Wai, a local resident in Pegu Division, northeast of Rangoon, points to a homemade map of the mountain range, identifying sites where he found the dead carcasses most recently. Some sites are deep in the jungle, he says, adding that he walked for several days to get there. One of the closest sites lies two hours from the highway, over a rou...


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relocation

Elephant calf rescued, relocated to NZP

2013-10-21 - Dimapur, India.

A Female elephant calf, about three weeks old, was rescued from a location called Rara by the Aliba Village Council under Mokokchung District on October 18, 2013. Fondly christened ‘Rara,’ she has been safely relocated to the Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP), Rangapahar on October 20 by a seven-member team comprising of Obed Bohovi Swu, Officer-in-Charge, NZP, Rangaphar along with Dr. R. Wati Ao, the visiting Veterinary doctor of NZP and the Wildlife Staff.


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relocation
Thika, one of the Toronto Zoo

Elephants from Toronto Zoo arrive at new home in California

2013-10-21 - Toronto, Canada.

Three elephants from the Toronto Zoo have arrived at their new home at a California sanctuary after a three-day road trip. A truck carrying Toka and Iringa arrived at the Performing Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) Sanctuary near Sacramento around 8:30 p.m. EDT. A separate truck carrying the youngest elephant, Thika, was travelling in another truck and arrived about an hour later.


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medical
Asian elephant bull Nicholas in the freezing cold enclosure in the winter.

The Toronto Zoo Elephant Saga � The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

2013-10-21 - Toronto, Canada.

Lies reg TB at PAWS, lies and propaganda from animal rights activists, politicians, and media who failed to cover the story objectively. Harrasment of staff wo pere pressed not to tell the truth. And the victims, a group of healthy african elephants, exploited by ZooCheck, PAWS and others.


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facility

Bhubaneswar zoo to expand enclosure for housing more elephants

2013-10-20 - Bhubaneswar, India.

The elephant enclosure at Nandankanan would soon be expanded to 20 acre from the current five. The zoo authorities have already got the nod from Central Zoo Authority (CZA). Besides, it will also get four more adult elephants by December. Currently, there are three elephants in the zoo.


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relocation
The elephants are being fed lots of hay.

Toronto zoo elephant convoy headed deep into U.S. Midwest. Elephants had overnight stopover at "World"s Largest Truck Stop" in Iowa

2013-10-20 - Walcott, United States.

Three Toronto Zoo elephants en route to their new home in California have passed Chicago and Nebraska and are now travelling through Wyoming. Their convoy crossed the U.S. border early Friday after leaving the Toronto Zoo before 11 p.m. ET on Thursday. The pachyderm parade had a minor incident overnight in Walcott, Iowa, at what´s billed as The World´s Largest Truck Stop.


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conservation
Marc Goss operates a drone near the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Narok County, Kenya. The drone, intended to provide aerial footage and track poachers, proved useful for herding elephants because the animals hate the sound.

Using drones to thwart elephant poachers

2013-10-20 - Masai Mara, Kenya.

Standing in his flatbed truck, Marc Goss touches “take off” on his iPad 3, and a $300 AR Drone whirs into the air. It’s his latest weapon to fight elephant poachers around Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. Kenya is proposing stiffer penalties for the slaughter of elephants and rhinos, with fines of as much as $117,000 and 15-year jail terms. The government has deployed paramilitary forces and plans to acquire drones to fight poaching.


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conservation

Census Shows Increasing Elephant Population In Kenya National Park

2013-10-19 - Nairobi, Kenya.

A joint week-long wildlife census carried out by Kenya and Tanzanian wildlife authorities have counted 1,193 elephants, a remarkable recovery from massive deaths, provisional results show. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said the figure is a 12 percent increase compared to a similar dry season in October 2010 when the authorities counted 1,065 elephants during the joint aerial count of elephants and other large mammals in the shared ecosystem of the Amboseli-West Kilimanjaro.


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welfare

Hauler criticizes Toronto Zoo elephant trip

2013-10-18 - Toronto, Canada.

A longtime elephant hauler is unhappy with the way Toronto Zoo elephants are travelling to a California sanctuary. Stephen Fritz said he has transported more than 70 elephants in 27 years and he would not have chosen to transport Thika, Toka and Iringa by truck in the fall, he said Friday from Arizona.


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smuggle

Uganda seizes blood ivory ready for shipment to China

2013-10-18 - Kampala, Uganda.

Over 800 pieces were found concealed in a container ready for shipment via the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa to China. Said to be worth over 6 billion Uganda Shillings, the catch will financially pain the middlemen of the illicit trade but have cost several hundred elephant their lives.


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people

Veteran Elephant Carrier Stephen Fritz Wouldn�t Truck Toronto Elephants

2013-10-17 - Kingman, United States.

Fritz and his wife Phyllis came to Toronto to investigate the project. Even though the money was there; and even though he had tons of experience and wasn�t afraid of facing down animal-rights people, Fritz said no. �It�s not the people of Toronto; it�s not the zoo; it�s the way the whole thing came together. �I took a look at that Toronto project and said �no thanks.� He said he and Phyllis �loved the city; but he couldn´t tolerate the politi...


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poaching

Zimbabwe man jailed for 15 years for poisoning elephants

2013-10-17 - Hwange, Zimbabwe.

A Zimbabwe court on Wednesday sentenced a poacher to more than 15 years in prison for poisoning and killing elephants with cyanide, the fourth such conviction in the country in a month. The court in the western town of Hwange also found Akim Masuku, 26, guilty of illegal possession of ivory, handing down a total jail term of 15-and-a-half years, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority said in a statement.


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research

Kenya, TZ to conduct aerial elephant count

2013-10-17 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan and Tanzanian will jointly conduct a cross-border aerial count of elephants and other large mammals in the shared ecosystem of the Amboseli-West Kilimanjaro and Natron-Magadi landscape. Kenya Wildlife Service spokesperson Paul Udoto says the initiative is set to start from October 6 to 13, 2013.


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relocation
Three elephants from the Toronto Zoo will begin their journey to the PAWS Wildlife Sanctuary near Sacramento, Calif. Thursday morning.

Toronto Zoo elephants to be moved Thursday morning: Union

2013-10-17 - Toronto, Canada.

Vice-president of CUPE Local 1600, which represents Toronto Zoo workers, Matt Berridge says they spoke with Active Environments, the company in charge of the move, and they have agreed allow keepers to come along as far as the U.S. border. However should staff wish to travel any further, Berridger says they would need to sign a non-disclosure agreement.


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people

Zookeeper"s death: Elephant was in chute, acted differently since other elephant"s death

2013-10-17 - Springfield, United States.

The morning of the incident, Patience hesitated in the chute, and elephant manager John Phillip Bradford, 62, was coaxing her forward. Bradford leaned into the chute, reaching for her with a guide. The animal suddenly lunged forward, knocking Bradford down, into the chute. The animal then crushed Bradford against the floor, killing him instantly.


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death
Elephants in the evening, Hwange, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe: Poisoned Elephant Toll Reaches 102, Officials

2013-10-15 - Hwange, Zimbabwe.

WILDLIFE authorities said Tuesday they had found another 11 carcasses of elephants killed by cyanide poisoning, bringing to 102 the number of pachyderms poisoned for their tusks in a continuing wildlife crisis. Authorities arrested two suspected poachers at a village outside Hwange National Park where a small quantity of cyanide was recovered.


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blog

Toronto Council hands zoo over to animal rights extremists

2013-10-12 - Toronto, Canada.

As you can see council has approved the allowance of 4 anti zoo animal rights groups to make decisions about the future of the Toronto Zoo. These organizations are 100% against zoos, they will begin systematically removing animals and exhibits and move them to their affiliated facilities as was the case with our elephants.They will start with all large iconic mammals, polar bears, bears, big cats and primates.


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conference

34th 33rd Annual Elephant Managers Association Conference and Workshop

2013-10-06 - Dallas, United States.

The Dallas Zoo welcomes you to Dallas for the 34th annual conference of the Elephant Managers Association. Please submit abstracts by July 15 to both Karen Gibson and Harry Peachey. Registration is $175 until August 15; $200 August 16 and later. Thursday, Oct. 10: Optional post-conference trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo.


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relocation

Niabi Zoo prepares to move elephants

2013-10-05 - Niabi, United States.

A trailer was inside the elephant enclosure at Niabi Zoo on Friday, October 4, 2013. Zoo Director Marc Heinzman said Asian elephants Babe and Sophie will eventually travel in the trailer, and that it was placed in the enclosure so the elephants could get accustomed to being inside of the trailer before they are moved. Heinzman did not give an exact timeline for the move. He previously confirmed the elephants would be gone from Niabi Zoo by the 2014 season.


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birth
La Petite and her newborn calf at the Ramat Gan Safari, Wednesday

Ramat Gan safari’s 25-year-old elephant La Petite, already a grandmother, has another girl of her own

2013-10-05 - Ramat Gan, Israel.

Safari workers have yet to decide on the calf’s name, but have said it will start with the letter “L” — like her mother’s name. The birth, which happened 22 months after the mother was caught on camera mating with the happy father Motek, was particularly welcomed by workers at the safari since the Asian elephant is considered an endangered species


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zoo

West Africa"s newest zoo reopens its doors in Mali capital

2013-10-05 - Bamako, Mali.

The six-hectare zoo – small compared with European counterparts – is home to three lions, a small elephant and baboons among the 100 animal species, which also includes 12 breeds of birds, such as white egrets and ostriches, and 58 varieties of fish.


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medical

Necropsy finds TB in elephant at Little Rock Zoo

2013-10-05 - Little Rock, United States.

The elephant, named Jewell, was euthanized after staff members discovered her lying on her side, unable to get up. Necropsy results showed that tissue from the elephant tested positive for tuberculosis, though the official cause of death will be listed as euthanasia due to arthritis and severe musculoskeletal problems, the zoo said.


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medical
Mr Naetiwin went to see the elephant at TECC on Sept 9. He claims he found that she had injuries

What have you done to my elephant?

2013-10-04 - Lampang, Thailand.

Naetiwin Amorsin, the owner of a four-year-old female elephant, Phang Taengmo, submitted a complaint with Surapong Kongchantuk, a member of the Lawyer´s Council of Thailand’s human rights committee, on Monday. The mahout asked for legal action against the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) for unfairly confiscating his elephant, and for putting the animal at risk of "imminent death" because of poor treatment


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conservation
Masidi launching the ecological corridor for the Bornean Elephant at Myne Resort.

Resort provides 160 acres for Bornean elephants

2013-10-04 - Kinabatangan, Indonesia.

Myne Resort has set aside 160 acres of land at Kampung Bilit, Lower Kinabatangan as an ecological corridor for the Bornean elephants. Myne Resort managing director, Ouh Mee Lan said that the Myne Resort was supportive of the effort undertaken by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and the Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) to enhance the ecological corridor for the Bornean elephants at the Lower Kinabatangan.


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birth
This is the third Asian elephant calf to be born in New Mexico. Rozie was the first calf born at the Zoo to mother Alice in 1992. Rozie gave birth to Daizy, now 4 years old, in 2009. The multi-generational herd is thriving.

Rozie gave birth to a healthy female calf on October 2, 2013.

2013-10-03 - Albuquerque, United States.

The newest addition is the third elephant born in New Mexico. Rozie was the first elephant born at the ABQ BioPark Zoo back in 1992. She gave birth to Daizy, her first calf, in 2009. The multi-generation herd includes Rozie, her mother Alice, daughter Daizy and brand new calf. An unrelated female, Irene, is also part of the herd and has been a good auntie. Samson and Albert, two young males, have formed a bachelor herd, and can be seen in yards adjacent to the females.


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conflict

Elephant menace? Try recorded tiger growls

2013-10-02 - New Delhi, United States.

In a first experiment of this kind, the researchers recorded growls of tigers and leopards when they came upon elephants in the vicinity. There have been sporadic instances of use of predator sound playback to deter elephants or other animals, but in the long range they fail because the animals realize that it is a hoax. However, it is better to try out these methods than fight a costly and unjust war!


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relocation
Spike, the Calgary Zoo

Spike the elephant safely arrives at Busch Gardens in Florida

2013-09-20 - Tampa, United States.

Spike, the 32-year-old Asian elephant, arrived safely to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla. Friday that will be his new home after a safe 2 1/2 day, 4,500 km journey from the Calgary Zoo. The zoo’s three female elephants are scheduled to depart for the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. early next year.


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conference

9th International Conference on Behaviour, Physiology and Genetics of Wildlife

2013-09-18 - Berlin, Germany. Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).

The aim of this conference is to foster an exchange of ideas between wildlife scientists from different disciplines with an interest in both wild and captive animals, with a focus on mammalian species.


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death
A male tusker which was found dead at Satyamangalam.

Tuskers killed during fight

2013-09-16 - Coimbatore, India.

Two tuskers were found dead, probably during fights with other members of a herd, in the Coimbatore and Satyamangalam forest areas. In the first incident, a male tusker was killed in a fight with another elephant, near Kallar in the Mettupalayam forest area. In another incident, a 15-year-old male elephant was found dead in the Satyamangalam forest range in neighbouring Erode district on Saturday.


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fossil

Fossils Shed Light on Sangiran Hunters

2013-09-16 - Sangiran Dome, Indonesia.

Archaeologists in Central Java have discovered fossil evidence that prehistoric humans may have hunted a forerunner to the elephant that was twice the size of today’s pachyderms. The archaeologists also found several ball-shaped rocks near the stegodon fossil, which they have identified as weapons used for hunting.


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circus

Ringling Bros. defends treatment of elephants

2013-09-15 - SACRAMENTO, United States.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus opens a four-day run in Sacramento Friday with animal handlers defending their treatment of the elephants. "Our animals receive the highest level of care," said assistant animal superintendent Ray Henning.


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trade

Auckland zoo still working on Niue elephant deal

2013-09-15 - Auckland, New Zealand.

Auckland Zoo says the new elephants it wants to bring to New Zealand will definitely spend three months in quarantine on Niue first. The zoo’s head of marketing Ben Hutton says work is continuing to import two elephants from an orphanage in Sri Lanka and if the deal is successful the earliest they will arrive by plane on Niue is late November.


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research

Rested elephants make more babies

2013-09-15 - Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Researchers from the University´s Department of Animal and Plant Sciences accessed records of the life and deaths of more than 2,000 working elephants from Myanmar, Burma. The unique dataset was recorded from 1948-2000, spanning five generations of elephants – a remarkable feat considering the animals can live up to 80 years.The elephants in the data base are semi-captive animals working in the timber industry by pushing and dragging logs.


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medical

BCM and Houston Zoo elephant project recognized with award

2013-09-14 - Houston, United States.

A $459,147 grant will support a research project focusing on elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). The research resulted from a collaboration between Baylor College of Medicine and the Houston Zoo and now also includes Johns Hopkins University and the National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park.


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facility

Sedgwick County approves expansion of zoo

2013-09-14 - Wichita, United States.

The Sedgwick County Zoo will get about $31 million from the county over the next five years, giving zoo supporters a boost in efforts to expand the elephant exhibit. The zoo has two elephants and needs at least one more to meet new requirements for accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.


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research

Wild Asian elephants distinguish aggressive tiger and leopard growls according to perceived danger.

2013-09-11 - Davis, United States. Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, , Davis, CA, USA.

Elephants retreated silently to tiger-growl playbacks, whereas they responded with aggressive vocalizations, such as trumpets and grunts, to leopard-growl playbacks. Elephants also lingered in the area and displayed alert or investigative behaviours in response to leopard growls when compared with tiger growls. We anticipate that the methods outlined here will promote further study of elephant antipredator behaviour in a naturalistic context, with applications for conservation efforts as well.


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evolution
Researchers analyzed tissues from 88 bone, tooth, and tusk samples to add to the existing genetic data set of woolly mammoths.

New Woolly Mammoth Lineage Discovered

2013-09-11 - Stockholm, Sweden. Laura Poppick

A previously unknown European lineage of woolly mammoths once plodded Earth, suggest new DNA analyses, which also provide new evidence for the role of climate change in the animal´s ultimate extinction. a team of researchers based at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm has analyzed a suite of 88 new DNA samples from woolly mammoth museum specimens ranging from Europe to North America.


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smuggle
Ivory tusks and carvings are displayed at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation office in Albany, N.Y, December 2012.

US to Destroy 6 Tons of Illegal Ivory

2013-09-10 - Washington, United States.

U.S. wildlife authorities say they will destroy six metric tons of illegal elephant ivory seized by customs agents. Whole tusks, carvings and other ivory material held in storage in the western state of Colorado will be crushed next month.


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misc

New artisan gin in support of elephants

2013-09-09 - London, United Kingdom.

An independent, artisan gin inspired by Africa and in support of African elephants has launched in the UK this month with an ethical cause at its heart.
Elephant Gin is a new handcrafted London Dry Gin of 45% abv, made with carefully selected ingredients to capture the essence of Africa.


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death

Zoo Mourns Loss of 62-Year-Old Elephant, Jewell

2013-09-09 - Little Rock, United States.

The Little Rock Zoo is sad to report the death of Jewell, a 62-year-old elephant living at the Zoo since 2011. The Zoo will be closed today as staff remove the elephant from the exhibit. Large equipment is in use and most pedestrian paths are blocked inside the Zoo.


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circus

Animal activists put circuses through the ringer

2013-09-09 - Bakersfield, United States.

The protests have become a circus tradition in their own right. Animal rights activists show up outside circus venues to condemn what they consider to be inhumane treatment of exotic animals by traveling circuses. The circus industry sees these protests as well-meaning but wrongheaded.


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circus

Carol the Elephant makes first appearance since shooting

2013-09-09 - Spokane, United States.

The Ringleader of the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus says Carol the Elephant has made a full recovery and will make her first appearance Friday night, after being shot in Tupelo back in April.The circus is in Spokane, Washington this weekend.


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people

The Zookeeper: Monroe"s Solomon James talks of his special time with Shirley the Elepha

2013-09-08 - Monroe, United States.

During Shirley’s long sojourn in Monroe, Solomon James was her principal keeper and caregiver. Both James and Shirley are featured in the Emmy Award-winning documentary, “The Urban Elephant,” made for National Geographic and PBS.


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misc

Registering illegally captured elephants: Environmentalists up in arms against amnesty period

2013-09-08 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Environmentalists have warned that the amnesty period for those who rear elephants illegally to register them, will have far-reaching consequences as it will promote elephant poaching. The Environment Conservation Trust has highlighted that relaxing laws on illegally domesticated elephants will encourage poachers to pry on baby elephants, and would run contrary to the Ministry’s good intentions.


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misc

Human remains found during construction of elephant facility at Oregon Zoo

2013-09-08 - Portland, United States.

Construction workers digging the new elephant habitat at the Oregon Zoo discovered a human skull last month. Since then, archaeologists have found the remains of nine people buried within a six-acre area. The remains are believed to be people who lived at the Hillside Farm, a 160-acre poor farm owned and operated by Multnomah County. It was a place for the poor to get medical care, and often live out their last days.


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death

Zimbabwe: Govt Urged to Enact Tougher Poaching Penalties After Mass Elephant Poisoning

2013-09-08 - Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.

The deliberate poisoning of more than 40 elephants in the Hwange National Park has sparked outcry across the world, with a growing chorus of voices demanding that stricter poaching penalties be implemented. The elephants died after members of a suspected poaching syndicate laced salt with the toxic chemical cyanide and distributed the salt in a drinking pool used by elephants in Hwange. The carcasses of the animals were discovered late last month after park rangers heard gunshots within the park...


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relocation
Police and wildlife officials raided a Najomtien elephant camp, seizing “Phunzup,” a wild elephant sold as domesticated using falsified documentation.

Wildlife officials seize illegal elephant, arrest 3 in Najomtien

2013-09-06 - Na Jomtien, Thailand.

Police and wildlife officials raided a Najomtien elephant camp, arresting its owners for illegal documentation seizing a wild elephant 47-year-old elephant “Phunzup,” sold as domesticated using falsified documentation. The arrest came as Thai officials launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal elephants, many of which were shipped over the border from Myanmar with falsified documents.


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birth

Newborn elephant at Vienna Zoo

2013-09-05 - Vienna, Austria. Harald Schwammer, Vienna Zoo

This is the first calf which was sired through artificial insemination with frozen sperm and its father is a wild elephant bull at Phinda Reserve in Africa. Through a novel technique which was developed by a team from Berlin’s Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research the sperm gained in the bush was frozen and successfully thawed.


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death
A dead elephant being shifted for cremation.

224 captive elephants missing in Kerala, 36 elephants dead in last eight months

2013-09-02 - Trivandrum, India.

The death of 36 elephants during the last eight months (2013 January-2013 August) reflects the sorry state of the lives of the captive elephants in the state. Among these captive elephants, 29 were owned by individuals and seven were under the control of state forest department. The statistics is prepared by Thrissur based Heritage animal task force with the help of environmentalists and elephant activists in the state. But the government admits that they are yet to compile the list of dead elep...


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misc

Arjuna could lead famed Dasara procession again

2013-09-02 - Mysore, India.

Tall and handsome Arjuna is the new leader of Dasara jumbos. On Wednesday, as the first batch of five jumbos started their sojourn to Mysore from Nagapura bordering Nagarahole national park, 53-year-old Arjuna led them indicating the change in order. After his performance at Dasara procession in October 2012, the tusker is now undisputed leader of the pack of elephants.


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smuggle
Thai customs officials display pieces of elephant tusks and ivory beads confiscated from a Vietnamese couple in Bangkok on Friday.

Vietnamese couple nabbed in Thailand for smuggling African ivory

2013-09-02 - , United States.

Thai police have arrested a Vietnamese couple for allegedly smuggling 105 kilograms of African elephant ivory from Angola to Cambodia through Thailand. Pham Ngoc Tuan and his wife Pham Thi Kim Chi were nabbed Thursday at Suvarnabhumi Airport after customs officials detected pieces from 23 African elephant tusks in their four suitcases, Bangkok Post reported Friday.


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relocation

New life in chains begins for jumbo herd

2013-09-01 - Coimbatore, India.

The last two members of an elephant herd that was roaming near Thandarampatti near Sathanur dam in Thiruvannamalai were captured on Wednesday night by forest officials. The two male calves had come in search of the herd leader, a female elephant, which was captured early Wednesday


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misc

Mechanical elephant Rajah returns home to Halton Mill

2013-09-01 - , United States.

A mechanical elephant built in the 1950s at an engineering works in a Lancashire village has returned home. Organisers said 250 people turned out for the official homecoming of Rajah to the former Luneside Engineering works in Halton, near Lancaster.


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conference

International Elephant & Rhino Symposium in Pittsburgh

2013-08-31 - Pittsburgh, United States.

This week the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium hosted the International Elephant & Rhino Symposium, including a session Thursday at the International Conservation Center in Glen Savage. About 150 researchers, scientists and keepers from Africa, Europe and Asia attended the workshops. The last time the Pittsburgh Zoo hosted the symposium was in 1999. The International Conservation Center in Somerset County is believed to be the only one of it’s kind in the world. It’s home to five elephants an...


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misc

Is Rambo the famous elephant of Uda Walawe National Park dead?

2013-08-27 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

It was about 10-15 years ago that a big bull elephant was sighted regularly along the electric fence bordering the Thanamalwila Road that runs adjacent to the Uda Walawe National Park ( UWNP) and he was named Rambo. While certainly everyone will hope and pray that we are all proved wrong, the prognosis is not good, and all logical evidence indicates that Rambo may be no more in the land of the living.


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facility

Negev Elephant Park a No Go Due to Bureaucratic Snafu

2013-08-25 - Negev, Israel.

A project that organizers hoped would bring masses of tourists to the western Negev – an elephant park – apparently won´t be getting off the ground, despite the fact that Kibbutz Nahal Oz and other investors have sunk over a million shekels into it. But despite international laws against transporting elephants, organizers are still helpful they will be able to make a go of the project.


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book

New Book: Behemoth: The History of the Elephant in America

2013-08-25 - , United States.

Ronald B. Tobias has written a comprehensive history of the elephant in America. As tragic as it is comic, this enthralling chronicle traces this animal´s indelible footprint on American culture.


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smuggle

Antiques Dealer Pleads Guilty to Wildlife Smuggling Conspiracy

2013-08-24 - New York, United States.

Qiang Wang, a.k.a. Jeffrey Wang, 34, a New York antiques dealer, pled guilty on August 7 in Manhattan federal court to conspiracy to smuggle Asian artifacts made from rhinoceros horns and ivory and to violate wildlife trafficking laws. Wang was arrested in February 2013 as part of Operation Crash, a nationwide crackdown in the illegal trafficking in rhinoceros horns, for his role in smuggling libation cups carved from rhinoceros horns from New York to Hong Kong and China.


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smuggle

Customs seize illegal elephant tusks at HCMC Port

2013-08-23 - Ho Chi Min city, Vietnam.

Customs officers at ICD Phuoc Long Port in Thu Duc District said they had seized 158 elephant tusks hidden in a container coming in from Mozambique.The case has now been transferred to the Investigation Police. On August 22, Le Van Tu, Deputy Director of Thai Minh Company and an accomplice were caught illegally transporting a container with the elephant tusks through the port into Vietnam.


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birth

Trained elephant gives birth to female calf

2013-08-22 - Tesso Nilo, Indonesia.

A domesticated elephant, a member of the Flying Squad at the Tesso Nilo National Park gave birth to a female calf on Aug. 7. The calf is the fourth new member of the squad at the park located in Pelalawan regency, Riau.The calf, which has yet to be named, was delivered by its 35-year-old mother Ria.


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misc
The islands have no native herbivores except for wild pig, which is omnivorous while elephants were brought over from mainland India in the 1880s.

Andaman forests under threat from deer and elephants: Report

2013-08-22 - Kolkata, India.

The tropical rainforests of Andaman islands are under threat - not from illegal felling of timber or clearing of forests for development activities - but from being finished off by an invasive species of deer and elephant, a research says. According to the report prepared by Rauf Ali from the Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning in Puducherry, the herbivore species is causing the vegetation to decrease significantly.


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misc

Tighter regulation coming for Phuket’s elephant camps

2013-08-21 - Phuket, Thailand.

Elephant camp owners and officials met yesterday (August 20) to hammer out a code of management for the camps, which have so far been pretty much unhampered by regulations. In addition to the excess elephants, the meeting, held at Phuket City Municipality, discussed the smuggling of elephants onto the island, unregistered sales of elephants from one camp to another, hygiene – or the lack of it – at the elephant camps and the effect of elephant ‘pollution’ on the surrounding area.


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relocation
A veterinarian takes a blood sample from a seized elephant at an elephant camp on Phuket Island on Wednesday. Authorities confiscated 16 unregistered elephants from several elephant camps at tourist spots

16 illegal elephants seized from tourist areas

2013-08-21 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Police said Wednesday they had seized 16 elephants from tourist destinations as part of a nationwide swoop on operators suspected of using smuggled wild pachyderms for entertainment. The animals were removed on Tuesday and Wednesday from camps in the southern and eastern resort areas of Koh Chang in Trat and Phuket, Krabi and Phangnga provinces, which are popular with holidaymakers, said Watcharin Phoosit, from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division.


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relocation

U.S. National Zoo Getting 3 New Elephants From Canada

2013-08-21 - Washington, United States.

A $2 million gift from businessman David Rubenstein will allow the Smithsonian´s National Zoo to nearly double the size of its Asian elephant herd. The zoo announced Tuesday that it will receive three female elephants in an open-ended loan from the Calgary Zoo in Canada, which is relocating its elephants to more suitable habitats. The move will be funded entirely by Rubenstein, a co-founder of the Washington-based private equity firm The Carlyle Group. In 2011, Rubenstein gave $4.5 millio...


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misc
Thiruvambadi Shivasundar

Jumbo boozes; owner pulled up

2013-08-19 - Alappuzha, India.

Businessman Sundar Menon’s confession seems to have courted a controversy. Menon, owner of Thiruvambadi Shivasundar, who said he was in the habit of giving his elephant buckets full of brandy, has come in for severe criticism from all quarters. The row came following a report in the New York Times… “A Big, Blingy Indian Love Song for a Brandy-Swigging Elephant”, which appeared on August 16.


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fossil
Mr. Son and his son with the fossilized ivory.  Having four pieces of fossilized ivory dating back nearly 20,000 years, Mr. Son said many people offered to buy them at the price of $4 million but Son did not sell because he wanted to join scientists to s

The owner of the fossilized ivory of 20,000 years

2013-08-18 - Pleiku, Vietnam.

Mr. Nguyen Truong Son, 49, a resident in Phu Hoi Ward, Pleiku City, Gia Lai Province is very cautious seeing strange guests because he owns four pieces of ivory fossils which is a 1.26 m long tusk when they are joined together. According to Son, about 40 years ago his father – a photographer, often worked in Chu A Thai in Thien Phu District, Gia Lai Province. He usually lived with and helped indigenous ethnic minorities there. The village chief once presented the beloved artist four pieces of ...


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death
Forest officials inspecting the carcass of an elephant in reserve forests in Palar-Porundhalar dam, near Palani on Saturday.

Pregnant elephant, tusker found dead

2013-08-18 - Palani, India.

A pregnant elephant and tusker were found killed in what seemed to have been a fiery battle within the herd in the reserve forests near the Palar-Porundhalar dam on Saturday, forest officials said. The carcass of a six-year-old male elephant was found near Kallar Odai, a forest stream, and 15-year-old pregnant female elephant 300 feet away.


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trade

Namibia to send 10 rhinoceros, five elephants to Cuba zoo

2013-08-17 - Windhoek, Namibia.

Namibia will airlift 10 rhinoceros and five elephants to Cuba in September, concluding a massive translocation project of 135 animals taken from its national parks, the environment ministry said Wednesday. The 15 animals will be captured from the Etosha National Park in northern Namibia – one of the country´s major tourist attractions – plus a nearby smaller game reserve, the Waterberg Plateau, environment and tourism deputy-minister Pohamba Shifeta told AFP.


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medical
Packy

Medicating two Oregon Zoo elephants for tuberculosis challenges veterinarian and keepers

2013-08-16 - Portland, United States.

Mitch Finnegan said Wednesday that Rama, who started treatment about three weeks ago, began rejecting the oral portion of his drugs on Saturday. Packy´s treatment stopped one day after it started about 10 days ago because the Asian elephant went into musth, a periodic condition during which bulls´ testosterone spikes. Often, bulls in musth grow aggressive but Packy simply turns uncooperative, making it impossible for keepers to medicate him.


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conflict

Elephant kills mahout in Kerala

2013-08-15 - Palakkad, India.

A captive elephant gored to death its 50-year old mahout to death in Puthur in the district today, police said. The jumbo, which had been brought to participate in the ´anayootu´ (feeding of elephants) festival at Thirupuraikkal Bhagavathy Temple here, killed its second mahout Ramankutty (50).


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abstract

Albuquerque zoo"s elephant herd to expand

2013-08-10 - Albuquerque, United States.

Zookeepers say blood tests indicate that Rozie the elephant´s calf will likely be a girl. The window for her giving birth is between August and November, but keepers suspect the calf may come in mid-September. The BioPark´s elephant manager, Rhonda Saiers, says the zoo is excited about the potential of adding another female to the multigenerational herd. Still, there´s a chance the gender test could be wrong.


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birth

A new four generation elephant baby born in Netherlands

2013-08-10 - Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The female Asian elephant baby was born this morning at 5 AM at the outside habitat. Mother is Throng Nhi born 2003 in Rotterdam (her father Alexander was born 1978 in Tel Aviv Zoo), father is Timber. Timber was born in Rotterdam 1998, Timbers father Ramon was born 1970 in Hannover Zoo, Germany.


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medical
 Elephant Collie Suffering from Kidney Disease: The Dickerson Park Zoo

Dickerson Park Zoo"s oldest elephant Connie, nicknamed Pinky, is battling kidney disease

2013-08-10 - Springfield, United States.

Dickerson Park Zoo announced today that its oldest elephant, Connie, is battling kidney disease. She is not expected to recover. The estimated 50-year-old elephant - nicknamed “Pinky” - was born in the wild and came to the zoo in November 1981 from the Zoological Gardens in Abilene, Texas. She has exceeded the average life expectancy for an elephant cow, which is about 47 years.


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smuggle
Suspected ivory trafficker Emile N

Ivory trafficker "behind the slaughter of more than 10,000 elephants over the last 40 years" is arrested in Togo

2013-08-09 - Lome, Togo.

An ivory trafficker whose work is suspected to have fuelled the slaughter of more than 10,000 elephants over 40 years has been arrested. Emile N´bouke, 58, known as ´The Boss´, was detained in the Togo capital Lome where police found 1,500lbs (700kgs) of ivory at his shop. Activists say N´bouke is not only a buyer of illegal ivory but helped finance poaching targeting elephants throughout Central Africa.


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birth

7 yr-old Asiatic elephant La Belle gives birth to a female calf. The breed is an endangered one. (Ramat Gan inbreeding again, calf sired by mothers father Motek)

2013-08-06 - Ramat Gan, Israel.

La Belle, a seven-year-old Asiatic elephant, gave birth to female calf, handlers at the Safari Park discovered Friday morning. The father is Motek, a 53 year old Asiatic elephant. The maternal grandmother, 25 year old La Petite, is behaving in a pushy manner since the birth and has tried to suckle the calf. Handlers explained that since this is La Belle’s first birth, her mother may be trying to teach her how to care for the calf.


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conflict
Nguyen Van Hai, a farmer in hamlet No. 3 complained that he expected the profit of VND15 million this corn crop. However, the corn field has been destroyed by the elephants, bringing him a loss of VND30 million.

Dak Lak province: people lose sleep over wild elephants

2013-08-06 - Ea Sup, Vietnam.

The herd of 30 wild elephants usually appears on the fields of people in J’Loi commune of Ea Sup district. Ea Sup is not the only district which suffers from elephants. A report of the Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Center, since 2011, the wild elephants have damaged 185 hectares of crops in Ea Sup, Ea H’leo and Don Village.


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medical

Pittsburgh zoo says bull elephant battling disease

2013-08-01 - Pittsburgh, United States.

Officials at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium say a young bull elephant is being treated for a non-contagious autoimmune disease that is preventing skin lesions from healing. Zoo officials announced the illness in a news release Thursday and planned a news conference to provide additional information


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smuggle
Samples of Ivory confiscated by Kenyan officials

Former US defence attaché David McNevin convicted in Nairobi for allegedly smuggling ivory

2013-08-01 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Former US defence attaché in Nairobi David McNevin has been convicted of smuggling thousands of pounds worth of ivory. According to officials, McNevin was arrested with 21 pieces of ornately carved elephant tusks as he boarded a flight to Netherlands from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.


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medical
Mike Keele helps scrub Chendra.

Members Of Oregon Zoo Staff Test Positive For TB

2013-07-26 - Portland, United States.

A Multnomah County health official says members of the Oregon zoo staff, who have had contact with an elephant infected with tuberculosis, tested positive for the disease. A spokesperson for the Oregon Zoo would neither confirm nor deny that members of the staff tested positive for the disease.


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welfare

Sign the petition because a world without PETA is a free world, where democrazy and laws once again specify what is animal abuse or not, and where classical animal welfare is once again an issue, not "animal rights".

2013-07-23 - Washington, United States.

What people really don´t know about PETA is that if they got their way, not only would they ban meat, milk, eggs, honey, leather, or fur. There would also be no more silk, wool, down feathers, fishing, circuses that use any kind of animals even domesticated, horse back riding, live animal shows, aquariums, zoos *even if they´re AZA approved*, hunting, service animals for disabled people, even pets.


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smuggle
 Ivory tusks are displayed after being confiscated by Customs in Hong Kong Friday. Customs officials said Friday they had made Hong Kong

(Is this header correct? BABY ELEPHANTS?) Hong Kong seizes more than 1,000 BABY elephant tusks in major ivory haul

2013-07-19 - Hong Kong, China.

More than 1,000 ivory tusks, mainly from baby elephants, were seized by Hong Kong customs in their biggest haul in three years, officials said on Friday. The tusks, which weigh over two tons and are worth more than 2 million dollars, were discovered at the city´s main port in a cargo container from the African country of Togo.


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zoo

Manila to improve zoo, acquire two more elephants

2013-07-16 - Manila, Philippines.

A bigger, better and modern Manila Zoo and possibly two more elephants to keep Mali, its most popular resident, company. This was confirmed by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada who told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, on Tuesday, that talks were ongoing for a public-private partnership program with investors from Singapore who would spend P2 billion for the project.


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relocation
Princess Stephanie of Monaco pets an elephant during preparations for the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival. The princess has saved two elephants from euthanasia in France.

Princess saves doomed elephants

2013-07-13 - Roc Agel, Monaco.

Two circus elephants who were threatened with euthanasia in France, arrived in their new luxury home near the Cote d´Azur on Friday after being taken in by Princess Stephanie of Monaco, French media reported. The two pachyderms made the 500-kilometre road trip to the Monaco royal family´s estate in Roc Agel in two giant air-conditioned containers.


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birth

Elephant born at Fort Worth Zoo

2013-07-13 - Fort Worth, United States.

The Fort Worth Zoo is asking the public to help find a name for its newest bundle of joy - a 330-pound baby elephant The female Asian elephant was born Sunday. The calf´s mother is 40-year-old Rasha. The father is Groucho, the zoo´s 43-year-old bull, who is on loan to the Denver Zoo. Her sister, Bluebonnet, is 14.


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smuggle

Tanzanian charged for smuggling over 1,000 elephant tusks

2013-07-13 - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

"Selemani Isanzu Chasema, in his 50s, is believed to have exported 781 tusks through Malawi," in May, prosecuting attorney Tumaini Kweka told AFP. Chasema, who denied the charges, was arrested earlier this month in Tanzania´s commercial capital Dar es Salaam with 347 elephant tusks. If found guilty, he could face a minimum of 15 years in jail.


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misc
Baby and Nepal at the Tête d

Bardot"s elephants settle into new royal home

2013-07-12 - Roc Agel, Monaco.

Two sick elephants who were given an 11th-hour stay of execution after a Brigitte Bardot lead public campaign to save them, arrived at their plush new home on Friday where they will be treated like royalty under the watch of the Princess of Monaco. The princess has agreed to host the two elephants, aged 42 and 43, at the royal family´s Roc Agel ranch in the Alpes-Maritimes region in the southeastern corner of France.


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misc
Baby Joe being given a bath by his caretaker Augustine at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park in Kota Kinabalu.

Orphaned calf Joe doing well

2013-07-11 - Kota Kinabalu, Indonesia.

Baby elephant Joe, the sole survivor of a poisoning that killed a herd of 14 Borneo pygmy elephants, is out of the woods. The calf has gained weight and is now socialising with other elephants at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park here. “He is very healthy and has gained over 100kg in the past few months, from 90kg when we rescued him, to almost 200kg now,” said Sabah Wildlife Department assistant director Dr Sen Nathan.


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medical

San Diego County Fair Visitors Donate $5,000 to Help Save Elephants

2013-07-11 - San Diego, United States.

San Diego County Fair visitors, inspired by two of the five America’s Elephant Ambassadors, Rosie and Becky, donated over $5,000 to fight a virus that is fatal to young elephants. Before the fair opened, Have Trunk Will Travel held a news conference at Del Mar´s Dog Beach to encourage San Diego residents to donate to International Elephant Foundation


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death
Tusker Sreenivasan which died at Pathinalam Mile near Pampady in Kottayam on Sunday. The elephant fainted and collapsed while walking on the road.

Tusker Sreenivasan collapses on road, dies

2013-07-10 - Kottayam, India.

A tusker fainted and died at 14th Mile in Kottayam on Sunday morning. It is reported that the elephant died as soon as it fell to the ground. Erumeli forest range officer Shantry Tom told ‘Express’ that the deceased elephant was owned by Babu from Thottakad, who owns several elephants. “The exact reason for the death of the animal is not known.


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death

Elephant dies at Phuket trekking camp

2013-07-10 - Phuket, Thailand.

A 50-year-old female elephant called Wasana, died yesterday (July 9) after a long illness at the Baan Chang Safari elephant trekking camp on the Patong-Karon road. Weerasit Puthipairoj, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office, told The Phuket News, “I was told the elephant was ill last week but was revived by a veterinary team. But today she collapsed again and died.”


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death

Elephant calf Jamilah Hi Way dead at Chester Zoo

2013-07-03 - Chester, United Kingdom.

Jamilah, who was born in January 2011, was taken ill yesterday morning and was being treated by the veterinary team. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all involved in her care, Jamilah died during the night. The cause of Jamilah´s death will be determined at post-mortem. Jamilah, daughter of Thi Hi Way, was a much loved member of the herd and will be greatly missed by many. It is expected that the elephant house will open a little later than usual today. We are sure you will join ...


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book

Topsy: New book tells how Thomas Edison electrocuted an innocent elephant at Coney Island

2013-07-01 - New York, United States. Michael Daly

In a tale that interweaves the electrocution of a gentle giant with the electrification of America and the rise of the big top circus, �Topsy,� by Michael Daly, reports that the elephant of the title was not the serial man-killer portrayed by those seeking to justify her wrongful execution.


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medical
Amid the clamor from animal rights activists to ship her to a sanctuary in Thailand, Mali actually looks well cared for in her enclosure at the zoo, said Dr. Nikorn Thongtip of Kasetsart University’s Department of Large Animal and Wildlife Clinical Scien

‘Mali’ in pink of health, says elephant expert from Thailand

2013-06-30 - Manila, Philippines.

“Mali” the elephant appears to be in the pink of health—if a bit on the stout side. “She looked healthy in every system. The color of the mouth is pink. It’s a good color. It means an elephant is healthy. And her skin is healthy, no wound. The scientist added that contrary to some reports, Mali’s nails “do not look bad, compared to elephants of the same age.”


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smuggle
Elephants among those that smugglers tried to bring to Phuket today

Elephant Smugglers Nabbed With Jumbos

2013-06-28 - Phuket, Thailand.

Smugglers attempting to transport three elephants onto Phuket illegally were nabbed by livestock officials at 3am today. Phuket Livestock Director Werasit Puphipairoj told Phuketwan today that he was aghast to find the elephant smugglers were carrying fake documents in his name. Nine people on two six-wheel trucks were apprehended, together with female adult elephants Kamsan, 26, Kanoon, 13, and a two-year-old male juvenile, Noppakao.


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people
Mike Keele was a 9-year-old Portlander when Packy was born in 1962.

Oregon Zoos Mike Keele, a leading elephant expert, retires after nearly 42 years

2013-06-26 - Portland, United States.

Keele, 60 and that community´s most longtime employee -- he´s been there for one-third of the zoo´s 125 years -- will retire Friday. The man who began his life´s work as a less-than-ambitious 18-year-old cleaning up after rats and armadillos, evolved with his zoo. It embraced changing animal welfare standards and a conservation ethic, while Keele rose to be a respected, no-nonsense leader in one of Portland´s signature institutions, and one of North America´s ...


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death
Rene Renz was filmed dancing upon the back of the dying elephant

Indian Elephant Madi Filmed Drowning As Rene Renz Clowns Around On Her Back

2013-06-26 - Tallin, Estonia.

Shocking footage of a man dancing on the back of a dying circus elephant has provoked calls for a full investigation into the animal’s tragic demise. The film shows Madi - a 48-year-old Indian elephant - slowly drowning in a river as the circus owner´s brother jumps around on her in a pair of swimming shorts. Horrified witnesses made the 40-minute video when Madi - from Germany´s Universal Circus Renz - was taken to a river to bathe during a tour of Estonia.


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relocation

The Arrival of a New Elephant at the Granby Zoo Creates Excitement in Quebec

2013-06-26 - Granby, Canada.

The Granby Zoo is very happy to welcome Tutume (pronounced Tootoomay), a 14 year-old African elephant from the Osnabrück Zoo in Germany; this Zoo has relocated its African elephants to start up a new reproduction program involving Asian elephants. The young male, who possesses excellent genetic qualities, is destined for reproduction within the guidelines of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Program.


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relocation

Antwerpen Zoo Asian Elephant "Billy" Arrives Safely at Denver Zoo

2013-06-26 - Denver, United States.

Billy, a 5-year-old Asian elephant, has safely arrived at Denver Zoo after traveling from Amsterdam. The young bull, the third male elephant in the zoo’s Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit, will support the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan with valuable genetics as he is unrelated to any elephants in the US.


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event

Nevada County Fair Board responds on elephant issue

2013-06-24 - Nevada County, United States.

Truly, we have listened and continue to listen to the feedback – both the opposition of the elephants at the Fair, and to those that support the Board’s decision to invite the elephants to the Fair. To better explain our decision to welcome the elephants to the Nevada County Fair, our decision was based on the following facts


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welfare

Don"t shed crocodile tears over elephant Bijlee: Rescuer to PETA, FIAPO

2013-06-23 - Mumbai, India.

An animal lover here Saturday rued the manner in which some prominent animal rights groups were suddenly concerned by the plight of an ailing elephant named Bijlee, and using her to garner publicity. "I request them not to shed crocodile tears for Bijlee, who is in our care and improving with each day of medication, proper diet and lots of love," Animals Matter To Me (AMTM) chief Ganesh Nayak told IANS.


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misc

Philippines Ivory Burn: 5 Tons Of Elephant Tusks Destroyed By Government

2013-06-22 - Manila, Philippines.

Philippine government workers used a backhoe and an incinerator Friday to crush and burn more than 5 tons of smuggled elephant tusks worth an estimated $10 million in the biggest known destruction of trafficked ivory outside Africa.Ivory can fetch up to $2,000 per kilogram ($910 per pound) on the black market and more than $50,000 for an entire tusk.


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circus

Circus elephant traveling 2 months after shooting

2013-06-21 - Tupelo, United States.

A circus elephant is traveling but not yet performing, two months after being injured in a drive-by shooting in Mississippi. Carol, a 39-year-old Asian elephant, spent several weeks recovering at a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus farm in Springfield, Mo. Carol was shot in the shoulder April 9 after performing at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Miss.


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zoo

Buttonwood Park Zoo: No more elephants after Emily and Ruth

2013-06-15 - New Bedford, United States.

Emily and Ruth, Buttonwood Park Zoo’s beloved elephants, are staying put permanently but they will be the last of their kind to live in the West End wildlife park, Director of Zoo­logicial Services Keith Lovett said. “Truthfully, we’re struggling to find a facility out there that could provide better care for Ruth and Emily (than us),” Lovett told The Standard-Times editorial board Friday morning.


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death

Thandora death in Gondwana Game Reserve shocks experts

2013-06-14 - Mossel Bay, South Africa.

Thandora was held in captivity for 23 years before she was released into the wild this year with high hopes that she would adapt to the environment. However, experts from Conservation Global were shocked and distraught to find that she had died. “I am shattered having endured 36 hours of emotional rollercoaster that ended at 05h30 this morning,” Greg Vogt from Conservation Global told News24 after finding the elephant dead.


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poaching

Accused elephant killers arrested

2013-06-06 - Hua Hin, Thailand.

Two men suspected of killing two elephants in Kaeng Krachan National Park were arrested on Thursday, police said. Sanya Tuansap, 37, and his brother, Veerapong, 25, were caught in Hua Hin district, Prachuap Khiri Khan. They face charges of illegally killing the elephants inside the borders of the park in Kaeng Krachan district of Phetchaburi, police said.


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medical

The elephant in the parking lot. Help stop Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus

2013-06-06 - San Diego, United States.

I´ve written about viral diseases such as herpes before. But until this morning I didn´t know that elephants can get it. Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus is killing baby elephants. A conservation group stopped by the U-T San Diego offices to show off two adorable examples of what they´re trying to save.(Read comments on the page!)


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people

MSU vet school grad Erica Ward goes to Elephant Nature Park to treat elephants with bandages, but keeps silent about Tuberculosis, while claiming up to 60 percent of Thailands elephants die during training for the tourist trade?

2013-06-06 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

A Fowlerville native, Ward graduated from Michigan State University’s veterinary school May 3 and was on a plane to Thailand the following Monday to start her new job at Elephant Nature Park. Ward arrived with four trunks of elephant-scaled polyflex bandages from Neogen. A shocking number of elephants — up to 60 percent, Ward said — die during training for the tourist trade.


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relocation
Four baby elephants were unlawfully translocated and their parents culled by two North West conservation officials, who are now facing disciplinary action.

Elephant mismanagement prompts hunting permit change

2013-06-05 - Mahikeng, South Africa.

The senior officials are facing disciplinary action after being charged with contravening environmental management norms and standards for issuing licenses to hunt four elephants that had calves. The calves were translocated to the Eastern Cape from Sandhurst Safari Lodge on March 13. Two of the adults were subsequently culled by the officials from a helicopter, spokesperson Lesiba Kgwele said.


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medical

A statement from Sangduen Lek Chailert on behalf of Elephant Nature Park, regarding Tuberculosis at ENP.

2013-06-05 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Does anyone else, apart from Mrs Lek Chailert, believe its enough to "isolate" a TB positive elephant, in a place with a +70 elephants turnover throughout the years, 16 deaths with no public autopsy reports, and apr 100 international visitors daily, included children? ENP has a very intensive physical contact between humans and elephants, including a special kiss-an-elephant event?


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relocation

Myanmar gifts a baby tusker to Sri Lankan Temple

2013-06-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A ceremony to hand over a baby tusker gifted by the Government of Myanmar to the Bellanwila Rajamahavihara in Sri Lanka took place Tuesday in the presence of the External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris. The Minister expressed Sri Lanka´s appreciation to the government of Myanmar for its support.


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poaching

10 KWS staff investigated for spying for poachers

2013-06-04 - Nairobi, Kenya.

10 officers of the Kenya Wildlife Service, including a senior warden and company commander, in Tsavo have been suspended for working with poaching gangs. TCA Senior Assistant Director Julius Kimani told local media The Standard yesterday, “We have interdicted the officers for engaging in omission and commission of poaching activities. They have secretly been giving information to the poachers making it difficult for KWS to effectively deal with the poaching menace.


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smuggle

Eight Countries Submit Plans To Combat Illegal Trade In Elephants

2013-06-02 - Geneva, Switzerland.

The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) received plans from China, Kenya, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania and Viet Nam – identified as primary source, transit and import countries affected by the illegal trade in ivory. The plans – which contain specific activities in the areas of legislation and regulations, national and international enforcement, outreach and public awareness – were requested by ...


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research

Despite Mammoth Blood Discovery, Cloning Still Unlikely

2013-06-02 - Stockholm, Sweden.

Despite the recent discovery of a stunningly preserved mammoth, the odds of scientists using it to clone a real-life mammoth anytime soon are still low, experts say. "To clone a mammoth by finding intact cells — and, more importantly, an intact genome — is going to be exceptionally difficult, likely impossible," said Love Dalén, a paleogeneticist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. "Finding this mammoth makes it slightly less impossible."


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research

Report Of Liquid Woolly Mammoth Blood Prompts Clone Talk

2013-06-02 - Yakutsk, Russian Federation.

Scientists in Siberia say they´ve extracted blood samples from the carcass of a 10,000-year-old woolly mammoth, reviving speculation that a clone of the extinct animal might someday walk the earth, if scientists are able to find living cells. But researchers say the find, which also included well-preserved muscle tissue, must be studied further to know its potential.


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facility

Temporary pond built for bathing elephants at Karachi Zoo

2013-06-02 - Karachi, Pakistan.

A temporary pond has been prepared for bathing elephants and snakes in the Karachi Zoo. This measure has been taken to give some relief to the animals which were suffering due to the hot summer season, Karachi Zoo Administrator, Aqeel Naqvi, said on Monday.


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medical
Rama, a 30-year-old Asian elephant at the Oregon Zoo, has tested positive for tuberculosis, zoo officials learned Friday, May 31.

Portland Zoo elephant Rama tests positive for TB

2013-06-02 - Portland, United States.

The male elephant tested positive for the illness last week. The zoo routinely tests all its elephants for TB by taking an annual trunk culture (collecting fluid from the animal’s trunk and sending it to a certified laboratory for testing) as part of its comprehensive health program and in compliance with U.S. Department of Agriculture standards.


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relocation

Defence Department says it can"t help move 3 Toronto elephants until fall

2013-05-25 - Toronto, Canada.

The Department of National Defence says it´s still in talks to help move the Toronto Zoo´s three resident elephants to California, but says the animals will have to stay put until the fall. Animal welfare activists had previously said the zoo was in talks to borrow a Canadian Forces plane to transport the pachyderms to an elephant sanctuary in California.


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welfare

Kerala Welfare board for tuskers and mahouts mooted

2013-05-18 - Cochin, India.

The Kerala Forest Department is planning to set up Kerala State Elephant Welfare Board for the well-being of elephants and mahouts. According to the draft proposal, the welfare board will collect Rs.10,000 as annual contribution for an animal from its owners. The department has begun discussions with stakeholders to draw up the structure for the board and its guidelines.


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relocation

First Elephants to US National Center for elephants

2013-05-18 - Okeechobee, United States.

The family group, consisting of two adult female and two subadult male African elephants, arrived this week and made history as our very first residents. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Elephant Taxon Advisory Group supported the animals’ move to The Center as part of a Species Survival Program (SSP). Previously the four animals lived at an AZA-accredited facility in central Florida.


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wild
The injured elephant (C) retrieved from Yok Don National Park in Vietnam

Wild elephant rescued after week-long search

2013-05-17 - Yok Don national park, Vietnam.

A week after first sighting a wild elephant ensnared by two traps – one on its foot and another on its trunk – rescuers were able to retrieve the animal on May 14 from a protected forest in Dak Lak Province. They used tamed elephants to rope the young injured male elephant around its neck and tow to it to station in Yok Don National Park.


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people

Anantara Steps Up CSR Efforts with the Appointment of New Worldwide Conservation Director

2013-05-16 - Chiang Rai, Thailand.

In addition to managing the Elephant Camp, GTAEF and research conducted by Think Elephants International, in his new worldwide conservation role, Roberts’ expertise and enthusiasm will benefit all Anantara properties, as well as guests.


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conflict

Angry elephant kills mahout at Mahawang elephant camp in Kanchaburi

2013-05-14 - KANCHANABURI, Thailand.

A mahout was killed by an elephant in Sai Yok district yesterday, police said. The incident took place at Mahawang elephant camp in Moo 6 of tambon Wang Krajae, Sai Yok district police station chief Pol Col Bandit Muangsukham said. Witness Rawee Wongnongphlab, 29, who also works at the camp, told police the elephant, a female called Bua Ngern, became agitated when the mahout, 19-year-old Phech Prueksa, tried to unchain it.


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smuggle

Deputy director of Kenyan campaign group Amboseli Trust for Elephants in Kenya, Soila Sayialel and her son Robert Sayialel arrested with ivory

2013-05-14 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Authorities say that two employees of an elephant conservation group in one of Kenya´s most popular wildlife parks have been charged with ivory smuggling. The Amboseli Trust for Elephants confirmed the charges in a statement Monday. The group said it is confident that an investigation will exonerate the two, a mother and a son. Court records showed that the two Kenyans were arrested with six tusks.


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people

Thailand animal sanctuary owner Edwin Wiek accused of violations says poachers pushed for charges

2013-05-11 - KAO LOOK CHANG, Thailand.

The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand sanctuary covers 25 hectares (61 acres) of jungle near the village of Kao Look Chang. It was launched 12 years ago with only a few dozen animals by Edwin Wiek, a Dutch national who left his job in the fashion industry to dedicate himself to the conservation movement. The sanctuary was raided in February and about 100 animals were seized. Wiek is charged with sheltering wildlife illegally and a verdict is expected next month.


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poaching
Dollar greets the investigators who want to check his parentage

Phuket"s Baby Elephant Stalk: Photo Special

2013-05-11 - Phuket, Thailand. Sert Tongdee

Two young elephants at Phuket camps, Dollar and Namphon, are suspected to have been poached and the legitimacy of another 61 elephants remains in question after raids yesterday. While the animals remain at the camps and further tests are to be undertaken on Phuket elephants, those found to have been poached will be confiscated.


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medical

Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) to a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and humans in an Australian zoo.

2013-05-10 - Sydney, Australia.

In November 2010, a clinically healthy Asian elephant in an Australian zoo was found to be shedding M. tuberculosis; in September 2011, a sick chimpanzee at the same zoo was diagnosed with tuberculosis caused by an indistinguishable strain of M. tuberculosis. A pathway of transmission between the animals could not be confirmed. Tuberculosis in an elephant can be transmissible to people in close contact and to other animals more remotely. The mechanism for transmission from elephants requires fur...


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welfare
1976 elephant caretaker Ray Ryan. Elephant News have tried to reach Mr Ryan to ask what happened to Neena?

Why doesnt PAWS tell what happened to Pat Derbys elephant Neena?

2013-05-08 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Some sources state that Pat Derbus first elephant died in a barn fire. Other Sources state Neena was in a truck and it was freezing cold and they lit a fire underneath the trailer to warm her up and the trailer caught on fire. On the link below you can ask on PAWS Facebook what happened?


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people

Video: The life of Mila. "Elephant expert" Erin Ivory suggests that an elephant can Squeeze a person to death with the trunk by accident...?

2013-05-08 - Auckland, New Zealand.

Erin Ivory, (refered to as one of the worlds leading experts on zoo elephants?) suggests that Mila "picked up" Helen Schofield and "squeezzed her a little bit harder because she was upset and tensed" which can result in the incidence" suggesting that Helen Schofield was not purposely killed by the elephant Mila last year?


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death
Pat Derby’s Famous Wild Animals – Leggett, CA

Pat Derbys forgotten elephant Neena, that died in a barnfire 1982.

2013-05-07 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

I found an interesting link on Circus Fans Association of America where you can read, among other things regarding Animal Rights Activists and PAWS: "Derby rarely mentions how in her days as a trainer and operator of a roadside zoo in Buellton , CA, an elephant in her care died in a barn fire." The last line, about Neena surprised me, because for sure, it seems really like Mrs Derby doesnt want to speak about this elephant Neena. Searching through PAWS documents, and googling, it was like Neena...


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people

Pat Derby (1942-2013) cofounder of Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

2013-05-07 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

I have documents (download here) stating Pat Derbys poor competence as animal trainer, critizising her total lack of welfare for animals in her posession, as well as privately taking money away from shared bank accounts with other persons os companies.


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conference
Dr Piers Locke rides an elephant in Nepal.

NZ to host international elephant conference

2013-05-07 - Canterbury, New Zealand.

An international conference on conflict between elephants and humans is set to be held in New Zealand for the first time in May. The University of Canterbury (UC) is hosting this year´s south and southeast Asian elephant symposium, the first of its kind here, on May 7-8.


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misc

40 elephants suspected illegal as raids strike tourism trekking companies

2013-05-06 - Phang Nga, Thailand.

Officers from the regional Natural Resources and Environment Crime Suppression Division raided seven tour companies in Phang Nga this week following reports that the companies were in possession of illegal elephants. The officers found a total of 40 elephants they suspect of being acquired illegally. Col Watcharin Phusit, who headed the elephant raids in Phuket last year, also led the raids north of Phuket. “We investigated the ATV Tour Company, Pang Kaew elephant camp, Andaman Adventures ...


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people

Auckland Zoo happiest home for this elephant

2013-05-06 - Auckland, New Zealand.

Auckland Councillor Cathy Casey has put a case for getting rid of Burma, the one remaining elephant at Auckland Zoo. While her intent is likely to be honourable, such an attempt to "help" Burma could work very much against her, and paradoxically, as recent research shows, it could also work against conservation efforts.


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zoo
The wide, flat space inside the elephant pen was believed to be the best spot for the aircraft to touch down

Visitors to Colchester zoo were surprised to see a helicopter land in the elephant enclosure today after a teenager was taken ill.

2013-05-05 - Colchester, United Kingdom.

The Essex Air Ambulance was dispatched to Colchester Zoo, where a 19-year-old woman was reported to be suffering breathing problems. The wide, flat space inside the elephant pen was believed to be the best spot for the aircraft to touch down when it arrived just before 11.30am. It is believed that the four elephants in the enclosure were moved inside their house before the helicopter landed.


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misc
Park officials suspect that this elephant, photographed on April 10, might be a rare white elephant. There is also speculation that it could be the calf of an elephant found butchered in Kaeng Krachan in early March. Park officials are concerned that a w

Elephant slaughter in Thailand: The gangs get bold

2013-05-05 - Kaeng Krachan, Thailand.

In early March, Kaeng Krachan National Park chief Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn was outraged to learn of another elephant killing in the area he oversees. A female elephant about 15 years old was discovered close to Krarang 3 Reservoir shot in the head and brutally axed, milk still flowing from her breast. Investigators reasoned that the elephant had a baby with her at the time of the killing.


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event

Cincinnati Zoo celebrates elephant"s 40th birthday

2013-05-04 - Cincinnati, United States.

The Cincinnati Zoo´s oldest Asian elephant is celebrating her 40th birthday with a special pachyderm-sized cake and a serenade. My-Thai has been at the zoo since she was 9 months old. She has been a zoo ambassador, marching in Cincinnati Reds´ Opening Day parades and handing out the first pitch to folks on the pitching mound.


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relocation

Lonely elephant to join herd at National Zoo in DC

2013-05-03 - Washington, United States.

The zoo announced Friday that Bozie, a 37-year-old Asian elephant, will join three others in Washington. In March, a 46-year-old elephant named Judy died at the Baton Rouge Zoo, leaving Bozie alone. Bozie is considered beyond her reproductive years. Once she arrives, she will be quarantined for 30 days.


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relocation
The Calgary Zoo is closing down its elephant exhibit and shipping the animals out of the country.

Zoo’s plan to relocate elephants will stress animals, ex-veterinarian says

2013-05-03 - Calgary, Canada.

More than 30 years ago in a Sri Lankan jungle, then-Calgary Zoo veterinarian Darrel Florence fashioned a homemade device from a 7Up container and a garden hose, then used it to feed formula milk to three 200-pound infants.Florence, a zoo vet from 1975-1980, says to relocate the aged animals now to a new place is too stressful and not in the elephants’ best interest.


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people

Stewart Craven

2013-04-29 - Ruskin, United States.

As elephant herds with circuses grew larger, Craven is credited as being the innovator of the pyramid type elephant act in America introducing long mounts on bull tubs etc. The first being with Howes Great London and later improved versions with the Forepaugh Show and Cooper & Bailey. He later became a successful Animal Dealer and the owner of a large ranch near Dallas, Texas where he died Jan. 16, 1890.


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misc
A forestry official launches a remote-controlled plane equipped with a camera. Officials are sending the planes to fly over a reservoir in the Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi to search for a suspected white elephant spotted in the area recentl

Unmanned plane to help in jumbo hunt

2013-04-29 - Bangkok, Thailand.

They are undertaking the search in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province after a photographer had reported seeing one in a herd on April 10. Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, deputy chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said cameras will be installed along elephant trails inside the park to help in the search. Officials would also send camera-mounted UAVs into the forest. "If it is a white elephant, we will consider how to deal with it," he said.


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misc
Former Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya stands in front of a white elephant during a visit to Burma.

White elephant hunt, 5 million baht reward

2013-04-28 - PHETCHABURI, Thailand.

A hunt is on for a possible white elephant in Kaeng Krachan National Park, with a reward of 5 million baht being offered to hunters who can capture the elephant – if it exists. The sighting of the white elephant was reported by Apichart Puangnoi, a photographer who visited Krarang Sam reservoir in tambon Pa Teng on April 10, where a pregnant elephant was found dead the day before. Mr Apichart spotted the calf from still photos of an elephant herd he took and then reported the sighting to ...


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facility

Encounter Africa opens at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

2013-04-28 - Colorado Springs, United States.

Encounter Africa is the result of the zoo’s largest capital campaign, a two-year effort that raised $13.5 million through foundation and individual gifts, including $42,000 from zoo staff. The zoo is one of only a handful nationwide that don’t receive support from tax dollars.


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poaching

Shock, outrage as poachers kill five elephants in Iringa

2013-04-28 - Iringa, Tanzania.

Five elephants have been killed by people believed to be poachers at Lunda area, about 1.5 kilometres from Ruaha National Park in Iringa Region. Speaking with The Citizen on Sunday Friday, chairman of an NGO dealing with wildlife issues in the area, Mbomipa, Mr Philipo Mkumbata, said he was aware of the incident. Mr Mkumbata said that incidents of jumbo poaching had been on the rise in the recent months in many parts of the region, calling for concerted efforts to curb the problem.


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research

Survey of Elephants

2013-04-28 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka organized a lecture on April 19, regarding a survey of elephants of Sri Lanka. Dr Charles Santiapillai and S Wijeyamohan addressed the audience.The survey was carried out by the Department of Wildlife Conservation on August 11, 12 and 13, 2011. The lecture highlighted the nature of the survey, and stressed on the difference between a survey and a census.


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book

Burma river cruise: upriver to an Asia of yesteryear

2013-04-27 - Mandalay, Myanmar.

In 1920, a young Cornishman, James Howard Williams, arrived here to take up a post with Bombay Burma. His remarkable Boy’s Own adventures in the jungles of Burma are brilliantly captured in his memoir, Elephant Bill. It includes a nail-biting account of him leading the exodus of elephants and refugees across the mountains to India in 1942 as the Japanese advanced across the Chindwin. His elephant companies then returned to pave the way, literally, for Allied tanks, armoured cars and soldi...


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misc
Since adopting Jabu, Doug has formed a strong bond with the African elephant bull.

Walking With Elephants

2013-04-27 - Maun, Botswana.

Walking in the footsteps of African elephant bull Jabu made us feel more closely connected to elephants than ever before. Working together with Sanctuary Retreats, Living With Elephants gave us the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend time with a trio of orphaned elephants in the Okavango Delta. Despite their large size, elephants walk through the Botswanan bush with a soft tread, intelligent animals that are both strong and gentle.


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poaching

State of war protects Chad"s last elephants

2013-04-27 - Zakouma National Park, Chad.

In an isolated wilderness in Chad, a war is being fought to save central Africa´s decimated elephant herds from gangs of ivory poachers. The frontline is the southern Zakouma National Park: a 3,000-square-kilometre (1,900-square-mile) sanctuary that has lost 90 percent of its elephants in the last 10 years.


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poaching

South Africa: Government Must Urgently Erect Fencing Between Kruger National Park and Mozambique

2013-04-27 - Durban, South Africa.

The IFP calls on Government to urgently erect border fencing and deploy armed forces between Mozambique and Kruger National Park. IFP Spokesperson on Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mrs. Connie Zikalala MP, said, "Government should do everything in their power to protect our wildlife and heritage. Before we know it thousands of elephants will also be killed this year by poachers who want their ivory tusks. Government must treat this matter as critical and urgently deploy resources to combat s...


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poaching
Thai custom officials display seized ivory tusks during a news conference at the customs office of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.

Mozambique"s elephants risk obliteration

2013-04-27 - Maputu, Mozambique.

Mozambique´s elephant population risks being obliterated within a decade unless tight anti-poaching measures are introduced, conservationists have warned. The alarming scale of the poaching problem has become increasingly apparent, with an aerial survey of the north of the country in 2011 tallying 2,667 elephant carcasses in the vast Niassa reserve alone.


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misc
The giant Morula, lies down in the Botswana bush after asked to do so by Sandi to allow for the group of tourists to touch the undersides of her feet.

Couple who walk with elephants

2013-04-27 - Maun, Botswana.

Sandi, 45, with her American-born husband Doug, 58, has dedicated her life to raising three orphaned elephants, Jabu, Thembi and Morula, who now live deep in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. When the couple married in the late 1990s, they chose not to have children, because not only do they believe there are enough in the world, but because they committed themselves to the three pachyderms whose families were slaughtered in culling operations in the Kruger National Park and Zimbabwe.


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medical

Zoo: Elephant died from medication side effect

2013-04-26 - Baton Rouge, United States.

Judy, the Asian elephant that died recently at Baton Rouge Zoo, died from chronic gastrointestinal irritation, a side effect from arthritis treatment, according to the animal’s necropsy results. “When dealing with an illness, one must use extreme caution when prescribing a treatment due to possible undesirable side effects. Through consultation with various zoo veterinarians, we used 12 different drugs to treat Judy,” zoo veterinarian Gordon Pirie said in a news release Friday...


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event

Thousands attend Thrissur Elephant Festival

2013-04-26 - Thrissur, India.

Thousands of people witnessed the annual Elephant Festival held here over the weekend. The troupe of drummers, roaring crowd, and the decorated elephants, which carried the deities from different temples on their back added to the grandeur of the parade. The festival parade culminated in the grounds of Vadakkunnathan Temple.The festival is celebrated annually in the month of Medam (mid April and May first) as per the Malayalam calendar.


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poaching

Tanzanians clearly see official hand in elephant poaching

2013-04-26 - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

The man tasked with saving Tanzania’s elephants is Khamis Suedi Kagasheki, minister for natural resources and tourism. Kagasheki, a former intelligence officer, is trying hard to beat the poachers, but is up against a government cabal unwilling to give up illegal profits.


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misc

Thandora"s first days in the wild

2013-04-26 - Mossel Bay, South Africa.

After months of preparation and rehabilitation, Thandora, the 27-year-old elephant from Bloemfontein zoo has been released into Gondwana Game Reserve. She has been physically and mentally prepared for a number of months, while living in a boma in the bush, she took her first steps in the wild on Monday. We take a look at how she’s been doing.


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research

The Kenyan and Tanzanian governments are jointly conducting a cross-border aerial wildlife census in the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro/ Magadi-Natron landscape.

2013-04-26 - Amboseli, Kenya.

The five-day exercise, which started on Monday (April 23, 2013) is a collaboration between the two countries and their agencies; Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Wildlife Division of Tanzania and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), together with affiliated Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) like African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Amboseli Trust for Elephants, School of Field studies Tanzania, Honey Guide foundation among others.


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poaching

Media Release: Field Reports Indicate Slaughter of Elephants, Conservation Staff Evacuated

2013-04-26 - Toronto, Canada.

WWF and WCS have received alarming reports from their field operations that elephants are being slaughtered in the violence-ridden Central African Republic (CAR), where new powers in place struggle to gain control over the situation. The conservation organizations are issuing today a joint call for immediate action.


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wild

PM instructs Plodprasop to monitor suspected white elephant on spot

2013-04-26 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasob Suraswadi has been instructed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to visit Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi Province, following reported sightings of a white elephant in the area, it could not be confirmed for the moment whether the elephant calf in the news was a white elephant until all the traits have been confirmed by experts.


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medical
Dr Gary Hayward and elephants in Vandalur Zoo in Chennai, India

Elephant virus is not spreading among zoos in America, Europe

2013-04-26 - Baltimore, United States. Gary S. Hayward, Johns Hopkins University

As a discoverer of elephant endotheliotropic herpes viruses and the developer of diagnostic DNA fingerprint tests used to confirm suspected cases worldwide, I can attest that much of what has been written in the popular press recently about EEHV is wrong or misleading.


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medical

Elephant Endotheliotrophic Herpes virus surveillance (EEHV) in Elephants in Tsavo

2013-04-26 - Tsavo, Kenya.

This is a latent viral disease of elephants caused by Herpes virus and is known to cause deaths only in Asian Elephants. The disease in African Elephants manifests as self limiting nodular lesions in young elephants trunk and face and are rarely fatal. The viruses are intranulclear and have affinity for endothelial cells. Several Elephants were sampled and blood, tissues from nodular lesions taken and will be tested at our new molecular lab in Nairobi. A total of 15 Elephants were sampled making...


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zoo

Captive Elephant Management: Interview with Knoxville Zoo’s Curator of Elephants

2013-04-23 - Knoxville, United States.

Whether an organization permits free or protected contact training of elephants, operant conditioning through positive reinforcement can still serve as the basis for behavioral training. I asked my colleague, Jim Naelitz, the Curator of Elephants at the Knoxville Zoo to weigh in on the topic and answer some questions.


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misc

Lucky to remain lone elephant at S.A. Zoo

2013-04-23 - San Antonio, United States.

Zoo leaders met Tuesday to decide Luckys fate in the wake of last month´s death of Boo, the zoo´s other Asian elephant. Zoo director Steve McCusker met with elephant staff and other managers and opted to keep Lucky as a sole elephant, said zoo spokeswoman Debbie Rios-Vanskike.“We´re not even going to attempt to move her anywhere or bring in another elephant at this time,” Vanskike said.


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poaching
Meanwhile, park chief Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn insisted that Dulasit

Trafficking gang "killed elephants"

2013-04-21 - Bangkok, Thailand.

A Laotian-Vietnamese wildlife trafficker and influential local people are believed to be behind the slaying of wild elephants in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi. Elephant expert Dulasit Snidwongs na Ayutthaya said the alleged Laotian wildlife trafficker who has Vietnamese nationality was Roi or Doi Jantawongsa. She, and influential people, including a Thai policeman and his Vietnamese wife, who live in the northeastern province of Chaiyaphum, worked together and were allegedly involve...


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welfare

Vietnam’s elephants succumb to overwork, poaching

2013-04-21 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

A group of students from the Ho Chi Minh City College of Culture and Arts recently had a frightening experience in Dak Lak Province when a tamed elephant at a tourist spot suddenly rushed at them. The pachyderm, Y Mol, only backed off after its mahout, Y Suong, jabbed it repeatedly on the head with a spur. But Suong said the big animal was not attacking the students.


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event

Trichur Pooram festival

2013-04-21 - Trichur, India.

The main features of the pooram (festival) are decorated elephants with their nettipattam (decorative golden headdress), beautifuliy crafted kolam, decorative bells and ornaments etc. Add to this is the panchavadyam, the rhythmic beating of the drum, and what would be a cacophony otherwise is turned into an organized but spontaneous symphony.


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relocation
Tundani was transported via charter plane to the DSWT Nairobi Nursery

Unlikely survival of baby elephant orphaned by ivory poachers

2013-04-20 - Nairobi, Kenya.

An abandoned baby elephant whose mother was killed by ivory poachers has been saved after an animal rescue worker spotted it from an aeroplane. Tundani, a baby male calf, was seen trudging through the vast Kenyan savannah earlier this month. Alone in the wild and still dependent on its mother’s milk, it had no chance of survival. But since being found and taken in by a Nairobi orphanage, Tundani has been rehabilitated and grown in strength.


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people

The Tuakau zookeeper who was crushed to death by a former circus elephant broke her own rules about entering the animal"s enclosure, a coroner says.

2013-04-20 - Auckland, New Zealand.

Auckland coroner Sarn Herdson on Thursday delivered her findings into the death of Franklin Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary´s Helen Schofield at the Tuakau zoo, south of Auckland, in April last year. Dr Schofield, 42, the zoo´s operator, director, vet and elephant programme manager, was killed by 3.7-tonne African elephant Mila when she tried to comfort the ex-circus animal. Witnesses said Mila probably got a shock from an electric fence and Dr Schofield had gone in to try to calm it down...


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death

Two Elephants fight to the death at Jomtien Elephant Park

2013-04-20 - Pattay, Thailand.

On Thursday Morning two male elephants fought to the death at a popular Elephant Park in Na-Jomtien as workers and tourists looked on, powerless to stop the two large mammals who were reportedly fighting over a female elephant who was ready to mate. The fight was between a 30 year old elephant named as “Pai Noi”, who had been purchased from a park in Surin Province for the purpose of mating with the female elephant at the Khao Chi Chan Elephant Park in Na-Jomtien, and “Pai Somb...


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misc
The bond between ‘Joe’ and his caretaker, Augustine David.

Orphaned elephant calf Joe is healthy and well in Sabah Zoo

2013-04-20 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

It was heart-wrenching looking at the picture of an elephant calf forlornly tugging at its dead mother last January at Gunung Rara. The elephant calf, who has since been given the name Kejora (after the plantation where it was found) and nicknamed Joe by his caretakers, is healthy and well – all thanks to the love and care of staff and namely one special person, his preferred caretaker, Augustine David. “Joe is active and naughty, just like any other child,” said Augustine, wh...


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medical
A pygmy elephant calf near its dead mother in Gunung Rara forest reserve, Malaysia, in January 2013.

Borneo pygmy elephant death tests lay blame on unidentified toxin

2013-04-20 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

After three months, officials still don´t know for certain what killed at least 14 Bornean elephants (Elephas maximus borneensis) in the Malaysian state of Sabah. However tests do indicate that the herd perished from a "caustic intoxicant," possibly ingested accidentally or just as easily intentionally poisoned. A distinct subspecies, Bornean elephants are the world´s smallest with a population that has fallen to around 2,000 on the island.


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abstract
Back on her feet: Orphaned elephant calf Suni tests her new leg cast at the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation supported Elephant Orphanage Project near Lusaka, Zambia

Suni the baby elephant who was nearly hacked to death by ivory poachers walks again thanks to special boot

2013-04-20 - Lusaka, Zambia.

A baby elephant who was almost hacked to death by ivory poachers is walking again thanks to an ingenious new boot and lots of TLC. The 17-month-old calf called Suni was found in Zambia almost a year ago dragging herself along by her front legs, weak and dehydrated, after suffering severe axe wounds.


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medical

Fatal herpesvirus hemorrhagic disease in wild and orphan asian elephants in southern India.

2013-04-20 - Wayanad, India. Zachariah A, Zong JC, Long SY, Latimer EM, Heaggans SY, Richman LK, Hayward GS. Source Department of Forests and Wildlife, Government of Kerala, Sultan Battery, Wayanad, India.

These results argue against the previous suggestions that this is just a disease of captive elephants and that the EEHV1 virus has crossed recently from African elephant (Loxodonta africana) hosts to Asian elephants. Instead, both the virus and the disease are evidently widespread in Asia and, despite the disease severity, Asian elephants appear to be the ancient endogenous hosts of both EEHV1A and EEHV1B.


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birth
Sumatran baby elepant Kartini stands with her mother Nina at Taman Safari zoo in Cisarua, West Java, on April 16, 2013

Endangered Sumatran elephant born in captivity

2013-04-17 - CISARUA, Indonesia.

A baby Sumatran elephant peeps out timidly from between the legs of its mother at an Indonesian zoo, where her birth has given a boost to the critically endangered animal. Kartini, named after the country´s most celebrated feminist, Raden Ajeng Kartini, was born on Friday under a captive breeding programme and is in good health. The 105 kilogram (231 pound) elephant was born just south of the capital Jakarta, but the animal is native to Sumatra island, where its population has halved in on...


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relocation
Swarna, Maharani and Kamala will soon have a new home outside Canada as the Calgary Zoo has decided it doesn’t have enough room for its Asian elephants. The zoo also wants to relocate its male pachyderm, Spike

Calgary Zoo preparing to bid adieu to elephants. Officials checking possible new homes for pachyderms

2013-04-17 - Calgary, Canada.

The Calgary Zoo is close to finding a new home for its three female elephants. After reviewing nine possible locations, the zoo said it is now completing on-site visits for about half of the facilities and will make the decision public in four to six weeks. “We are identifying the best possible place for them with the best possible timeline, keeping in mind the elephants’ needs,” said general curator Jamie Dorgan, who declined to divulge the locations of the facilities except to say they a...


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conflict

South African elephant handler slips off back of elephant and is trampled to death

2013-04-17 - Johannesburg, South Africa.

The owner of an elephant park in South Africa says one of his handlers was trampled to death while taking elephants out for exercise. Craig Saunders, owner of the Elephant Sanctuary near Hartbeespoort Dam, west of Pretoria, said the accident happened on Monday. Saunders says the handler slipped off the back of an elephant that was engaging in "boisterous behavior" with another elephant. He says the handler ended up in the midst of the altercation, which happened during an early morning exercise ...


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welfare

Jumbos in Kerala to have noon break

2013-04-16 - Trivandrum, India.

After manual labourers, it is now the turn of captive elephants to have a long lunch break and siesta in order to spare them of toiling under scorching heat which Kerala is currently experiencing. The state Wildlife Department has banned parading of jumbos during festivals between 11 AM to 3.30 PM to protect them from the heat wave conditions.


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death
Carcass of a pregnant elephant was found on the premises of Hardev Steel Company in Athagarh on Sunday morning. The elephant was electrocuted on the factory premises on Saturday night

Plant sealed after its live wire kills elephant

2013-04-15 - Athagarh, India.

The Athagarh Wildlife Division on Sunday sealed Hardev Steel Factory, a sponge iron plant in the area, after a pregnant elephant was electrocuted on its premises. About 40-year-old female elephant strayed from its herd and walked into the steel unit late on Saturday and came in contact with a live electricity line used by the plant officials. After receiving electric shock, the jumbo meandered off about 100 metres and collapsed. It was found dead by the locals in the morning.


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death

Elephant electrocuted in farm

2013-04-15 - Udhagamandalam, India.

An eight-year-old male elephant was today electrocuted after it came into contact with an electric fence in a farm in Allurvayal, about 80 kms from here. Two people, including the farm owner, have been arrested in this connection, forest department sources said. They said the post-mortem report revealed that the elephant was electrocuted inside the farm and that its carcass was dragged outside and dumped near the fence.


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wild
photos, capturing an angry elephant bull charging and overturning a vehicle.

Elephant overturns vehicle in Kruger

2013-04-15 - Skukuza, South Africa.

Two Chinese tourists were injured when their vehicle was overturned by an elephant on the H1-7 tar road between Shingwedzi and Punda Maria in the Kruger National Park around 06:30 on Monday morning. The driver sustained serious injuries and was taken to Clinix Phalaborwa Private Hospital after being assisted by a local doctor and paramedics on the scene. The passenger only sustained minor injuries.


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medical

Full recovery expected for elephant after bizarre shooting

2013-04-11 - Tupelo, United States.

Dr. Schmitt, one of five veterinarians who cares for the organization´s animals, has worked with pachyderms for decades. He said Carol, the 39-year-old Asian elephant struck by a bullet Tuesday morning, has been alert and active since the injury. "My estimation would be that she should be back to full recovery in six to eight weeks," Dr. Schmitt added.


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book

2 NY business owners charged over elephant items

2013-04-11 - New York, United States. pseudocode

Authorities say the two owners of a Hudson Valley auction house have been charged with breaking state law by trying to sell stools made from elephant feet. The owners, 60-year-old Mary Jo Garlo and 70-year-old Peter Francese, were charged with illegal commercialization of wildlife.


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event

Oil anointing for 100 elephants

2013-04-10 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

A New Year oil anointing ceremony will be held at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on April 15 at 6.42 a.m. to anoint oil on nearly 100 elephants maintained at the facility. Sabargamuwa Chief Minister Maheepala Herath and Kanaka Herath will be chief guests. The Rambakenpura Surya Mangalyaya to mark Sinhala and Hindu New Year will follow at the near-by Bathambure playground.


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circus

USA: Aus fahrendem Auto auf Zirkuselefant geschossen

2013-04-10 - Tupelo, United States.

m US-Bundesstaat Mississippi ist ein Elefant verletzt worden. Jemand hat auf das Tier geschossen. Der Elefant stand auf dem Zirkusgelände in der Stadt Tupelo, als er in der Schulter getroffen wurde. Das Tier gehört dem "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus".


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circus

George Carden circus elephant Carol injured in drive-by shooting at Ringling Gold Unit.

2013-04-10 - Tupelo, United States.

Tupelo police are investigating a shooting involving an elephant with the Ringling Bro´s and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The shooting took place around 2:00 a-m at the BancorpSouth Arena. Police tell WTVA that a vehicle drove by the arena and fired at the animal.A veterinarian that travels with the circus, and is an elephant specialist is flying to Tupelo later today. The elephant is alert and moving around. The animal is expected to make a full recovery.


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poaching

Elephant beheaded, tusks stolen

2013-04-09 - Jalpaiguri, India.

An elephant was beheaded and its tusks were stolen by suspected poachers from neighbouring Assam at Buxa reserve forest in Jalpaiguri district, officials said today. "The carcass of the elephant without its tusks was found on Saturday at Dakshin Raidak area in the forest and it is the handiwork of poachers coming from Assam," Chief Wildlife Warden Nabin Chandra Bahuguna told reporters here.


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relocation
The baby elephant that was rescued from a well within the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Thattekkadu, on Monday.

Baby elephant rescued from well

2013-04-09 - Thattekkadu, India.

Forest department officials rescued a baby elephant, less than a year-and-a-half-old, from a 15-foot open well into which it fell during a nightly raid by a herd of elephants on a homestead in the Urulanthanni division of Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Thattekkadu, on Sunday night.


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death

Jumbo deaths in Amber worry owners

2013-04-08 - Jaipur, India.

In the past two years, nine elephants have died in the Amber region. This year, two elephants have died so far. Lack of financial aid from the government, elephant owners alleged, is one of the main reasons for the deaths. Most of these elephants are used in riding, a major attraction among tourists.


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poaching
The carcass presumably belonging to a female elephant that was found dead with its head, legs and skin removed in a local forest in the north-central province of Quang Binh.

Elephant found beheaded in Vietnam forest

2013-04-04 - Quang Binh, Vietnam.

An elephant believed to be the last one in the wilds of the north-central province of Quang Binh has been found dead with its head, legs and skin removed in a local forest. It quoted local people as saying that the forest had been home to two adult elephants – one male and one female. But, two years ago the male animal was poached for it tusks, so it was suspected that the newly-discovered carcass belonged to the female.


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relocation

France"s doomed elephants go royal

2013-04-03 - Lyon, France.

They once faced imminent death but have now been offered princely accommodation - two French zoo elephants who had been ordered put down are moving to a ranch belonging to Monaco´s ruling Grimaldi family. Baby, 42, and Nepal, 43, had faced an execution order since last year over a suspected tuberculosis infection deemed a threat to the health of other animals and visitors to the Tete d´Or zoo in the southeastern city of Lyon.


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event

Elephant festival to rev up Holi spirits

2013-03-26 - Jaipur, India.

The popular elephant festival this year will be celebrated with traditional gaiety at Rambagh Polo Ground on March 26 from 4 pm to 7 pm. The event is being organized by the Rajasthan tourism, district administration, Jaipur Municipal Corporation and Elephants Owners Development Society.


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smuggle

Two men caught attempting to smuggle 5 million yuan worth of ivory and rhino horn products into China

2013-03-25 - Shanghai, China.

On Wednesday, customs officials said two airline passengers were arrested at Pudong International airport for attempting to smuggle rhinoceros horn and ivory items worth over 5 million yuan ($805,000) into Shanghai, according to the Shanghai Daily. A press release from Shanghai Customs said that the two passengers were carrying 11 rhinoceros horn products and over 30 items made of ivory, Global Times reports.


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death
A dead baby elephant found in the Yok Don National Park in Dak Lak last December.

Dak Lak: Dead wild elephant found on the lakeside

2013-03-25 - Ea Sup, Vietnam.

The dead body of a wild elephant in a state of decay and stinking, was detected on the bank of the Ea Sup Thuong Lake in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, which is known as the land of elephants in Vietnam, on March 18. Mr. Huynh Trung Lan - Director of the Dak Lak Center for Elephant Conservation – said on March 20 that the Center coordinated with the authorities of Ea Sup District to destroy the body of the elephant, which is about 3 months old. The dead elephant was discovered on M...


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poaching
Seized guns will be tested to find whether it is used to kill the elephant.

Guns seized in slain elephant raids

2013-03-25 - Phetchaburi, Thailand.

Provincial Police Region 7 officers backed by special units of the Royal Thai Army have seized a large quantity of hunting weapons as the investigation continues into the killing of a female elephant with a calf in Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi. A 375-strong force drawn from the police and the army launched raids on Monday morning in four tambons in Hua Hin district, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, and Kaeng Krachan district, Phetchaburi province, Pol Lt Gen Harnpol Nitwibul, commiss...


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welfare

Future of elephant Lucky at San Antonio Zoo discussed

2013-03-25 - San Antonio, United States.

When Lucky arrived at the San Antonio Zoo, John F. Kennedy was president. Fifty-one years later, the female Asian elephant still is there, having lived at the facility through the moon landings, the Reagan and the Clinton years and the new millennium. Following the death last week of her fifth and latest enclosure-mate, Boo, zoo leaders are discussing the future of their elephant exhibit and about where Lucky will live out her days.


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circus

Elephant has been buried under Wallingford since 1953

2013-03-25 - Wallingford, United States.

The circus brought 13 elephants to Wallingford that summer, but left with only a dozen. On July 1, the Meriden Record reported that the circus left at 5 a.m. on June 30, “but ‘Miss India,’ a 2,600-pound cow elephant, didn’t know it. She died several hours earlier.” According to the article, Miss India was 25 years old, the youngest and most pleasant-tempered of the “40 tons of elephants in the show.” It was believed she died of a heart attack at about 2:30 a.m. on June 30.


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misc
An undated photo of Daniel Andreas San Diego, used by the F.B.I. on their Most Wanted poster.

F.B.I. Calls Animal Rights Activist ‘Terrorist’

2013-03-25 - New York, United States.

Animal rights and environmental extremism pose a significant domestic terror threat. To date, extremists have been responsible for more than 1,800 criminal acts and more than $110 million in damages. Currently, we are investigating approximately 170 such extremist incidents across the country.


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research

The Brains of the Animal Kingdom: Primatologist Frans de Waal on memory-champ chimps, tool-using elephants and rats capable of empathy.

2013-03-24 - Washington, United States.

Elephants use their trunks not only to reach food but also to sniff and touch it. With their unparalleled sense of smell, the animals know exactly what they are going for. Vision is secondary. But as soon as an elephant picks up a stick, its nasal passages are blocked. Even when the stick is close to the food, it impedes feeling and smelling. It is like sending a blindfolded child on an Easter egg hunt. What sort of experiment, then, would do justice to the animal´s special anatomy and abi...


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facility

National Zoo opening elephant center after $56M overhaul

2013-03-23 - Washington, United States.

A 1930s-era elephant house built with individual stalls that drew a rebuke in 2006 from an animal rights group has been transformed into a wide-open new elephant community center with a soft sand floor and wading pool at the Smithsonian´s National Zoo. On Saturday, the zoo will open its new "Elephant Trails" area to the public, following a $56 million overhaul completed over the last seven years. It´s a major expansion, more than tripling the living and socializing space for the zoo&...


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misc

Revered mahout leads celebration of Thai Elephant Day

2013-03-22 - Pattaya, Thailand.

Of the 28 elephants that wander the Pattaya Elephant Village, only one greets tourists and poses with pictures. And that great mammal is mastered by the area’s most-revered mahout. Ya Sukhree of Surin and his 16-year-old cow Birdy took center stage at the camp’s Thai Elephant Day ceremonies March 13.


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medical

Young elephant continues to recover from deadly herpes virus at Maryland Zoo

2013-03-22 - Maryland, United States.

Samson, the young male elephant who was diagnosed with a deadly virus at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore late last month, has continued to recover in recent days and has "turned a very positive corner" in his treatment, according to zoo officials. "His energy levels are very close to normal again, he´s much brighter and a lot of his symptoms have either gone away or are nearly gone," Michael McClure, general curator for the zoo´s animal department, said Thursday.


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wild

Elephant Culling In Kruger National Park: The Story Behind The Controversy

2013-03-22 - Kruger national park, South Africa. Ron Thomson

The truth of the matter is that we have been trying to carry too many elephants for far too long in practically every national park in Africa - for the purpose of satisfying the needs of tourism; and for satisfying the emotional and irrational needs of urban people world-wide. For this we have the animal rights brigade to thank! The reality of the matter is that wildlife management authorities throughout Africa have been criminally guilty of neglecting our wildlife management priorities for more...


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zoo

Pinnawala Zoo

2013-03-19 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

The Pinnawala Zoological Gardens, being constructed in close proximity to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, is being readied for an end 2013 opening. An extent of 44 acres has been set apart for the zoo, the first phase of which is to be completed and opened during the course of this year, at a cost of Rs 577 million. Already, the inner road systems, employees´ quarters, a public restaurant and provision of water and electricity facilities have been completed.


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poaching

Killing Spree Slaughters 86 Elephants in Chad

2013-03-19 - , Chad.

Poachers in Chad have slaughtered 86 elephants, including 33 pregnant females, in less than a week. The elephants were killed close to the Chad border with Cameroon and their ivory hacked out. It is the worst killing spree of elephants since early 2012 when poachers from Chad and Sudan killed as many as many as 650 elephants in a matter of weeks in Cameroon´s Bouba Ndjida National Park.


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misc

San Diego County Fair Approves Elephant Rides Through 2014 Despite Public Outcry

2013-03-19 - San Diego, United States.

While the OC and LA County fairs banned elephant rides, the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors of the Del Mar Fairgrounds maintained it´s 2011 decision to renew a contract with an elephant ride company. "The documented history with all of the animal care and regulatory agencies that license and inspect us, including USDA/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, is evidence of outstanding care and treatment of our elephants," stated the email. "We are happy to give...


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relocation
African elephant Tava, front, takes a meal with Alice, left, and George at Wildlife Safari Tuesday.

Wildlife Safari in Winston introduces new elephant Tava

2013-03-19 - Winston, United States.

Wildlife Safari keepers presented the animal park’s newest resident by coaxing out the 35-year-old African elephant with food. Tava moved to the animal park late last month from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif. She joins the park’s two other African elephants, George, 32, and Alice, 43.


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poaching

African forest elephant numbers decreasing, study says

2013-03-14 - Minkebe, Gabon.

Increasing rates of poaching have caused the population of African forest elephants to decrease by 62 percent over the last 10 years, according to a study released March 4 by researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Society. The study found that packs of the animals that used to roam together in the thousands have been reduced to small pockets of a few hundred. In Minkébé National Park in Gabon, at least half of its elephant population, nearly 11,000 animals, has been killed over the past 8 ye...


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misc

Kerala court releases elephant Ramachandran on bail

2013-03-14 - Thrissur, India.

Ramachandran, which stands 3.17m tall and fondly called Raman, was released by the Perumbavoor first class judicial magistrate court last week in a case related to the death of three women after he ran amok at a temple festival in Perumbavoor on January 27.


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misc

Meet Sanook: Melbourne Zoo"s baby elephant named by Herald Sun readers

2013-03-14 - Melbourne, Australia.

More than 4,000 Victorians voted in the Herald Sun´s naming competition and Sanook, which means fun-loving and cheerful, was the overwhelming favourite, ahead of Seri and Chaiya. Thai consulate general Simon Wallace said the elephant keepers supplied attributes that best described Sanook and Thai words were shortlisted from their suggestions.


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trade
KWS officer Simon Gitau inspects ivory that was seized in January at Mombasa in transit to Indonesia. Cites has been told to slap sanctions on Kenya and seven other countries for allegedly condoning the trade

Ivory trade puts Kenya on spot

2013-03-12 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Elephant Trade Information System official Tom Milliken told the annual Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) conference in Bangkok, Thailand, that Kenya, Thailand, Uganda, Tanzania, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and China had been identified as major players in the trade.


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trade

Forest elephants and whitetip sharks: PLOS ONE papers at CITES

2013-03-12 - Bangkok, Thailand.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species or Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was organized to limit exploitation of international trade of wild animals and plants. Their latest meeting is currently underway in Bangkok, Thailand and two PLOS ONE papers provided evidence to support the enhanced protection of two threatened species – African forest elephants and oceanic whitetip sharks.


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facility

The National Elephant Center in USA is ready for Elephants

2013-03-12 - Fellsmere, United States. John Lehnhardt

February was a big month for The National Elephant Center. We have reached a major milestone and continue to look ahead to a promising future with the first elephants arriving this spring. Crews have finished the first phase of construction, which saw the completion of a large barn with paddocks, a keeper work center for three large interconnected pastures providing the elephants with more than 20 acres to roam.


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death

San Antonio"s Elephant "Boo" Dies

2013-03-11 - San Antonio, United States.

The San Antonio Zoo says Boo, its female Asian elephant, has died. The zoo euthanized her Sunday because of a debilitating weakness. Boo was 59 years old. The Zoo’s senior veterinarian Dr. Rob Coke and his staff performed several tests to determine the cause of Boo’s declining health. The zoo says in a press release that specific blood tests revealed abnormal white blood cells indicative of lymphoma or blood cancer.


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wild

First-ever record of Elephant on snow-covered Mountain

2013-03-11 - Chukha, Bhutan.

In what could be the first ever case to be recorded in the world, a transient solitary Asiatic elephant has been confirmed to have ascended and scaled a snow-covered mountain at an elevation of 3419 masl at Shougay La in Chukha. A team comprising of officials from Wildlife Conservation Division (WCD) and Gedu Forest Division, Chukha under Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) validated the presence through evidences such as traces of dung, foot print in the snow, feeding sign and inter...


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facility

Niabi Zoo readies for season debut with new elephant digs

2013-03-11 - Niabi, United States.

Many animal-loving Quad-City children donated their savings, raised money at school or opted to forgo birthday gifts in the name of Niabi Zoo’s campaign to raise money for a larger home for elephants Sophie and Babe. Those contributions helped pay for an expanded elephant yard that is three times larger than the one the two Asian elephants have occupied for years. The larger enclosure does not satisfy size requirements by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, but it gets Niabi closer to a pos...


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trade
Tom Milliken, top Cites investigator on ivory trafficking

Cites "loses patience" with Thailand

2013-03-11 - Bangkok, Thailand.

The world´s top officials on illegal ivory trading say Thailand and other "gang of eight" countries must stop the business within a year or suffer severe trade sanctions. British newspaper the Guardian quoted the officials as identifying the other countries involved as source nations Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, "enabling" countries Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and destination countries Thailand and China. Tom de Meulenaer, a senior Cites official at the body´s conferen...


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misc

Record income from Pinnawala Orphanage

2013-03-11 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

Zoological Director Anura de Silva said that the income earned from the Pinnawala Orphanage last year was 483 million rupees. He pointed that out of this amount the sum earned from foreign tourists alone was in the region of 455 million rupees. This is a record income earned when compare with the figures in the year 2011.


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people

Animal Rights: The History and Nature of the Beast

2013-03-07 - Washington, United States. Patti Strand

Animal rights tactics are specifically designed to give the animal rightists the opportunity and freedom to express lies, while preventing others from speaking the truth. They are designed to intimidate non-believers into fear-based tolerance of the cult of animal rights, thereby enabling the movement to amass ever-greater political and financial clout.


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conflict

Surin Elephant Kills Thai Wife On Rayong Beach

2013-03-07 - Rayong, Thailand.

At 5:30 p.m., a report of an elephant killing a Thai female tourist was received by Pol. Lt. Capt. Thawatch Norsingha, Muangrayong police station, Rayong. Rescuers from Sawangpornkusol foundation Rayong reported that a 2-year-old elephant went insane and used its tusk to gore a Thai tourist on Maerampung beach. The victim was severely injured and died in Rayong hospital. Police officers arriving at the scene found the elephant, named Plai Boonchoo, 2 years old, was being chained on his front leg...


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relocation

Bloemfontein zoo elephant Thandora to be released in reserve

2013-03-06 - Bloemfontein, South Africa.

After 23 years in captivity, an elephant at the Bloemfontein Zoo will soon be released back into the wild. Zoo officials decided to free 27-year-old Thandora after the death of her companion. She will soon be joining a herd of elephants in the Gondwana Game Reserve in the Western Cape.


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birth

First Sri Lankan elephant born at Nagoya Zoo

2013-03-06 - Higashiyama, Japan.

Two Sri Lankan elephants in Higashiyama zoo in Nagoya, Japan delivered a female baby elephant on Tuesday 29th January, being the first Asian elephant to be born at the Higashiyama zoo and the 6th Asian elephant to be born in Japan. At present there are 73 Asian elephants at 37 facilities in Japan. Of these, 8 elephants are from Sri Lanka.


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research

Sh8m worth of satellite collars fitted on elephants

2013-02-24 - Amboseli, Kenya.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has fitted six elephants with GPS satellite collars at the Amboseli at a cost of Sh8.8 million. The collars will monitor the animals’ movement and data used to map out migratory routes, critical corridors and seasonal variations for habitat use. Besides assisting scientists and conservation experts establish the extent and how elephants use the Amboseli landscape, the collars will also enable KWS design management intervention measures for conflict mitigation a...


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trade

Phuket hosts single-day CITES program on ivory trade

2013-02-24 - Phuket, Thailand.

Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) officers, non-governmental organizations and legal wildlife and fauna traders attended a one day meeting in Phuket as part of the 16th Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) being held in Thailand. Members of the meeting expressed their gratitude for the honor of holding the event in Thailand, as the Kingdom attempts to buff its tarnished reputation for being an international tran...


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fossil
Paleontologists uncovering the Mastodon fossils

Paleontologists Discover Mastodon Fossils in El Salvador

2013-02-24 - Apopa, El Salvador.

At least 12 fossil fragments, including some from a mastodon, have been discovered at a new paleontological site in El Salvador. “We dug down to the fossil-bearing strata…we have now reached some materials of great importance to paleontology,” the head of the expedition, paleontologist Daniel Aguilar, told Efe. Found up to now at the new site, where excavations began on Monday, are “12 fossil deposits,” he said.


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people

Oregon Zoo"s top elephant expert, Mike Keele, will retire in June

2013-02-24 - Portland, United States.

Mike Keele, one of the nation´s leading experts on Asian elephants, this week told co-workers he plans to retire in June after 42 years at the Oregon Zoo. Keele, 59, started at the zoo in 1971. He was 18 and fresh out of Southeast Portland´s Marshall High School.


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workshop

Elephant Care Workshop

2013-02-24 - Phoenix, United States.

Elephant Care Conference Tusks & Feet, Husbandry & Health Hosted by the Phoenix Zoo Featured Speakers: Dr. Murray Fowler, Alan Roocroft- Elephant Consultant, Dr. Dave Fagan- Dental Specialist Topics to be covered: Husbandry and Medical Access to Captive Elephants, Restraint in Protected Contact, The Importance of Radiographs and Radiograph Techniques, General Elephant Foot Anatomy, Habitat Design That Supports Elephant Foot Health, Elephant Foot Care Tools and Other Equipment, Elephant Foot Care...


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job

San Diego Zoo: Associate Curator of Elephants

2013-02-23 - San Diego, United States.

This position requires extensive working experience with mammal care and management. An example of experience would be a minimum of fifteen years. Experience with mammal protected contact management, operant training and conditioning is required.Selected candidate must also have experience managing animal care personnel. An example of experience would be at least seven years.


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welfare

USDA Inspection critic against The Elephant Sanctuary

2013-02-23 - Hohenwald, United States.

An inspection held in late January identified concerns by the USDA in the areas of The Sanctuary’s staffing, training and our health care delivery, which resulted in 2 citations by the USDA. Due to lack of sufficient number of trained employees, several elephants are not yet trained in procedures
necessary for completion of routine husbandry tasks such as routine foot care, entering chute or allowing blood collection. (USDA 1/31/13 Inspection
Report)


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facility
The multi-million pound sanctuary will include a heated elephant house, sand pits, elephant spa and

Wiltshire"s multi-million pound elephant sanctuary plan revealed

2013-02-21 - Longleat, United Kingdom.

A planning application has been submitted to build a multi-million pound elephant sanctuary in Wiltshire. The 24 acre (10 hectare) enclosure at Longleat Safari Park is planned to house four elephants, including a rescued former circus elephant. The facility will include a heated elephant house and an outdoor space with sand pits and an ´elephant spa´.


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circus

Ringling Bros. wins federal case filed by two longtime Bay Area animal rights activists

2013-02-17 - San Jose, United States.

After two longtime Bay Area animal rights activists sued Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for allegedly harassing them as they tried to videotape the backstage treatment of animals, the federal jury hearing the case began deliberations in San Jose on Valentine´s Day afternoon. And it was soon clear that the jurors didn´t buy what activists Deniz Bolbol and Joseph Patrick Cuviello were selling.


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people

Pat Derby died peacefully last night in her home at ARK 2000

2013-02-17 - Galt, United States.

Diagnosed with throat cancer in July of 2010, she fought her way through radiation and chemotherapy and continued to deal with side effects from treatment, including anemia. In early fall of last year came the news that cancer had returned.


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birth

ELEPHANT BABY BORN ON VALENTINE’S DAY

2013-02-14 - Budapest, Hungary.

After 52 years, an elephant baby was born at the Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden. The baby was born on Thursday morning, February 14. The baby and mother are hermetically closed off from the outside world. The public may not view them yet, and only designated keepers and veterinarians may enter the Elephant House.


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trade

Oregon Zoo buys Lily and Tusko for $400K

2013-02-09 - Portland, United States.

The Oregon Zoo now has the legal rights to elephants Lily and Tusko after buying them from Have Trunk Will Travel, the zoo announced Friday morning. The zoo purchased Tusko and Lily for $400,000, thus voiding its loan agreement with the California-based company, said Kim Smith, the zoo’s director. Tusko was on a breeding loan since 2005 and sired elephants Lily and Samudra.


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medical

First reported case of fatal tuberculosis in a wild African elephant with past human–wildlife contact

2013-01-23 - Cambridge, United Kingdom. V. OBANDA, J. POGHON, M. YONGO, I. MULEI (Cambridge University Press)

In this paper we report the first case of fatal TB in an African elephant in the wild. The infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed by post-mortem and histological examinations of a female sub-adult elephant aged >12 years that died in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, while under treatment.


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people
Lucy Melo and Pathi Harn pictured this year.

Taronga Zoo says they were not at fault over Lucy Melo elephant attack

2013-01-16 - Sydney, Australia.

AN investigation by Taronga Zoo found that they were not at fault over an elephant attack in which one of their keepers was injured last year. Lucy Melo, 40, spent days in intensive care at Royal North Shore Hospital after the October 19 incident, in which two-year-old Asian elephant calf Pathi Harn pinned her against a bollard.


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conservation
An activist washes a Sumatran elephant at Surabaya Zoo in East Java in this file photo. Researchers will conduct DNA-based research projects to help conserve the endangered Sumatran elephants.

DNA test to help save Sumatran elephants

2013-01-16 - Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia agreed on Monday to collaborate on molecular genetics-based research projects to conserve the Sumatran elephant, which has been listed as a critically endangered species. The DNA-based test can estimate the population of the Sumatran elephant and determine the distribution of the species.


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fossil
The Indiana State Museum is preparing for a massive new attraction.

Indiana State Museum Preps "Fred the Mastodon"

2013-01-16 - Indianapolis, United States.

Staffers are busy assembling 300 bones of "Fred the Mastodon." Chief Curator Ronald Richards says they believe the bones are about 13,000 years old. Richards says they´ve spent months building a steel frame upon which to mount the bones. However, he says the bones themselves are authentic. Richards says more mastodon discoveries have been found in the Indiana area than any other state. He says the exhibit will be about nine feet high and 20 feet long.


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misc

Zimbabwe: Wildlife Regulator Blasted After Baby Elephant Dies in China

2013-01-13 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

The international body responsible for issuing trade permits for endangered species (CITES), has been strongly criticized for allowing the sale of four, wild caught, baby elephants from Zimbabwe to zoos in China, after one of them died from the trauma. CITES went against its own regulations, which prohibit licensing the sale of endangered species for commercial purposes, by issuing permits for the wild caught baby elephants to be flown to two zoos in mainland China in November, 2012. The wildlif...


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death
They sent us the photos below of the surviving elephant at Taiyuan Zoo.

Update on elephants exported to China

2013-01-13 - Beijing, China.

They say that the 4 elephants arrived at the end of November 2012. Two went to Taiyuan Zoo, one of which has subsequently died. The other two reportedly went to Xinjiang Tianshan Safari Park. There are apparently still another 14 elephants waiting to be exported and we have to try and stop this from happening


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death
Raja suffered severely from foot abcesses

Blind Pinnawala Raja dies

2013-01-13 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

The blind elephant ´ Pinnawala Raja´ who was ill for a long time passed away yesterday at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage,reports said. He went blind following an attack by a hunter at Galenbindunuwewa and was taken to Pinnawala, treated for injuries and cured. Claimed to be 70 years at the time of death.


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relocation

Deserted elephant calf sent to Jhargram mini zoo

2013-01-13 - Jhargram, India.

An elephant calf which was spotted at areas adjacent to Hatiatara forest near Jhargram was brought to the mini zoo here by forest officials. Divisional forest officer A P Singh said it was probably left behind by a herd which was seen in the area recently. Officials of Kalaikunda, Hijri and Belda under Kharagpur forest division brought the 2-year-old elephant calf to Jhargram mini zoo last evening, he said.


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smuggle

2 Chinese held in Malawi for forex, ivory smuggling | Malawi news, Malawi - NyasaTimes breaking online news source from Malawi

2013-01-13 - Lilongwe, Malawi.

Two Chinese national haves been arrested at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe for attempting to smuggle foreign currency and ivory, Malawi Police said on Wednesday. Police Spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo identified the two Chinese nationals as Bing Tang and MShinxin Wang. The two, who were working as engineers on the recently inaugurated Karonga/Chitipa road, had close to US$100,000 and MK130, 00, according to police.


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smuggle

Elephant tusk found in Frenchman’s bag on Swiss train

2013-01-13 - Geneva, Switzerland.

Swiss border police made an unusual find when they searched a train in Basel at the weekend: an elephant tusk meticulously hidden in a Frenchman’s bag, police said on Wednesday. The man, only identified as a 40-year-old French national based in Italy, had tried to smuggle the tusk into Switzerland on a train from Frankfurt to Zurich on Sunday, border police said in a statement.


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death
Tragic ... viewers were shocked after seeing footage of baby elephant dying on new series Africa

Baby elephant death in show Africa was a natural tragedy we couldn’t prevent

2013-01-13 - Amboseli, Kenya.

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’S new wildlife series, Africa, has amazed viewers with its revealing insights into the continent’s animals. But this week’s episode sparked a storm when it showed the painful, lingering death of a baby elephant. Viewers demanded to know why the BBC crew didn’t step in and save the creature. Here, the series producer explains why that wasn’t possible.


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misc

Hollande dodges appeal to save sick elephants

2013-01-13 - Paris, France.

French President François Hollande said Wednesday he would not intervene to spare two zoo elephants diagnosed with tuberculosis. The decision by Lyon authorities to put down the two pachyderms has caused an outcry among animal rights activists.


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conservation

To save elephants from trains, an electronic tag

2013-01-13 - , India.

Elephants in areas with high rail traffic will be tagged electronically under a pilot project to protect them from trains, Minister for Environment & Forests Jayanti Natarajan has said. A tag would help forest officials keep track of an elephant’s movements and give them time to alert railway officials. A speeding driver usually has little time to react after he realises an elephant is on the tracks ahead.


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facility

Thumb up: Construction on National Elephant Center in Fellsmere going well

2013-01-13 - Fellsmere, United States.

On schedule and under budget. That´s the word on the first phase of construction on the National Elephant Center being developed about 3 miles north of downtown Fellsmere. Located on a 225-acre site, the National Elephant Center is a collaboration of 73 accredited zoos and will provide a place for aging elephants and transient elephants being relocated between zoos. The first of up to nine elephants that could be served during the first phase of the project could arrive in the spring. When...


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relocation
34 elephants from various temples and mutts from the state and one from Tirunallaru temple in Puducherry participated in the camp.

Elephants start return journey after 48-day rejuvenation camp

2013-01-13 - Coimbatore, India.

After completing their 48-day rejuvenation camp, 35 elephants from different temples and Mutts started their return journey today from Thekkampatti near Mettupalayam in the district. The elephant camp was organized by the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department.


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facility

Home for heavyweights - Noah"s Ark prepares for elephant arrivals

2013-01-12 - Wraxall, United Kingdom.

At 20 acres, the attraction´s new �1.2m elephant enclosure � Elephant Eden � will be the largest of its kind in Europe, but the international reputation of the zoo is hanging on its ability to make this particular Eden blossom. Zoo owner Anthony Bush knows all too well that any new elephant enclosure would always be mired in controversy.


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trade

Recent trade of elephants from Zimbabwe to China. Public statement of the CITES Secretariat

2013-01-11 - Geneva, Switzerland.

The Secretariat has corresponded with the CITES Management Authorities of Zimbabwe and China to ascertain the particular circumstances surrounding this trade and whether the procedures set out under Article IV of the Convention and Resolutions Conf. 10.21 and 11.20 were followed. This communication with the relevant Management Authorities is ongoing.


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poaching
Malaysian customs officers show elephant tusks from Africa which recently seized in Port Klang outside Kuala Lumpur in December.

Poachers shot dead after elephants killed

2013-01-10 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan police and wildlife service rangers have shot dead two poachers who had killed four elephants, authorities say, days after the slaughter of 12 animals sparked national outrage. "A team of rangers from the anti-poaching unit (of KWS) and police shot the two poachers and eight tusks were recovered," Isiolo police commander Daniel Kamanga told Reuters. They also recovered rifles and ammunition.


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birth
A female African elephant named Mbali, one of 11 elephants rescued from culling in Swaziland, Africa, and brought to the U.S. nearly a decade ago, gave birth to her first calf, a female, at Tampa?s Lowry Park Zoo.

Baby elephant born at Lowry Park Zoo to mother Mbali

2013-01-09 - TAMPA, United States.

The African elephant birth is the second in the zoo´s history, and the first born in Tampa from the rescued herd. The newborn, sired by Sdudla, a Swaziland bull, is significant to the population because the calf introduces new DNA into the gene pool of elephants managed in North America, which averages three or four births each year.


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wild

Foresters trim tusk of rogue elephant

2013-01-09 - ROURKELA, India.

Wildlife experts on Monday tranquilized the rogue tusker, which had wrecked havoc in the region and killed at least six persons in the last 12 days, in Sundargarh district. The tusker has been tied to a tree in the forest. Its tusks have been trimmed, as a preventive measure.


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poaching
Elephants foraging in the Tsavo-east National park, Kenya on March 20, 2012.

Kenyan rangers hunt poachers who killed 11 elephants for ivory

2013-01-09 - Tsavo, Kenya.

Kenyan park rangers are hunting for a gang of poachers who they say killed eleven elephants and hacked off their tusks, the latest large slaughter of the animals to be reported amid insatiable global demand for ivory. The family of elephants were killed on Saturday in Tsavo East National Park in southern Kenya, according to a statement Monday from the Kenya Wildlife Service. The animals´ carcasses all had bullet wounds and their tusks had been chopped off, the agency said.


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welfare
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

The ASPCA Pays Price For Bad-Faith Ringling Brothers Elephant Suit

2013-01-08 - Vienna, United States.

The ASPCA sued Ringling Brothers, but ended up paying the circus $9.3 million to help cover its legal bills. Tom Rider, the star witness for the plaintiffs, proved to be problematic. Even though he referred to the elephants as his “girls” and claimed to have a “personal” and “emotional” attachment to them on par with the one he had for his two daughters and his grandson, he was unable to identify the elephants in videotaped footage.


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wild

Plan to limit train speed in elephant corridors

2013-01-07 - New Delhi, India.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) is planning to tell the Railway Board to ensure that trains slow down sufficiently in elephant corridors. This comes in the wake of Coromondel Express mowing down five elephants and a calf at Ganjam district on December 30 night. The train was running at 110 kmph when the accident happened.


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welfare

Brigitte Bardot Protests Euthanasia of French Circus Elephants

2013-01-07 - Paris, France.

Former French model and actress Brigitte Bardot is taking her animal activism to the next level by threatening to leave her home country and seek citizenship in Russia if two sick circus elephants are euthanized. According to the Huffington Post, France is scheduling to kill two 42-year-old elephants, named Baby and Nepal, who are suffering from tuberculosis at a Lyon zoo. Well, Bardot is not pleased.


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death
Wildlife officials say they warned train bosses a herd of elephants was in the area.

Train Kills 5 Elephants In East India

2013-01-01 - Bhubaneshwar, India.

A passenger train has ploughed into and killed five elephants of a herd crossing railroad tracks in eastern India. RN Mohapatra, a railways spokesman, said the train struck the animals early on Sunday, in the Rambha forest area, about 110 miles south of Bhubaneshwar, the capital of the state of Orissa.


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trade
The governments of South Africa and Viet Nam have signed an MoU to improve co-operation on tackling illegal wildlife trafficking, such as illegal trade in rhino horns

New agreement between South Africa and Viet Nam - A turning point in tackling rhino poaching crisis, say WWF, TRAFFIC

2012-12-29 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

A pivotal moment in efforts to tackle the current rhino poaching crisis took place today as the governments of South Africa and Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve co-operation between the two states on biodiversity conservation and protection including tackling illegal wildlife trafficking.


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circus

Los Angeles Weighs Law Banning Elephant Shows

2012-12-26 - Los Angeles, United States.

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus train has been bringing four-ton Asian elephants to this city since 1919. But “The Greatest Show on Earth” might have made its last stop here. Los Angeles is poised to ban elephants from performing in circuses within its city limits, after pressure from animal welfare advocates who have for decades condemned the methods used to train and transport elephants as abusive and cruel.


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trade

Thailand Introduces Measures To Control Ivory Trade

2012-12-26 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Thailand´s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is introducing its new ivory trade control measures to protect Thailand from trade barriers imposed by member countries of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.


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trade

The CITES Secretariat ready to support joint investigation

2012-12-26 - Geneva, Switzerland.

The Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) welcomes the United Nations Security Council’s call for an investigation into the alleged involvement of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the poaching of African elephants and smuggling of their ivory. Through a statement read out by the current president of the body, Mr Mohammed Loulichki from Morocco, the Security Council called “on the United Nations and African Union ...


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medical

Elephants, mahouts at Chitwan breeding center underfed

2012-12-22 - Chitwan, Nepal.

For the last six months, 56 elephants reared in Sauraha Elephant Breeding Center at Chitwan National Park (CNP) have not been fed properly. Not only the elephants but the mahouts also are facing hand to mouth situation as the supply of allocated ration has become irregular.


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relocation
Kimbo, a 42-year-old female Asian elephant from Fort Worth Zoo is now at Denver Zoo

Denver Zoo adds female elephant

2012-12-22 - Denver, United States.

Kimbo, a 42-year-old female from Fort Worth Zoo, arrived Thursday night and is getting to know her new digs at Toyota Elephant Passage, Denver Zoo said in a news release. Kimbo brings the elephant population back to four as she joins Dolly, the other female, and bulls Bodhi and Groucho. Dolly is 47, Bodhi is 8 and and Groucho is 41.


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conservation

Elephants need forests to reproduce, not money

2012-12-21 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

Instead of giving us money, please give us forests. We will help elephants reproduce,” said an elephant breeder in Dak Lak. The elephant breeders in Dak Lak would receive 414 million dong in financial support from the state for every elephant who gives birth. However, they wish they can receive forests rather than money, because the forests, not money, would help elephants live their normal lives and reproduce.


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trade
Zimbabwe

Mugabe trades elephants in covert deal with China

2012-12-20 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

ZIMBABWE is sending baby elephants from its drought-ravaged Hwange region to two Chinese zoos under a covert deal struck by president Robert ­Mugabe, conservationists warn. Four elephants left Harare late last month for Dubai en route to Beijing after a 12-hour journey by road from Hwange to Harare, said the head of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, Johnny Rodrigues. Up to 14 more elephants will leave in January, activists fear.


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conservation
Children watch as elephants from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus parade in Washington.

Why elephants need circuses and zoos

2012-12-19 - Los Angeles, United States. Deborah Olson

L.A. City Council´s proposed ban on elephants performing in traveling shows such as circuses paints a romantic picture of elephants as gentle giants. The editorial board seems to buy into the animal extremists´ idealistic scenario of happy, fat pachyderms lazily wandering the open plains of Africa or the jungles of Asia, free of disease and conflict with humans.


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relocation

Councillor vows to fight transfer of Toronto Zoo’s African elephants

2012-12-19 - Toronto, Canada.

A Toronto city councillor is vowing to do everything she can to stop the transfer of three aging African elephants from the Toronto Zoo to a California sanctuary, fearing their safety could be jeopardized and the zoo could lose standing with a national organization. “It’s never over till it’s over,” councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby told The Globe and Mail Wednesday. “My heart and soul is in this and I believe in doing the right thing for our animals.”


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medical
An elephant who has tuberculosis, one of two who had been slated to die, is pictured at the Parc de la Tete dOr Zoo in Lyon, France, on December 17, 2012. This elephant, along with another middle-aged companion, have been given a Christmas reprieve after

Doomed French elephants win Christmas reprieve

2012-12-19 - Lyon, France.

Two ailing middle-aged elephants that French officials wanted to put down have been given a Christmas reprieve after an appeal to President Francois Hollande and an Internet campaign to save them. Baby and Nepal, who both have tuberculosis, had been deemed a threat to other animals at their zoo in the city of Lyon as well as to human visitors since the disease is highly contagious.


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conservation

Scientists turn to genetics to help protect pygmy elephants. With only 2,000 left, they are the most endangered subspecies of Asian pachyderm

2012-12-15 - Sabah, Malaysia.

Numbering about 2,000, these babyish-looking elephants are the most endangered subspecies of Asian elephant. They live primarily in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo, where they are threatened by the loss and fragmentation of their forest, often by development associated with palm oil, a widely used, edible plant oil.


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research
Mali elephant wearing a GPS collar.

Violence in Mali Threatening Survival of Endangered Elephants

2012-12-15 - Gourma , Mali.

A two-year study, to appear in January´s edition of Biological Conservation, tracked the elephants´ migration with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars. Its findings advance conservation efforts for the animals, which are facing increased armed conflict in Mali between government forces and Touareg rebels.


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smuggle
A whopping 1,500 African elephant tusks were seized this week in a $20 million shipment destined for China’s ivory market. On Monday, Malaysian customs officials discovered 24 tons of unprocessed tusks originating from Togo in West Africa hidden in sec

24 Tons Of Elephant Tusks from Togo Seized in Kuala Lumpur

2012-12-15 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A whopping 1,500 African elephant tusks were seized this week in a $20 million shipment destined for China’s ivory market. On Monday, Malaysian customs officials discovered 24 tons of unprocessed tusks originating from Togo in West Africa hidden in secret compartments in two cargo containers. Making this the biggest seizure ever, shocked conservationists say 2012 will now go down as the worst year in over two decades, warning that 2013 could be even worse. Read on to learn more about the ...


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poaching
Villagers inspect a dead Sumatran elephant allegedly poisoned by poachers for its tusks, in Indra Makmur, Aceh province, Indonesia, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. The male elephant, estimated to be 4-5 years old was found dead Friday with the tusks removed. Indo

Endangered Sumatran elephant found dead in western Indonesia; 17th death in 9 months

2012-12-15 - Jakarta, Indonesia.

Indonesian police say an endangered Sumatran elephant has been found dead at a rubber plantation, apparently poisoned by poachers. It is the 17th Sumatran elephant found dead on the island of Sumatra since March. First Lt. Simson Purba of the local police says the plantation owner found the male elephant dying in East Aceh district Friday. Purba says the animal was dead by the time authorities arrived. It was about 5 years old and its left tusk had been stolen. Police are investigating the death...


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people
A spokeswoman for Naomi Campbell described the claim as

Naomi Campbell sues Telegraph over elephant polo story

2012-12-15 - London, United Kingdom.

Naomi Campbell is suing the Daily Telegraph for libel over an article claiming she organised an elephant polo tournament in India. A spokeswoman for Campbell emphatically denied that the model, who campaigns against animal cruelty, had planned an elephant polo tournament in Jodhpur as stated by the article on 3 November.


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medical

French president Francois Hollande urged to show some jumbo love

2012-12-15 - Lyon, France.

Gilbert Edelstein, the head of the Pinder circus who donated the two pachyderms Nepal and Baby to the Parc de la Tete d´Or in Lyon, sought the "supreme intervention" of Hollande in a letter. The mayor´s office had ordered euthanasia, citing public health concerns, because they have tuberculosis., and said it should be carried out before December 20.


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fossil

2 boys find mastodon bone in Michigan backyard

2012-12-13 - Detroit, United States.

A researcher has confirmed that two 11-year-old boys found a mastodon bone over the summer while exploring a southeast Michigan yard.The Detroit News reports Eric Stamatin of Macomb County´s Shelby Township and his cousin Andrew Gainariu of Troy found the bone near a stream while exploring Eric´s backyard. Eric says it looked like a rock, but a hole made them think it was a bone.


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facility

Oregon Zoo wants Metro to buy acreage for Clackamas County elephant reserve

2012-12-13 - Portland, United States.

Next Tuesday, Oregon Zoo officials are expected to ask the Metro council for $4 million to $5 million to offset high construction costs of the new elephant habitat and other projects, and to exercise the Metro´s option to buy about 200 acres in Clackamas County for a remote elephant center.


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conservation

Vietnam"s Elephants Face Threats from Near and Far

2012-12-13 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

At the end of the war in 1975, as many as 2,000 wild elephants roamed the lowland forests of Vietnam. Today, there are as few as 50. Poaching and habitat destruction have brought the animals to the brink of extinction, and conservationists say the only herd with a long-term chance of survival is located along the border separating Yok Don National Park and Cambodia. ​​According to park director Tran Van Thanh, the already limited forests are shrinking as local communities cut tre...


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smuggle
Selangor Customs director Datuk Azis Yacub (centre) and his enforcement officers with the elephant tusks and ivory handicraft seized at the North Port in Port Klang  Read more: RM60m ivory tusks seized - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/

RM60m ivory tusks seized

2012-12-12 - Port Klang, Malaysia.

THE Selangor Customs Department on Monday foiled an attempt by an international syndicate to smuggle 24 tonnes of elephant tusks and ivory handicraft worth RM60 million at the North Port here. State Customs director Datuk Azis Yacub said enforcement officers seized two containers scheduled for transshipment to China following surveillance since Friday.


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people

Denver Zoo"s elephant keeper writes a children"s book

2012-12-12 - Denver, United States.

Dave Johnson, elephant keeper at the Denver Zoo has written a children´s book, called The Elephants of Denver and is using all proceeds from it to travel to Nepal and work on conservation. While Johnson is in Nepal, he will be supplying other environmentally-passionate people with things they need. For example, an anti-poaching team needed a faster way to get around, so he and his colleagues bought motorbikes for them.


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conflict
A mahout walking along a street in Colombo. A little more than 7,300 wild elephants roam the island nation, according to data announced by Sri Lankan wildlife authorities in September 2011.

Workshops to solve human-elephant conflict

2012-12-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Wildlife Department authorities will have discussions with the public at workshops to solve the human-elephant conflict, Wildlife Director General H D Rathnayake said. He said according to the National Elephant Conservation Policy, the Authority activates action plans to prevent the human-elephant conflict. "Under this programme, the department will identify practical and relevant steps which could be used to prevent the conflict between elephants and humans," Rathnayake said.

...


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misc

Laguna Phuket issues statement over baby elephants

2012-12-09 - Phuket, Thailand.

The management at Laguna Resorts & Hotels, which operates the five-hotel resort complex on Phuket’s west coast, have issued a statement about the baby elephant “Joey”, which was seized in raids in Phuket in February.

Ziya Birkan, Deputy Managing Director at Laguna Resorts & Hotels, wrote in the statement:

“We’re very pleased the authorities have resolved the question of Joey’s parentage through DNA testing, but obviously disapp...


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zoo
Left: Lucy the elephant at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Right: One of the elephants at the Toronto Zoo.

It’s none of their business’: Edmonton mayor irate over ‘ridiculous’ Toronto motion telling Alberta capital what to do with its elephant

2012-12-09 - Toronto, Canada.

Hours after Toronto city council attempted to lecture Edmonton on proper elephant care, Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel angrily told the Ontario capital to mind its own affairs. “It’s none of their business to butt into our business. I don’t appreciate it at all,” he said in a noticeably agitated preamble to a Wednesday night council meeting.

On Tuesday, Toronto city councillors agreed to ship its zoo’s three elephants south and approved a resolution...


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conservation
Wild elephant and zebra near African watering hole. Their populations in Kenya dropped over the past four years due to various factors.

Kenya Wildlife Service Warns of Zebra-Elephant Losses

2012-12-09 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan officials say the country’s elephant and zebra populations have dropped sharply over the last four years, mainly due to poaching, demand for ivory, drought and climate change. Kenya Wildlife Service director William Kipkoech says the number of elephants fell from 7,415 to 6,361 during the period.


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birth
A baby Asian elephant calf frolics withward with her mother, Rose-Tu, and meets her brother, Samudra, at the Oregon Zoo. Frame grab from video.

In the big business of elephants, breeding is a key issue, Oregon Zoo finds

2012-12-09 - Portland, United States. Katy Muldoon, The Oregonian

The zoo will keep the calf. Have Trunk Will Travel is in good standing with government agencies that grant its licenses and oversee animal-welfare laws. When it comes to captive elephants, cooperation across the spectrum of animal exhibitors is business-as-usual. Public zoos, private zoos, circuses, theme parks, traveling shows -- operations with radically different missions, messages and profit motives -- are all in it together because elephants are big business.


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zoo

Op-ed: Zoos play a vital role protecting wild elephants and their habitat

2012-12-09 - Seattle, United States.

Communicating the very serious threat to elephants in the wild — and working to save them — are the most important reasons to have elephants in zoos, write two members of the Woodland Park Zoo board of directors. Seeing, hearing and smelling elephants can spark a very personal, emotional connection that inspires people to help elephants in the wild.


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relocation
I

Relocating Elephants Backfires

2012-12-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

After monitoring a dozen bull Asian elephants in Sri Lanka that were transferred—three of them multiple times—to national parks, researchers have concluded that relocation neither reduces human-elephant conflicts nor helps conservation efforts. Indeed, five of the translocated elephants ended up being killed within 8 months of their release, and the elephants killed five people.


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poaching
In a photo from February, carcasses of elephants slaughtered by poachers are seen in Bouba Ndjida National Park, in Cameroon near the border with Chad.

Gangs of poachers slaughtering elephants

2012-12-05 - Yaounde, Cameroon.

Despite armed guards, Cameroon´s dwindling elephant population is being decimated by heavily armed gangs of international poachers, according to a top official of the World Wide Fund for Nature. Tighter security has been mounted because intelligence shows that two gangs of poachers from Sudan are heading for the area, said WWF Cameroon conservation director Hanson Njiforti at a news conference Tuesday.


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misc

California company Have Trunk Will Travel: "No intention" of taking baby elephant

2012-12-05 - Portland, United States.

Have Trunk Will Travel has no intention and has never had any intention of coming to take Rose-Tu´s calf. Have Trunk Will Travel supports Oregon Zoo´s vision for elephants and has great appreciation for the way they care for elephants. We are very proud of the significant contribution we have made together for Asian elephants. We could not be more excited about the birth of this new calf.


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death

Zimbabwe: Water shortage leaves 190 elephants dead

2012-12-05 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Approximately 190 elephants in Zimbabwe have been listed dead due to water shortage this year, according to wildlife authorities. The country´s Parks and Wildlife Management Authority said that the elephants died during the dry season at the Hwange National Park, the largest in the country. Last year, the park lost 80 elephants and 25 buffaloes as a result of high temperatures and water shortage, it said.


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welfare
Children watch as elephants from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus parade in Washington.

Why elephants need circuses and zoos

2012-12-05 - Los Angeles, United States. Deborah Olson

The Times´ editorial Monday on the L.A. City Council´s proposed ban on elephants performing in traveling shows such as circuses paints a romantic picture of elephants as gentle giants. The editorial board seems to buy into the animal extremists´ idealistic scenario of happy, fat pachyderms lazily wandering the open plains of Africa or the jungles of Asia, free of disease and conflict with humans.


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zoo

Statement on Elephant Care at Woodland Park Zoo

2012-12-04 - Seattle, United States. Woodland Park Zoo

Recently, the Seattle Times published a two-part series on elephants in zoos. Woodland Park Zoo’s approach to elephant care and our attempt to help perpetuate the species by inseminating Chai, one of our Asian elephants, was highlighted in what we believe was a very biased and inaccurate slant. We would like to provide you with information that was not included in the series of stories.


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relocation
Prakong Laokom and Kampan Nakdee receive the good news.

Two baby Phuket elephants free to go back to work

2012-11-29 - Lampang, Thailand.

While baby elephants Joey and Popeye are now back living with their mother in the government-owned Thai Elephant Conservation Centre (TECC) in Lampang, Somchok from Phu Thai Review Souvenir Market in Chalong and Nampetch from Laguna Excursions in Cherng Talay - who were subjected to similar DNA tests - have been found to have been acquired legally and have returned to their respective places of work today


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death

Rameswaram temple elephant dies at rejuvenation camp

2012-11-27 - Mettupalayam, India.

A 52-year-old female elephant died before the opening of the annual rejuvenation camp for temple elephants at Nellithurai near Mettuppalayam in Coimbatore district. The elephant, Bhavani, belonged to the Ramanathaswamy temple at Rameswaram. She died around 8pm on Sunday when she was taken to the Bhavani river for a bath, said sources in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department.


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welfare
A friendly baby elephant, the star of an elephant camp in Chiang Rai, plays with a tourist. This baby is likely well cared for, but health check-ups elsewhere have found most captive elephants are not so healthy.

Most captive elephants suffering in Thailand?

2012-11-27 - Lampang, Thailand. Apinya Wipatayotin

Most elephants living in captivity across the country suffer from work overload, malnutrition, and poor living conditions, says the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre. Sittidet Mahasawongkul, head of the Lampang-based centre´s elephant hospital yesterday said he and his team recently conducted elephant health check-ups at several elephant camps and found most of the animals were ailing due to poor care. There are about 2,000 captive elephants in shelters across the country.


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misc

137, 278 people visit Elephant News every year

2012-11-26 - Stockholm, Sweden.

137, 278 people visited the Elephant www.elephant-news.com during 25 nov 2011-25 nov 2012, according to Cluster map, which is about 376 visitors per day.


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misc

1200 people visit elephant.se every day

2012-11-26 - Stockholm, Sweden.

438, 244 people visited the elephant database at elephant.se during 25 nov 2011-25 nov 2012, according to Cluster map, which is about 1200 visitors per day. Apr 500 from USA, 180 from UK, 95 from Canada, followed by India, Australia, Germany, Sri Lanka and Netherlands. Other countries represented less than 25 visitors/day.


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relocation
Elephants being taken from Palayamkottai on Saturday in the lorries on Saturday for the annual rejuvenation camp to be held at Mettupalayam.

Elephants take off for rejuvenation camp

2012-11-25 - Mettupalayam, India.

Loaded in lorries, nine elephants with their mahouts from Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts on Saturday left for the 48-day annual rejuvenation camp to start at Mettupalayam from November 26 onwards. After being flagged off by Minister for Khadi and Village Industries P. Senthurpandian at the Bypass Road Flyover near KTC Nagar, the elephants’ journey for Mettupalayam began around 4 p.m.


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relocation

California sanctuary ‘not suitable’ for Toronto’s elephants, zoo’s CEO says

2012-11-22 - Toronto, Canada.

The California sanctuary slated as the next home for the Toronto Zoo’s three remaining elephants “isn’t suitable” because it has a problem with tuberculosis, says the zoo’s CEO in a report set to go before city council next week. The report from John Tracogna says that a due diligence review of PAWS by the zoo resulted in the sanctuary not providing all the medical records the zoo has asked for. The zoo also has concerns about steps PAWS has taken to contain tube...


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relocation

Rosamond Gifford Zoo has new elephant

2012-11-20 - Syracuse, United States.

A 15-year-old bull elephant has joined the elephant herd at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, zoo officials said today. Doc, who came to the zoo from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation, arrived at the zoo on Thursday, officials said. Doc replaces 40-year-old Indy, the zoo´s long-time resident bull. Indy left the zoo Friday and now resides at Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Mo.


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job

Chester Zoo: Elephant Keeper

2012-11-19 - Chester, United Kingdom.

Chester Zoo have a vacancy for an Elephant Keeper to be based on the Elephants of the Asian forest exhibit working within a close team using a protected contact management system. The post will involve the daily care and management of our herd of 8 Asian elephants and their habitat. The successful candidate will provide excellent animal husbandry, care and welfare, ensuring that all enclosures and facilities are maintained to the highest possible standards for our visitors and the animals in our...


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poaching
A picture taken on February 23, 2012 shows elephants which have been killed by poachers at Bouba Ndjida National Park in northern Cameroon, near the border with Chad. A special Cameroon unit has been deployed to foil the sophisticated poachers, who ride

Cameroon deploys crack unit to foil Sudanese poachers

2012-11-19 - , Cameroon.

Cameroon’s Special Forces have been deployed to foil an imminent raid by Sudanese poachers who for eight weeks earlier this year slaughtered half the population of elephants for their ivory at one of the country’s wildlife reserves. The heavily armed and well coordinated poachers, who had told local villagers of their plans to kill as many elephants as possible, claimed they had killed as much as 650 out of some 1,000 that roamed the park.


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event

Tulsa Zoo holds birthday party for Gunda the elephant, zoo"s oldest resident

2012-11-16 - Tulsa, United States.

The Tulsa Zoo´s oldest resident is turning a very young 62 years old. Gunda the elephant will celebrate her birthday Friday at 11 a.m. Zoo officials are inviting everyone to stop by and wish Gunda a happy birthday as she digs in to her very own giant-sized cake to celebrate her big day. To commemorate Gunda´s birthday, the 62nd person to enter the zoo will receive free admission.


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job

San Diego Zoo: elephant keeper

2012-11-15 - San Diego, United States.

Responsibilities for this position will be to work mostly with a collection of elephants in a protected contact management system at the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey Exhibit. The keeper will work closely with senior keepers, lead keeper and Animal Care Supervisor to develop the skills necessary to become an integral member of a progressive elephant husbandry and training program.


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job

Knoxville Zoo: elephant keeper

2012-11-13 - Knoxville, United States.

Knoxville Zoo 1.2 currently houses African elephants and we are looking for an Elephant Keeper with 2+ years of experience. This person is responsible for a wide variety of tasks involving the husbandry of several area species, the daily upkeep of keeper and public areas and interpretation with zoo guests. The individual must be able to carry out the duties typical of a keeper and comply with Knoxville Zoo policies and procedures as they appear in the employee handbook and departmental protocols...


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death

Two jumbos killed, another wounded

2012-11-13 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Yasaratne Gamage

Wild life officials in Anuradhapura have commenced investigations into the death of two jumbos, a tusker found dead in Koongollwewa, Medawachchiya and another, poisoned in Herathgama, Kurunegala. They also found another adolescent elephant, seriously wounded by a trap gun in Kalagama, Galkiriyagama. The carcass of the huge tusker with its tusks removed was found in a jungle in Koongollewa, Medawachchiya by the Wild Life rangers attached to Vavuniya on Monday following information received from a...


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poaching

Kenya: Elephant Qumquat"s Killer Arrested

2012-11-13 - Amboseli, Kenya.

One of the poachers that killed the well-known elephant, Qumquat and her family has been arrested. The Big Life Foundation anti-poaching unit was informed of the location of the poacher through their community network. The team made the arrest alongside Kenya Wildlife Service. According to Big Life, the poacher was arrested last year but released. The team from Amboseli Elephant Research identified the dead elephants as Qumquat and her two daughters Qantina and Quaye.


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smuggle
Young elephant orphaned by poachers.

World"s only wildlife forensic CSI lab works to stop poachers

2012-11-13 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

This week, customs agents in Dubai seized elephant ivory tusks that were estimated to be worth more than $4 million dollars. According to an AP report, the tusks were hidden in a shipment of green beans, which came from an unnamed country in Africa. Killing elephants for their tusks is not only a brutal and inhumane practice, but it has been illegal since 1989, when a global ban on ivory was put in place. Illegal poaching of animals and animal parts can include elephant tusks, bear gallbladders,...


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death

Endangered elephants ‘were poisoned’

2012-11-13 - Jakarta, Indonesia.

Three critically-endangered Sumatran elephants found dead in Indonesia´s Riau province were probably poisoned in a revenge attack by palm oil plantation workers, an official said on Monday. The decomposing carcases of the female elephants, including a year-old baby, were found in a jungly area just outside the Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau province on Saturday, park chief Kupin Simbolon told AFP.


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death

Elephant calf raised by woman in Malawi dies

2012-11-13 - LILONGWE, Malawi.

An elephant calf that was separated from his herd and raised by a human "mother" for months in Malawi has died. Jenny Webb, who raised the calf, said it died Monday night "in her arms." She said the elephant had been sick with colic and diarrhea. In February, Webb adopted the elephant, which had been named Moses after being found in the grasses of a riverbed by game rangers at Vwazi Wildlife Reserve in northern Malawi.


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death
In this photograph taken May 1, the body of a rare Sumatran elephant is carried along a road of a palm oil plantation in Aceh Jaya in Aceh province after it was found dead on the road on April 30. Three Sumatran elephants were found dead near Riau’s Tess

Three Sumatran Elephants Found Dead on Riau Plantation

2012-11-13 - Riau, India.

Three elephants were found dead on a plantation in the Riau district of Pelalawan on Monday, allegedly killed as a result of having been poisoned. The remains were already decaying when discovered not far from Kilometer 89 of Jalan Koridor Baserah, with the rare animals’ deaths judged to have taken place a week earlier.


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relocation
Photo © Martijn Fabrie, Netherlands

Elephants to be moved from Emmen zoo after family dispute

2012-11-13 - Emmen, Netherlands.

A mother elephant, her two sons and a daughter are to be found a new home by Emmen zoo officials after a power struggle within the herd. The problems began earlier this year when the matriarch of the herd died and two rival strands of the family began fighting it out for control. The dispute has become so serious that the two groups cannot exercise at the same time and have to be kept separated, Nos television said.


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people
Anton Turner

Medal for CBBC man Anton Turner killed in elephant charge

2012-11-10 - Herefordshire, United Kingdom.

Mr Turner, who had been in the 1st Battalion the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, was fatally injured by the elephant in the Mbarika Mountains, Tanzania. Anton tried to frighten off the elephant and grabbed hold of its trunk to divert it, before being thrown to the ground. His efforts brought time for other members of the group to escape unharmed, it added.


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conflict

Tusker kills Mahout in Odisha sanctuary

2012-11-09 - Bhubaneswar, India.

An elephant undergoing training at Chandaka Sanctuary here today crushed its Mahout to death, forest officials said. Dilip Rabha (52), who was training 20-year-old elephant Shankar for the past two years, was pulled down from the animal´s back and trampled to death while it was being taken for a bath. After killing the Mahout, Shankar sat near the body and prevented anyone to come near him. A team from Nandankanan Zoo reached the spot and tranquilized the elephant.


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zoo

Toronto ground zero for battle over future of elephants in zoos

2012-11-09 - Toronto, Canada.

For the past year and a half, a fierce battle has raged over whether three African elephants should stay in their decades-old home at the Toronto Zoo. But it’s a battle that some experts say is now at the centre of a larger North American debate about the future of elephants in zoos. Since the facility opened in 1974, the Toronto Zoo has always had elephants.


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relocation
An elephant photographed at the Toronto Zoo in May 2012.

Time to clean up Toronto elephant mess

2012-11-08 - Toronto, Canada.

Toronto council has been debating for over a year whether to move three elephants from the Toronto Zoo to an animal sanctuary in California. In the process, it has managed to lose our zoo’s international accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). We always thought the people best-equipped to decide the fate of these elephants were the experts the zoo hires to look after them. But apparently not, since last October a majority of councillors chose to ignore their recomm...


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job

Little Rock Zoo: Elephant Manager/ Sr. Animal Keeper Large Hoofstock

2012-11-07 - Little Rock, United States.

Provides supervision to Animal Keepers and other assigned Zoo personnel in a designated area of the Zoo; ensures that duties such as feeding, cleaning, and special projects are completed; ensures observance of safety procedures; provides training for assigned personnel and volunteers. Develops, implements, and maintains best practices in elephant care through modern principles relating to captive care.


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research
This image shows Angela Stoeger and Daniel Mietchen recording Koshik

An Asian Elephant Imitates Human Speech

2012-11-07 - Yongin, South Korea. Angela S. Stoegersend email, Daniel Mietchen, Sukhun Oh, Shermin de Silva, Christian T. Herbst, Soowhan Kwon, W. Tecumseh Fitch

Here, we document a male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) that imitates human speech, matching Korean formants and fundamental frequency in such detail that Korean native speakers can readily understand and transcribe the imitations. To create these very accurate imitations of speech formant frequencies, this elephant (named Koshik) places his trunk inside his mouth, modulating the shape of the vocal tract during controlled phonation


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fossil
archeologists working along the Changis-sur-Marne riverbank about 30 miles (50 Km) east of Paris, after unearthing the rare near complete skeleton of a mammoth, which has been christened “Helmut". The remains which include four connected vertebrae and

Mammoth skeleton found in France

2012-11-07 - Paris, France.

Archaeologists in France have unearthed a rather hairy fossil _ a nearly complete skeleton of a mammoth. The bones _ thought to belong to a creature that roamed the earth between 200,000 and 50,000 years ago _ were discovered by accident during the excavation of an ancient Roman site 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Paris. It may be only the third remains of a long-haired woolly mammoth discovered in France in the last 150 years. Such discoveries are more common in Siberia.


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relocation
African elephants at the Toronto Zoo.

Executive Committee votes to let zoo staff decide where elephants should go

2012-11-06 - Toronto, Canada.

The Executive Committee has voted to have Toronto Zoo staff decide where their three remaining elephants should be relocated. They said that elephants should be moved as soon as possible. The meeting was held late Monday evening after the committee spent most of the day hearing from the public on the possibility of bringing a casino to Toronto.


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wild

Sri Lanka"s begging wild elephants: making it safer for man and animal

2012-11-06 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

Feeding of begging wild elephants in Sri Lanka´s Udawalawe National Park, can be made safer for both man and animal if it is formalized as a supervised process, where fees are charged, a wildlife enthusiast has suggested. S M S Senadhipathi, a wildlife enthusiast says though elephants lining up for food along an electrified fence at the national park has become an iconic sight "it is an eye sore and a serious risk to animals and people."


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conference

33rd Annual Elephant Managers Association Conference and Workshop

2012-11-04 - Santa Barbara Zoo, United States. EMA


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job

Nashville Zoo: elephant manager

2012-11-02 - Nashville, United States.

Under the direction of the Curator of Mammals, the Elephant Manager assists in animal acquisition, husbandry programs, daily maintenance and development of Keeper routines, animal enrichment, behavior modification, exhibit design, staff selection and staff development.


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welfare
New director of conservation at the Calgary Zoo Dr. Jake Veasey by the Gorilla enclosure on Friday November 19 2010 in Calgary.  Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Veasey+best+elephant+breeds+again/7478288/story.html#ixzz2Ay8llUI9

Veasey: Its best if the zoos elephant breeds again

2012-11-01 - Calgary, Canada.

As the Calgary Zoos director of animal care, an animal welfare scientist and a captive elephant specialist, I’d like to respond to Jennifer O’Connor’s letter by respectfully encouraging her to consider the evidence relating to the psychological and physical impacts of denying elephants the opportunity to reproduce, before claiming it is “indefensible” and “self-serving” to allow Rani to breed again.


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smuggle

Youtube: Nairobi police recover 16 elephant tusks

2012-11-01 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Sixteen pieces of raw elephant ivory were last night intercepted by Police from the special Crime prevention unit in Nairobi. It is not clear where the consignment was heading. Meanwhile, Kenya Wildlife Service rangers in Meru National Park have shot dead two poachers as two accomplices escaped after fierce exchange of fire that lasted for one hour. An AK47 rifle, 47 rounds of ammunition, two ivory tusks and two axes were recovered from them.


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death

2012-11-01 - New Delhi, India.

India´s Odisha state lost at least 296 elephants in the past five years, several victims of electrocution, officials said. State authorities and wildlife activists said the elephants died after coming in contact with hanging, live electricity wires, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. Wildlife activist Biswajit Mohanty said the casualty rate has been about 10 per year.


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people

Crushed Taronga Zoo elephant keeper Lucy Melo goes home from hospital

2012-10-31 - Sydney, Australia.

Injured Taronga Zoo elephant keeper Lucy Melo has been released from hospital. Ms Melo, 40, was injured 12 days ago when two-year-old elephant Pathi Harn "challenged´´ her authority and pinned her against a bollard. Her heart stopped beating for five minutes after the incident. A Taronga Zoo spokesman said Ms Melo had made excellent progress in her recovery and went home from Royal North Shore Hospital last night. "She´s in good spirits and will commence a period of rehabilitat...


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conflict

Elephant herd tramples Vietnamese police officer

2012-10-30 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

A herd of elephants has trampled to death a police officer in a central Vietnamese jungle. The victim and two other men went into the jungle Saturday to look for apricot trees. The director of the elephant conservation center in Daklak province said more than 20 wild elephants attacked the men as they returned home that night. Huynh Trung Luan said two of the men escaped unhurt. The 42-year-old policeman was found dead Sunday morning.


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conflict

Elephants wreck havoc in 3 districts in Indian state Orissa

2012-10-30 - Western Orissa, India.

About 17 elephants in three herds damaged ripening paddy and vegetable crops in several villages including Podagada, Jhatipadar, N Barpalli, Raghunathpur, Balibagada and Palur under Ganjam block. Notably, some elephant herds had created much trouble for the farmers during planting of the paddy saplings in these areas and now when the harvesting time has come, the pachyderms have resurfaced and are creating colossal damages.


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medical

Latest about EEHV - Elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus

2012-10-30 - Kolmarden, Sweden. Dan Koehl

With kind assistance of Professor Gary S. Hayward, Ph D. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Elephant.se page about EEHV - Elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus is updated to latest level. (Database records of deceased elephants due to Herpes Virus, is presented further down the page)


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film

Chandani: The Daughter of the Elephant Whisperer

2012-10-30 - New York, United States.

Chandanis great-great-grandfather was a mahout, an elephant trainer. The skills are usually passed down to the sons, but Chandani has no brothers and she wants the job. In this documentary film that feels like fiction, Chandani breaks with tradition and challenges everyone’s beliefs that a girl cannot train an elephant. Her father brings her a baby elephant and she eagerly takes up the challenge of getting him, and herself, ready to ride in the Perahera, a noisy festival where decorated e...


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misc

Tanzania: Controversy Over Origin $3.4 Million Ivory Seized in Hong Kong

2012-10-30 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Wildlife authorities have explained that the consignment of elephant tusks that were seized in Hong Kong and reported to have been shipped from Tanzania did not necessarily originate from the country. But four Tanzanians have been mentioned by the Interpol early this week in connection with the two shipping containers from Tanzania and Kenya that were loaded with ivory and seized in Hong Kong.


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smuggle

Tanzania: Police Impound Tusks Worth Sh2.1 Billion

2012-10-30 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

POLICE in Dar es Salaam have arrested two Kenyans and a Tanzanian in unlawful possession of 214 elephant tusks and five bones of the mammal worth 2.1bn/- at Kimara Stop Over area in Kinondoni municipality over the weekend. Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Mr Suleiman Kova, told a news conference in the city that the suspects were apprehended while preparing to transport the contraband to Kenya.


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wild

Survey shows Kerala"s wildlife is safe and thriving, says survey

2012-10-30 - Peechiind, India.

A wildlife survey carried out in the state in 2011, after a gap of nine years, has come out with some reassuring findings. Kerala´s wildlife population has largely stabilised while certain animal populations are even showing signs of growth. The 2011 census data submitted to the Forest Department by the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Peechi, estimates the elephant population of the state to be 7,490 while it was 6,939 in 2002.


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medical

Malaysian Elephant gets new prosthetic leg

2012-10-30 - Temerloh, Malaysia.

A company´s kind act in providing a prosthetic limb for female elephant Seledang has enabled the animal to roam freely again within the gated area of the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre, here. The 7-year-old´s left foreleg was severed at the ankle after it was caught in a wire mesh, here, a year ago. It was discovered by a plantation worker, who alerted the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan).


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fossil

Today In Florida History October 30th 1926

2012-10-30 - Venice Beach, United States.

A skeleton believed to be that of a prehistoric mastodon was uncovered near Venice Beach. Representatives of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Geographic Society were called to the scene to debunk or confirm the find. Both groups were able to confirm the find as real.


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event

Dubare Elephant camp Jumbo festival all set to enthral audiences

2012-10-30 - Mysore, India.

The Forest department is all set to organise a Jumbo Festival at the Dubare Elephant camp near Nanjarayapatna tourist centre in Kodagu district. The elephants will take part in various games, which are scheduled to begin at 9.30 am. A total of 20 elephants will take part in various activities. The training of the elephants is being undertaken under the guidance of taskmaster J K Dobi, informed Deputy Conservator of Forests of Madikeri Division, Dhananjay.


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birth

Baby elephant in trouble is guarded by mother, others

2012-10-29 - Chennai, India.

A newborn premature elephant calf is battling for survival in Tamil Nadu´s Mudumalai jungle area. Forest officials say the mother elephant probably delivered the calf while crossing a road and since early Monday morning the new born has not had milk. Authorities say the calf is unable to stand and the mother is helpless. A herd of elephants stand guard around the mother and her calf.


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birth
Researchers monitor Rose-Tu

Zoo study seeks method for predicting elephant"s due date

2012-10-29 - Portland, United States.

Despite years of important scientific discoveries about elephants — many of them made right here in Portland — pinpointing a pregnant elephant´s due date remains something of a mysterious art. With a 22-month gestation period, the longest of any mammal on the planet, giving birth "a little early" can mean several weeks. Currently, the best predictor is blood-progesterone level, which remains high throughout pregnancy and drops precipitously a few days before delivery.


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conflict

Temple Elephant Kills Worshipper

2012-10-29 - Thiruvidaimaruthur, India.

An Indian school teacher who bowed down in front of a temple elephant to pray for good luck from the Gods died when the animal stamped on him with both feet and then picked him up and smashed him headfirst against a wall. Eyewitnesses said that Sekarv Aadil, 55, had only arrived at the Sri Mahalingaswamy temple at Thiruvidaimaruthur minutes before – and as he walked through the door he had spotted the elephant being led to its stable by one of the temple monks.


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death

Female elephant killed by tusker

2012-10-29 - Coonoor, India.

An 18-year-old female elephant was today found dead near a private tea estate in Coonoor-Barliar area, about 25 kms from here, forest department sources said. Injuries on the elephant indicated that it had a fight with a male elephant which had gored it to death, sources said. Meanwhile, traffic was paralysed for over one hour on Masanagudi-Theppakkadu Road under Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, as a herd of elephants stood guard, protecting a female elephant, who was delivering a calf.


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people

If I"d followed in dad"s footsteps, I"d be an elephant keeper now

2012-10-27 - Dublin, Ireland.

Pat Kenny reflects on the pleasure of summers in the Phoenix Park, where both dad and grandad worked in Dublin Zoo. Each morning he would look after the elephants, feed them and spend the rest of the day talking to the public. Even now, many years later, people still send me pictures or tell me with gratitude about how my father took time to talk to them. He became so well known, in fact, that the famous photographer John Hinde made him the subject of three of his famous coloured postcards.


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misc

Toronto Zoo Issued Notice of Potential Legal Action from TB-infected PAWS Facility. In 2002, PAWS spent $67,000 in legal fees using Animal Rights Activists money, how much over the last ten years?

2012-10-26 - Toronto, Canada.

The Board of Management of the Toronto Zoo has received a letter from the Performing Animal Welfare Society´s (PAWS) American attorneys threatening legal action against the Toronto Zoo and certain individuals arising from a Status Report update in September. On September 25, 2012, the Zoo´s CEO and Senior Veterinarian issued an Elephant Transfer Status Report to the Board of Management to update the Board on the progress of the transfer and to explain the outstanding issues regarding...


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poaching

Namibia: Four Arrested for Jumbo Poaching

2012-10-26 - , Namibia.

FOUR people have been arrested in connection with the poaching of elephants in the Caprivi Region. The carcasses of 18 elephants were recently discovered in this region after they were killed for their ivory. Of the 18 killed elephants, 13 were reportedly killed in the Mamili National Park over the past four months. The news of elephant poaching in Namibia, which has been praised internationally for its conservation policy, has rocked the conservation community.


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zoo

Bloemfontein Zoo unhygienic: NSPCA

2012-10-26 - Bloemfontein, South Africa.

An elephant needs a new home because of unhygienic living standards in the Bloemfontein zoo, the National SPCA said on Wednesday. “The lack of cleaning staff led to compromising of the hygiene standards and the living conditions of the animals,” the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) said in a statement.


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death
Rani. Calgary Zoo 03/2009. Photo: © Brent Van Hooft

Premature, stillborn calf of Maharani in Calgary

2012-10-24 - Calgary, Canada.

Zoo officials are deeply saddened to advise the community that Asian elephant Maharani delivered a premature, stillborn calf in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The calf was due in February/March 2013.


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circus
Armando Loyal is the head elephant trainer with Kelly Miller Circus. He has been in the circus business since the age of 5 and is a ninth generation circus performer

CIRCUS Q&A: Armando Loyal-Elephant Trainer

2012-10-24 - Hugo, United States.

Since the age of 5, Armando Loyal has been in the circus, with Kelly Miller Circus and a sister circus. His first performance was as a bareback rider. Before the circus, the Neosho Daily News asked Loyal some questions about how he got started in the circus, along with what are his duties in the circus today.


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misc

Belfast to host opera of Sheila the elephant

2012-10-23 - Belfast, Ireland.

The younger woman is Denise Austin, a zookeeper at Belfast zoo, and this moment, now frozen forever in black and white, was some time in April or May 1941. The German bombing raids, which were to become known as the Belfast blitz, were bringing terror to the city - and not just to its human citizens. At Belfast Zoo, Denise was looking after Sheila, an Asian elephant, and she was becoming increasingly anxious about the stress the terrible night-time raids were having on her charge.


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conflict

Trunk and Disorderly

2012-10-23 - Burladingen, Germany.

A circus elephant which smashed a 12-year-old boy´s jaw with its trunk is being investigated by safety and wildlife officials in Germany. But just two years ago the same elephant crushed a family against a wall, leaving the 24-year-old dad critically injured and breaking his nine-month-old son´s leg. In 2000, the tusker was also accused of attacking a mum and her six year old child with her trunk.


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people

Retired elephant trainer Charlie Franks reunites with elephant Sunita

2012-10-23 - San Diego, United States.

In 1988, Huell attended a touching reunion between Charlie Franks, an 80-year-old elephant trainer, and Nita, the elephant he had raised from a baby of five years. When Charlie retired in the early 1970s after traveling the world with his beloved performing elephant, he donated her to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and hadn’t seen her for 15 years.


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people
Asian Elephant Keeper Lucy Melo.

Taronga Zoo elephant keeper Lucy Melo speaks for first time since being crushed

2012-10-23 - Sydney, Australia.

Northern beaches resident Lucy Melo, 40, is in a stable condition in Royal North Shore Hospital after the two-year-old Asian elephant calf Pathi Harn pinned her against a bollard on Friday morning. While she has been able to write notes to her family, a zoo spokeswoman said she was "alert´´ today and spoke for the first time since Friday. "We’re incredibly pleased to get an update from Lucy’s family that she is alert and making progress in her recovery," Zoo director Ca...


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conference

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park: Animal Welfare and Habitat Design Workshop

2012-10-22 - Stirling, United Kingdom.

How does zoo habitat design improve animal welfare? International guest speakers from zoos and field research projects presenting on how the needs of both great apes and elephants should be addressed in the modern zoo environment.


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event
Logan Mennie, 9, gets up close and personal with Burma the elephant at the Auckland Zoo, as part of Blind Week.

Fun day at Auckland Zoo for special guests

2012-10-21 - Auckland, New Zealand.

Some special guests at Auckland Zoo got closer to the action than most people are ever allowed. To help celebrate Blind Week, which starts tomorrow, the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind treated eight blind children to a fun day out at the zoo where they got to touch the animals, including resident elephant Burma.


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misc
The elephant stood in Brading

Brading Waxworks Museum elephant sold at auction

2012-10-21 - London, United Kingdom.

A baby elephant which was an exhibit in a former Isle of Wight museum has been sold at auction. The African elephant, thought to date back to Victorian times, was sold to a Sussex antiques dealer for £6,400. Its hide, stretched over a 6ft (1.8m) wire frame, was an exhibit at Brading Waxworks Museum until its closure in 2010. It had been expected to sell for about £1,000. Antiques dealer Spencer Swaffer said his purchase was "most amazing". Mr Swaffer said he intends to display the elephant...


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zoo
Zoo keeper Lucy Melo is in stable condition after a young elephant pinned her against a pole.

Zoo cameras capture lead-up to accident

2012-10-21 - Sydney, Australia.

WorkCover investigators have seized surveillance footage of the moments leading up to when two-year-old elephant Pathi Harn nudged Ms Melo against a bollard. Because of the position of the cameras, the whole incident was not captured on tape. It is understood the elephant did not appear aggressive towards Ms Melo, or any other keeper in the pen at the time.


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relocation

Video: "Kora Aliya" tranquilized

2012-10-21 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka. Pix and video by Wasantha Chandrapala

A wild elephant, known as ´Kora Aliya´ that has turned a great threat to the safety of residents in several villages of the Ampara district was tranquilized by Wildlife Department officials this morning in order to be transported to Pinnawala, after running rampant in the villages of Kunduwatuwana, Paragahakale and Inidurawa, incurring great losses to the crops in the areas.


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smuggle
Customs officers display some of the seized ivory.

Hong Kong customs make record ivory seizure

2012-10-21 - Hong Kong, China.

Customs officers have made a record seizure of smuggled ivory - with the discovery of more than 1,200 elephant tusks and a batch of ivory ornaments worth more than HK$26 million - during a joint operation with Guangdong authorities. The consignments, weighing more than 3,800 kilogrammes, were found in two containers shipped to Hong Kong from Tanzania and Kenya.


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misc

For "de-programmed" elephants, return to wild is a slow, costly process

2012-10-21 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Two elephant conservation groups are working together to reintroduce domesticated elephants to the wild, releasing 84 of them over the past 10 years under an initiative of Her Majesty the Queen. The Elephant Reintroduction Foundation (ERF) must shoulder not only the increasingly high cost of purchasing elephants, but also of preparing them for their return to the wild. In the meantime, it focuses on taking good care of the domesticated elephants in its custody, which is only a fraction of the nu...


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research
A two week old Asian elephant makes her first public appearance at Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, England, on March 30, 2004.

Why do elephants have hair on their heads? Scientists solve head-scratcher

2012-10-21 - Princeton, United States.

Why do elephants have hair on their heads? After combing through the evidence, a team of scientists at Princeton University has teased out the answer: To keep them cool. Unlike other animals whose hairy covering helps keep them warm in cold weather, the sparse hair of the elephant which tends to be found in hot climes helps carry heat away from the animal´s skin and into the air, a study by Princeton University finds.


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misc

Jumbo revenues to come under tax net

2012-10-21 - New Delhi, India.

Owners - individuals, companies, temples and temple administration bodies like Devaswoms - will have to pay 12.36 per cent service tax on the earnings their elephants make for them per day. Service tax on earning made by elephants will come into force in April next. However, the elephants of the Department of Forests have been exempted from this. The Government has started collecting information on captive elephants as part of the introduction of service tax on earnings made from use of elephan...


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relocation
That

Rosie and Opal make new home in Hope

2012-10-21 - Hope, United States.

Asian elephants Rosie and Opal arrived safely today at Hope Elephants in Hope, according to the nonprofit that has been working for more than two years to bring the retired circus animals to Maine. Rosie and Opal have joint and muscle ailments and are the first residents of the Hope Elephants facility, which was created by Dr. Jim Laurita, a Cornell educated veterinarian, and Tom Laurita, his brother.


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conflict
Zoo keeper Lucy Melo is in stable condition after a young elephant pinned her against a pole.

Injured elephant keeper stable, zoo says

2012-10-20 - Sydney, Australia.

TARONGA Zoo keeper Lucy Melo, seriously injured when a young elephant "challenged" her authority, is in a stable condition in a Sydney hospital. The 40-year-old´s family has asked that their privacy be respected while she recovers in Royal North Shore Hospital after two-year-old Pathi Harn pinned her against a bollard on Friday morning.


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event
Arjuna passed the test and it will lead this year

Arjuna to carry golden howdah this year. The 52-year-old elephant from Balle camp replaces veteran Balarama

2012-10-20 - Mysore, India.

The successor for Balarama, a 54-year-old tusker that carried the 750-kg golden howdah 12 times in a row since 1999 during the Jamboo Savari, the grand Dasara finale here, has been found. The tall and relatively stronger 52-year-old elephant Arjuna will take over the mantle from the master tusker to don the role of a show-stopper this year.


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death

18 Elephant Carcasses Found In Namibia"s Capriivi Region So Far This Year

2012-10-19 - Capriivi, Namibia.

Since the beginning of this year, a total of 18 elephant carcasses have been found in the Caprivi Region, the narrow strip of land in Namibia which borders Angola, Botswana and Zambia, says the Director of Parks and Wildlife Management in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Colgar Shikopo. He told Nampa here Tuesday that investigations on the discoveries were ongoing and he would not confirm whether the carcasses were found with or without any tusks, describing it as a "sensitive issu...


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conflict

Taronga Zoo elephant keeper Lucy Melo crushed by "miracle" baby

2012-10-19 - Sydney, Australia.

Yesterday the senior elephant keeper was left fighting for her life after the youngest male, Pathi Harn, crushed her against a fencepost during morning training. With Ms Melo´s husband, Taronga Zoo´s elephant manager Gary Miller, nearby, the two keepers moved the elephant away and the area went into lockdown at its busiest time, as school groups were turned away and feeding time cancelled.


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conflict
On its part, the Centre is considering hiking compensation for voluntary resettlement of residents to increase habitat available to elephants and reduce human-elephant conflict.

Compensation for people shifting from elephant corridors may go up

2012-10-18 - New Delhi, India.

India’s top bureaucrats managing forests and elephants, and the wildlife conservation NGO community on Wednesday showcased public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives that promise to connect more of the 88 identified elephant corridors with forests, potentially reducing the stress on the species. On its part, the Centre is considering hiking compensation for voluntary resettlement of residents to increase habitat available to elephants and reduce human-elephant conflict.


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people

PAWS threatens to sue me? Heres the laywers letter.

2012-10-17 - Kolmarden, Sweden. Dan Koehl

I have spoken out loudly against the idea of bringing healthy elephants from Toronto zoo, to PAWS, a Tuberculosis infected "sanctuary" in northern California. Now PAWS threatens to sue me. Only in In 2002, PAWS spent $67,000 in legal fees, according to its income tax return.


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misc
Part of the Dussehra procession since 1994, Balarama started carrying the howdah in 1999, the year after Drona, the elephant who had been carrying the howdah for 18 years, died.

In Mysore, an elephantine worry

2012-10-16 - Mysore, India.

Balarama is a veteran of the stables behind the Mysore Palace, and a bit of a celebrity. The elephant’s fame hasn’t come easy. This star of Mysore has carried the golden howdah that weighs 750kg in the yearly Dussehra procession for 13 years. Known for his gentle temperament and patience, Balarama has an active fan following in Mysore, a Wikipedia entry and even a book on him, titled Balarama: A Royal Elephant, which is written and illustrated by Ted and Betsy Lewin.


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misc

Elephant Dung Coffee Among World"s Most Expensive, Exclusive

2012-10-16 - Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Anantara Resorts, one of the world´s most expensive resort chains, has debuted some of the world´s costliest coffee at its Maldives properties. Just one thing though: The coffee beans are harvested from elephant dung. The coffee beans, called Black Ivory and priced at $1,100 per kilogram, are digested by an elephant before you drink it. There are only 50 kilograms, or about 110 pounds, currently for sale.


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medical
Duchess is 42 years old

Paignton Zoo"s elephant"s sight saved by eye operation

2012-10-16 - Paignton, United Kingdom.

An eye operation has saved the sight of an African elephant at Paignton Zoo in Devon, the organisation has said. An eye expert has deemed the operation a success and said her vision is "significantly better than prior to surgery". The 42-year-old four-tonne animal is the only elephant at the zoo.Senior keeper Jim Dicks said: "I am absolutely over the moon. It couldn´t have gone any better."


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relocation
Wildlife dept sends year-old animal believed from a herd in a nearby forest to Kuala Ganda

Elephant calf found abandoned in plantation to Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary

2012-10-16 - Temerloh, Malaysia.

A BABY elephant, which was found roaming alone in a plantation near Mentelong forest in Rompin last week, will be the latest attraction at Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary in Lanchang near here. The year-old female calf is now the youngest mammal at the sanctuary, which currently has a total of 28 elephants aged up to 70. The oldest is Lokimala, a female elephant which arrived at the sanctuary in 1978 to help in the relocation of wild elephants.


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conflict

Elephant tramples keeper to death at Shizuoka safari park

2012-10-16 - Shizuoka, Japan.

An elephant trampled its keeper to death at a zoo in Shizuoka Prefecture on Tuesday as he tried to stop the gigantic animal from attacking its new-born calf, police and reports said. Inthavong Khamphone, who was from Laos, had watched the elephants overnight with other keepers at Fuji Safari Park after the mother gave birth on Sunday, police said.


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event

Mysore Dasara 2012

2012-10-16 - Mysore, India.

The city of Mysore has a long tradition of celebrating the Dasara festival and the festivities there are an elaborate affair, attracting a large audience including foreigners. The Dasara festival completed 400th anniversary in year 2010


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poaching

Tanzania losing 10,000 elephants to poaching annually-Ministry

2012-10-15 - , Tanzania. Lusekelo Philemon

Tanzania loses 30 elephants to poaching every day, a shocking 10,000 every year, the government says the situation cannot effectively reverse for lack of resources. The country’s elephant population is, according to some reports less than 150,000. The same applies to the continent, where the jumbo population has shrunk to 470,000 today from more than 1.3 million elephants in 1977.


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event

Public meeting on Topeka Zoo elephants.

2012-10-13 - Topeka, United States.

THE PUBLIC MEETING ON ELEPHANTS IS TODAY AT 2:00 IN THE GARY CLARKE LIVING CLASSROOM AT THE TOPEKA ZOO. IF YOU ARE COMING TO THE MEETING, ADMISSION IS FREE. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! TEMBO AND SUNDA WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. THEY LIKE IT HERE!


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smuggle

Mozambique: North Korean Caught Smuggling Ivory

2012-10-12 - Maputo, Mozambique.

The Mozambican customs service on Thursday seized 130 items of carved ivory, valued at about 36,000 US dollars, that a North Korean citizen named Jong Guk Kim was attempting to smuggle out of the country. According to a press release from the Mozambican tax authority (AT), Jong was returning to Korea, via South Africa, and had already checked in for his flight, when customs officers intercepted him in the departure lounge of Maputo International Airport, and demanded that he open his hand baggag...


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relocation

Export of elephants from Laos to Japan.

2012-10-12 - Vientiane, Laos.

Known as “Japan-Laos Goodwill Elephants,” eight predominately young female elephants will soon be shipped from their forested and subtropical homes in north-west Laos, to the cold, concreted and caged Tohoko Safari Park, 20 kilometers outside the Fukushima evacuation zone. Well that’s where the fortunate ones will end up. Two are destined for the Kinoshito Circus, whereabouts unknown.


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misc
The elephant poop coffee beans are refined at the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, in the grounds of Anantara

Would you pay US$50 for a cup of elephant dung coffee?

2012-10-12 - Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Civet dung coffee? Old news. The big story these days is coffee made with beans that have been pooped out by elephants. At least that´s the claim of Thailand´s Anantara hotels, which refines its own beans at its massive elephant camp behind its Golden Triangle resort in Chiang Rai.


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conservation

No one can save Vietnam’s elephants?

2012-10-12 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

The serious poaching which has not been eased over the last many years has led to the sharp fall of the number of elephant individuals in Vietnam, from 1500-2000 in 1990s to tens of elephants now. Three years ago, FFI, an international flora and fauna conservation organization, gave the warning that the then 150 elephant individuals were in the danger of becoming extinct. Though the poachers still cannot make elephants disappear absolutely from Vietnam, extinction is a foreseeable thing, if Viet...


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medical
Elephant in the snow at PAWS

Elephant researcher Joyce Poole defending sending healthy Toronto elephants to TB infected PAWS "Santuary"

2012-10-12 - Toronto, Canada.

On ElephantVoice Facebook page, elephant researcher Joyce Poole is defending the document she signed as scientist, supporting Toronto to send their elephants to a Tuberculosis infected "sanctuary" where several elephants have died, being positive for TB, the latest elephant 29 year old Sabu, survived 1,5 years.


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welfare

Now Is The Time To Support Tembo And Sunda in Topeka!

2012-10-11 - Topeka, United States.

For 46 years, the Topeka Zoo has had elephants within their animal collection. Now, thousands of animal rights activists from outside our community- around the world - are urging the Topeka City Council to send our elephants to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald Tennesse. We do not believe this is in the best interest of Tembo and Sunda.


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death

DENVER ZOO MOURNS LOSS OF "LOVABLE" ELEPHANT MIMI

2012-10-11 - Denver, United States.

Mimi, a beloved, female Asian elephant at Denver Zoo passed away October 9. Zookeepers had been offering her hospice care recently as she had displayed a natural decline in health over the past few months due to her advanced age. Born in India, Mimi´s birth date is not known. However, at the time of her passing she was believed to be at least 53 years old, making her the seventh oldest elephant in a North American zoo.


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event

Sri Lanka Festival At Higashiyama Zoo In Nagoya

2012-10-07 - Tokyo, Japan.


The longstanding ties between the Higashiyama zoo and the Dehiwela zoo in Sri Lanka dates back to the time when the first 2 elephants were gifted to the zoo by the Pinnawela elephant orphanage in 2005. At present these elephants are in good health and the female elephant is to give birth to a baby elephant in a few months.


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smuggle

Accomplice of Plymouth Meeting Mammoth Tusk Thief Sentenced

2012-10-06 - Plymouth, United States.

Well-known Alaskan wilderness guide Karen Jettmar was sentenced to three years of probation in a U.S. District Court last Friday, after the court found her guilty of helping Plymouth Meeting resident Robert Franz steal a 10,000-year-old mammoth tusk from a state park in 2007, the Alaska Dispatch reports.


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fossil

Texas Man Says He Found Mastodon Tooth in River

2012-10-06 - San Antonio, United States.

A Texas fisherman says he made a pre-historic discovery while fishing on the San Antonio River. He claims he found a Mastodon tooth in it´s shallow waters. Davy Villanueva says he saw it in about a foot of water that was exposed because of the drought. He says he´s also found other bones there, but because of the rains, the area is now covered up.


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relocation

Sri Lanka to send two Pinnawala elephants to Prague zoo

2012-10-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Prague zoo deputy director Jaroslav Simek said it is a unique project that will largely help extend the genetic base of the European breeding of Indian elephants. The elephants, eight-year-old Janita and seven-year-old Tamara, come from the elephant zoo in Pinnawale. "The Hercules C-130 with them is to take off on Saturday at 01:00 the local time," Bobek, who is staying in Colombo, said.


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medical
Dr S. Vellayan conducting a check-up on a White-eared marmoset at Sunway Lagoon Resort’s Wildlife Park.  Read more: SPOTLIGHT: Vet

SPOTLIGHT: Vet"s love affair with animals

2012-10-04 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. unice Au

Having been acknowledged as the longest serving zoo veterinarian from Oct 1, 1981 to June 1, 2008 by the Malaysia Book of Records, Dr S. Vellayan is still very much in the thick of animal care after a three-decade long career. Once a familiar face at the national zoo, he now provides zoo consultancy for Farm in the City at Seri Kembangan, Langkawi Elephant Adventures, Langkawi Wildlife Park and Sunway Lagoon Resort Wildlife Park.


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job

Woburn safari park: Elephant Keeper

2012-10-03 - Woburn, United Kingdom.

Woburn Safari Park is currently looking to recruit a full time Elephant Keeper to join the team. Woburn’s Elephant Herd consists of 1.3 Asian Elephants managed primarily in free contact. Previous experience of working with elephants is preferred however not essential. Duties will include daily husbandry and management of the elephants including training, washing and exercising.


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research

The WEIRD Psychology of Elephants

2012-10-03 - Tokyo, Japan.

Yasui S, Konno A, Tanaka M, Idani G, Ludwig A, Lieckfeldt D, & Inoue-Murayama M (2012). Personality Assessment and Its Association With Genetic Factors in Captive Asian and African Elephants. The researchers write, “this study is the first examination of genetic components affecting individual differences of personality in captive elephants.”


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misc

Stuffed elephant goes up for auction

2012-10-01 - Brading, United Kingdom.

A stuffed African elephant 7ft high and 11ft long is going under the hammer at Brading on the Isle of Wight on October 18. The beast had been on show at Brading Waxworks until it closed down in 2010 and has had to be lifted by crane into the auction rooms next door to its old home, Hose Rhodes Dickson. It may make £1,000 and auctioneer Rex Gully said: ‘It has to be the most unusual lot we have ever had. I think there will be big demand because it’s so very rare. Where else do you find one


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zoo

Topeka Zoo Director Speaks Out On Elephant Complaint

2012-09-25 - Topeka, United States.

Topeka Zoo Director Brendan Wiley spoke out Tuesday night (9/25) out on the latest complaint against the zoo. It´s from animal activists to the USDA, and it calls into question video you´ll only see on 13 News and wibw.com. In the video, you can see Asian elephant Sunda run toward the zoo´s African elephant Tembo.


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relocation
The Toronto Zoo

Toronto Zoo elephants still here almost a year after council ordered their departure. The animal rights group seeking to move them to a California sanctuary claims the zoo has thrown up yet another roadblock to their departure. Some zoo officials are quietly holding out hope the elephants could be moved to the National Elephant Center in Florida, an as yet unbuilt sanctuary-like setting where breeding will take place.

2012-09-25 - Toronto, Canada.

It’s been nearly a year since Toronto City Council voted to send the zoo’s three remaining elephants to a California sanctuary, but a departure date still hasn’t been set. With Toronto Zoo officials expected to hold a news conference Tuesday updating the situation on its trio of aging female pachyderms, the animal rights group seeking to move them to a California sanctuary claims the zoo has thrown up yet another roadblock to their departure.


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smuggle

NBI asked to probe ivory trade in PH

2012-09-25 - Manila, Philippines.

Environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa Jr has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the illegal ivory trade in the country, now linked to its use in religious carvings like Santo Niño. "They need to look into the international syndicate behind this illegal trade. There are people hunting the elephants, killing them, packing and shipping the ivory and carving it before it even reaches the Philippines," Oposa told Rappler on Tuesday, September 25.


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job

Senior Elephant Keeper

2012-09-24 - Whipsnade, United Kingdom.

A staff of 8 currently cares for a breeding herd of Asian elephants comprising one breeding bull, 5 cows and 3 calves, the youngest being born in 2012. The bull is managed in protected contact but the females and calves are managed in free contact which allows all of the elephants other than the adult male to be walked around the 600 acre zoo site with the keepers ever day.


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medical

She won"t forget that in a hurry: Elephant rubs her eye in disbelief after cataract op to restore her sight

2012-09-20 - Paignton, United Kingdom.

The 43-year-old Asian elephant, who only has the one eye left, had been able to do little more than distinguish between light and dark for years. But thanks to surgeons at Paignton Zoo, Devon, she should soon be able to see clearly once again.


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medical
Elephant blessing woman in temple, Brihadishwara Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India

India"s overweight temple elephants to go on diet

2012-09-17 - New Delhi, India.

All temple elephants in Tamil Nadu state, in the far south of India, have been found to be obese with some more than 80 stone overweight, according to the BBC´s Tamil Service. Their condition is blamed partly on the lack of exercise caused by their captivity – many of them are chained close to the temple´s gates – and overfeeding by pilgrims who believe it will bring them blessings.


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death

Dasara elephant Kavita is dead

2012-09-17 - Mysore, India.

An ailing 73-year-old female elephant, which had taken part in the famous Dasara festival celebrations on eight occasions, died near here, a top Wildlife official said today. The elephant Kavita died yesterday at the K Gudi Camp in Biligiri Ranganatittu Wildlife Sanctuary, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wild Life Warden Dipal Sarmah told PTI. The elephant was not keeping well and was undergoing treatment for the past few months, he added.


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zoo

Really wild show! Elephants hula with their trunks, dance on logs and even line up for a conga

2012-09-16 - Hannover, Germany.

These clever elephants were wowing visitors at a German zoo earlier this week as they put on a stellar dancing performance for the crowds. The group, consisting of both calves and adult beasts, performed on tree logs, played with hula-hoops and even got up to do the conga. The elephants may not make the cut for Strictly Come Dancing, but showed off some remarkable trunk-foot coordination.


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wild
The old bull gets up on his hind legs to reach to top-branch leaves at Mana Pools in Zimbabwe. The older bull was teaching the two youngest who did not seem to be as skilled in the area of

Wild elephant performs "circus-trick": Elephant on its back legs with trunk at full stretch to reach tree-top leaves

2012-09-16 - Mana Pools, Zimbabwe.

This unusual behaviour has rarely been photographed but one lucky early-bird photographer caught three elephant as the sun rose over the UNESCO World Heritage site of Mana Pools. his behaviour, normally attributed to giraffes, has made the Mana Pools elephants famous but it has rarely been seen on camera.
The group of elephants was composed of two young bulls called ´askari´, which protect the older bull who teaches them the skills they need to reach the leaves in top of the t...


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facility
The foundations are being put in place for Europe

Plans for Europe"s largest elephant sanctuary causes controversy

2012-09-15 - Somerset, United Kingdom.

A zoo in Somerset has just started work on Europe´s largest elephant sanctuary. Noah´s Ark near Wraxall plans to open the 20 acre enclosure next summer. And just down the road in Longleat plans are underway for a similar sanctuary. Down the road at Longleat, they´re also planning an elephant sanctuary. This one won´t have a breeding programme and aims to only take in rescue animals already in captivity.


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facility
Up to 10 elephants could one day live in the £1m Elephant Eden enclosure

Noah"s Ark Zoo Farm elephant "sanctuary" work begins

2012-09-13 - Somerset, United Kingdom.

Building work is under way on a 20-acre ´elephant sanctuary´ which is to be one of the largest exhibits in Europe. Noah´s Ark Zoo Farm, in North Somerset, is spending £1m on the enclosure which it plans to open next year. A number of animal welfare groups have expressed concern over elephants being kept in captivity since planning permission was granted in 2010.


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poaching

Three elephants killed by poachers at Taita Ranch

2012-09-13 - Tsavo, Kenya.

POACHERS killed three elephants at Taita Ranch on Sunday in the latest incident of escalating poaching in the region. The three male elephants aged between 30 and 40 old were shot dead by the poachers who are said to have been armed with sophisticated guns. In July, poachers killed three elephants at the ranch which is adjacent to the Tsavo conservation area.


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fossil

Living Mammoth Cells Found In Eastern Russia

2012-09-12 - Yakutia, Russian Federation.

Researchers leading an expedition in the far northeastern Russian republic of Yakutia has discovered what they are calling the living cells of a mammoth Researchers leading an expedition in the far northeastern Russian republic of In a unique area at the depth of about 100 meters we discovered some rich material for reasearch – soft and adipose tissues, fur and bone marrow of a mammoth,” Semyon Grigoryev, chief of the Yana-2012 expedition, told a meeting at a university in the regio...


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birth

Balle camp in Karnataka turns into jumbo kindergarten

2012-09-09 - Nagarahole, India.

The Balle camp in Nagarhole National Park has turned into an elephant nursery with four calves being born to Dasara elephants Mary, Varalakshmi, Gange and Sarala. Though these four elephants will miss the Jumboo Savari this year, the camp is bustling with activity and wears a festive look. The mahouts, kavadis and forest officials at the camp are taking special care of the mothers and babies, putting them on a special diet.


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event
Only one female elephant , Vijaya, took part in the Gajapayana, as the remaining four are nursing their new born calves.

Gajapayana begins amid fanfare

2012-09-09 - Mysore, India.

Gajapayana, the beginning of the journey of elephants for Dasara festivities in Mysore, started at Nagapura on Friday afternoon amid much fanfare. S A Ramdas, the minister in-charge of Mysore district, offered pooja to four decorated elephants bound for the State’s cultural capital.


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smuggle

Joint Indo-Nepal task force to curb movement of elephants

2012-09-09 - Darjeeling, India.

A joint Indo-Nepal task force is likely to be formed to curb the movement of Indian elephants into Nepal, stop smuggling and prevent human trafficking, official sources said here today. A meeting on this issue was held yesterday in Siliguri which was attended by police and forest officials of Darjeeling district and Jhapa, Illam and Panchothori districts of Nepal.


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conference

The fourth Conference of the International Congress of Zookeepers (ICZ)

2012-09-09 - Singapore, Singapore. Wildlife Reserves Singapore

Wildlife Reserves Singapore is proud to host in conjunction with the ICZ the 4th International Congress on Zoo Keeping, from September 9th to 13th, 2012. This conference themed “Many Voices, One Calling” hopes to bring together keepers and zoo professionals from around the World for the objectives of enhancing the professionalism of Zoo Keepers and the welfare of the wild animals in their care.


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book

Book recalls the day the circus called in for a pint

2012-09-07 - London, United Kingdom.

this wonderful image from 1930 at the Elephant and Castle in Sultan Road, Buckland is among more than 200 pictures in Ron Brown’s fascinating and nostalgic book looking at Portsmouth’s pubs past and present. The elephants were provided by a visiting circus. How much landlord Tom Jones had to pay to set up this PR stunt is not recorded. The chap holding the bucket, which, allegedly, was filled with beer, was the aptly-named Charlie Phillpots, the pub’s cellarman.


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misc
Col Watcharin insists that anyone found guilty in the case involving the three baby elephants seized in Phuket will get up to four years in jail, a 40,000-baht fine, or both.

Phuket baby elephant probe sparks raids

2012-09-06 - Phuket, Thailand.

The inspection of elephant camps in Southern Thailand, geared to ensure that all pachyderms on the premises are legal, started on Monday and will include searches of the locations in Phuket where elephants were seized earlier this year.“We received an order on Monday from National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department [DNP] Director-General Damrong Phidet to send Regional Natural Resources and Environment Crime Suppression Division [NREC] officers to investigate elephant camps ...


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misc

Piling waste poses threat to Punnathurkotta elephants

2012-09-06 - Thrissur, India.

The sanitary conditions in the famous elephant sanctuary at Punnathurkotta are in an abysmal state. The 63 elephants owned by the Guruvayur Devaswom Board housed in the compound face a serious health hazard owing to non-removal of waste, which includes elephant excreta, palm leaves and grass. Seven tonnes of waste is generated here daily. Although the devaswom has given tender to remove the waste on a daily basis, the compound has not been cleaned for the past several days.


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misc
      It takes ten to 15 minutes for a painting because Shanti can

Pachyderm Picasso picks up paintbrush to prepare perfect pictures

2012-09-04 - Prague, Czech Republic.

Paintings from a Czech elephant are selling for up to $2,000 (1,590 euros) and are expected to go up in value, as she appears to have retired. 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. She did.


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misc
Ranjan (4) and Shivagange (11).

Security: GPS fitted on two elephants in Kodagu

2012-09-03 - Madikeri, India. Shrikanth Kallammanavara

In an unique attempt, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices have been installed on the collars of two tamed elephants at Dubare elephant camp in Kushalnagar. It is for the first time that GPS has been installed on elephants. Two elephants that have got the privilege of GPS are Ranjan (4) and Shivagange (11). With the installation of GPS on Saturday, the path on which the elephants walk could be traced through the internet enabled system.


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welfare

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act: U.S. Asks Judge To Dismiss Lawsuit Against 2006 Law

2012-08-30 - Boston, United States.

The federal government asked a judge Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a group of animal rights activists who say a rarely used 2006 law has a chilling effect on lawful protest activities. Five activists represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights sued the U.S. government last year, asking that the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act be struck down as unconstitutional.


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misc
Werner Hadrich and "Pia".

BBC Radio Broadcast tonight: This New Strange World - Pia the elephant

2012-08-30 - Berlin, Germany.

Indian elephant called Pia who was brought over to East Berlin to perform in the GDR State Circus, I knew I´d found that strange kernel of truth from which a story could blossom. Imagining the contrasts was what intrigued me - I could picture this elephant´s journey from the wilds of India to communist Germany, and the disparity she found to encounter the sequined-sparkle and magic of circus life so totally incongruous with the grey bleakness of East Berlin.


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job

Twycross Zoo: Temporary Trainee Keeper: Elephants

2012-08-29 - Twycross, United Kingdom.

We are going through an exciting period of change as this zoo develops and so are looking for dynamic, knowledgeable individuals to help lead the teams forward. The elephant section manages our herd of 4 female Asian elephants currently in free contact but is at the exciting early stages of moving into a protected contact system. This position is a key role which will involve working on the section, covering basic areas of animal husbandry.


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relocation

Intense Three-Day Operation Results in Successful Wild Elephant Rescue

2012-08-29 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

On August 27th, the crate was lifted on to a truck and the team set off for Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, which is to be Sakor’s new home. He joins 5 other rescued Asian elephants who reside there, including Chhouk, the elephant with a prosthetic foot, whose previous rescue enclosure Sakor has now moved into.


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misc

Elephants go thirsty

2012-08-29 - Hwange, Zimbabwe.

Presidential elephants and other wild animals in the Hwange Safari Lodge are likely to die from thirst as most of the drinking pans have run out of water. Wildlife conservationists have accused Hwange Safari lodge management of neglecting the watering pans in the area where the special presidential herd roams.


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relocation

Two baby elephants from Pinnawala to Japan

2012-08-29 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

It has been decided to gift two baby elephants from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage to the Tama Zoo in Japan. The names of these two baby elephants are ‘Amara’ and ‘Vidula’. The two baby elephants would be a donation to the Japanese Government, said the Director General of National Zoological Department, Anura De Silva. These two baby elephants would be officially donated to Japan during the President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s upcoming state tour in Japan in October, he further added.


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medical

Eye surgery elephant may be blind

2012-08-29 - Paignton, United Kingdom.

An elephant which became the first in England to undergo pioneering surgery to remove a damaged eye is now believed to be almost completely blind after concerns over the health of the remaining eye. In 2011 Duchess, Paignton Zoo´s 42-year-old African elephant, was the first in the country to have an eye removed. She had the ground-breaking operation because of glaucoma in her right eye. Cataracts left her with limited sight in her left. Now, a routine eye check has shown that what vision r...


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birth
The still unnamed female calf was born early Tuesday morning at San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

San Diego Safari Park gets a new delivery: a baby elephant

2012-08-29 - San Diego, United States.

Early Tuesday morning, a new female African elephant calf was born at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, boosting its pachyderm population to 13. The calf´s mother, Swazi, delivered the 205-pound baby at 3:39 a.m. and within minutes, the calf was on her feet, Safari Park reported. The last calf to be born at the park was last November, said spokeswoman Jenny Mehlow.


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death

Tusker was part of herd run over by train

2012-08-29 - Coimbatore, India.

Four elephants were killed when a train, travelling at a speed in the excess of 135 Kmph, rammed the six-member herd near Walayar at around 1.30am. Three elephants including a pregnant female, and a calf were killed on the spot. The impact was so powerful that four bogies of the train derailed.


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poaching

Yok Don’s elephants killed for tusks

2012-08-28 - Yok Don, Vietnam.

The pair of elephants in Yok Don National Park was killed for tusks, according to a report by the Elephant Conservation Center of Dak Lak Province sent to the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on August 27. According to the report, the elephants were killed in Ea Bung commune, Ea Sup district of Dak Lak province. They are between 22 to 25 years old. The male elephant is 3.7 meters long, 2.5 meters tall. Its head was cut off to take its tusks and skull. Its trunk was also seve...


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pictures

HISTORY LESSON: Drought of 1936

2012-08-28 - Evansville, United States.

History Lesson is a pictorial history of Evansville compiled by Patricia Sides, an archivist with Willard Library. contributed photo Drought of 1936 When Karl Kae Knecht photographed this scene at Mesker Park Zoo in July 1936, he noted that the temperature was 107 degrees. Kay the Elephant, the zoo´s most celebrated resident after her arrival in 1929, obviously enjoyed the refreshing showers she received from her caretakers. The newspaper reported that the sizzling heat had entered its thi...


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welfare

Funds needed for trucks of sand to elephants in Cambodia

2012-08-27 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Not long to go now!! Kiri and Seila’s new enclosure is near completion. We need funds to buy trucks of earth and sand so they can have earth between their toes and sand and mud to throw all over themselves - like real elephants should! Each truck of sand is USD 50 - a donation of any amount is greatly appreciated. Please donate today.


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poaching

Two elephants killed in Yok Don National Park

2012-08-27 - Yok Don, Vietnam.

The dead bodies of a male and female elephant were founded in the core zone of the Yok Don National Park, in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Police are investigating the case. On August 26, Dak Lak police searched the site where the elephants were found. The elephants were also examined to serve the investigation. Earlier, at noon of August 25, forest rangers detected the dead bodies of two elephants that were only 5 meters from each other. The bodies were being decomposed.


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birth

Rare baby elephant makes history

2012-08-26 - Lopburi, Thailand.

Early on April 17, while most Thais were recovering from their traditional Songkran celebrations, a baby elephant was born in a wilderness reserve in central Thailand. This was an important moment not just for Jarunee, a 15-year-old former tourist elephant from Surin, who had carried the baby inside her for 22 months.


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job

ELEPHANT KEEPER II

2012-08-21 - Dallas, United States.

Responsible for the care, husbandry, and training of the African Elephants. We are a protected contact elephant program, with 5 African elephants in a mixed species exhibit. Must have 3 years of Elephant experience.


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job

Keeper: Elephants

2012-08-20 - Santa Barbara, United States.

The Santa Barbara Zoo is seeking a keeper for our Elephant Team. The person filling this position will carry out all basic aspects of the daily care of the elephants, including, but not limited to: training, enrichment, maintenance of exhibits, and enhancing the guest experience. This position is part of a dynamic and progressive Animal Care team.


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job

ANIMAL TECHNICIAN (PACHYDERMS)

2012-08-08 - Oklahoma City, United States.

We’re currently seeking a dynamic individual to work with a dedicated and highly motivated pachyderm team that would be responsible for varied taxa, including rhino, hippo, Asian elephants in restricted contact, and small primates. This person will work with associated staff as needed to enhance day-to-day operations including collaborating with other zoo personnel in reaching departmental goals and the presentation and development of guest experiences that support the Zoo’s mission and core...


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wild
An elephant knocks over a tree in Kruger National Park.

Elephants may be contributing to deforestation

2012-08-08 - Pretoria, South Africa.

Previous field studies gave us important clues that elephants are a key driver of tree losses, but our airborne 3-D mapping approach was the only way to fully understand the impacts of elephants across a wide range of environmental conditions found in savannas," lead author Greg Asner of Carnegie´s Department of Global Ecology said in a press release.


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conflict

Riau Conservation Head Fatally Trampled by Elephant

2012-08-08 - Pekanbaru, Indonesia.

The head of the Riau Elephant Conservation Center died on Friday after being trampled by a 20-year-old elephant at the center’s Minas training center. M. Taat was checking the health of an elephant named Reno when the large animal attacked him, conservation division head of Natural Resources Conservation Center Riau Syahimin, told Antara news agency on Wednesday.


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birth

Presenting Rungwe, the first elephant born in France via artificial insemination.

2012-08-06 - , France.

Rungwe, the first elephant born from artificial insemination in France, eats bamboo near his mother, N´Dala, at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, central France. The African elephant, a male, named after a volcano in Tanzania, was born July 20 after a gestation of about 23 months.


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conflict
A Sumatran elephant poses for the camera.

Sumatran Elephants Swarm Village

2012-08-05 - Jakarta, Indonesia.

About 20 endangered Sumatran elephants entered Braja Indah village in Lampung, Indonesia yesterday in search of food. The villagers have been using torches and firecrackers in an attempt to herd the elephants away. A farmer from the same village was accidentally trampled to death in April and since then at 5 elephants have been poisoned. Read on for the full story.


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death
Flowers offered by villagers lie near the trunk of wild Asiatic male elephant which was killed after being hit by a train in Kurkuria village about 31 miles east of Gauhati, India on Aug. 2.

Elephant killed by train receives proper burial

2012-08-03 - Gauhati, India.

A female elephant died on Wednesday after it was hit by a passenger train while crossing a railway track searching for food, forest officials said. Local Indian villagers buried the Asiatic pachyderm near the Panbari railway station in Assam.


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research
African elephants (shown here in Amboseli National Park) can send long-distance, low-frequency messages that depend on vocal mechanisms that are more like people singing than like cats purring.

How the elephant gets its infrasound. Blowing air through a pachyderm’s larynx offers hints to low-frequency communication

2012-08-03 - Vienna, Austria.

Elephants don’t purr so much as sing when they unleash low-frequency rumblings at friends and foes kilometers away. Too low for humans to hear, the infrasonic components of elephants’ calls have at times been attributed to a process similar to a cat’s contented thrum. But new measurements made by blowing air through the voice box, or larynx, of a deceased zoo elephant suggest that the mechanism is actually a (much bigger) analog to a person speaking or singing.


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circus
Brian Boswell

Circus boss Brian Boswell cracks whip. Fights off animal rights activists.

2012-08-02 - Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Circus fans have given their support to Brian Boswell as he fights off animal rights activists. The activists, who want to stop Boswell using animals in shows, protested in front of his circus in Durban on Sunday. Boswell claims they also posted pictures on the internet that falsely depict him involved in acts of animal cruelty. Yesterday, Boswell said he had instructed his lawyers to demand that the pictures be removed and that the activists responsible apologise for "perpetuating lies" about h...


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smuggle

Huge haul of tusks worth $5mln seized in HCMC

2012-08-02 - Saigon, Vietnam.

Customs officials at Ho Chi Minh City-based ICD Phuoc Long 3 Port on Tuesday found 150 elephant tusks inside a tractor trailer truck. The illegally smuggled haul weighs 2.4 tons and is worth approximately US$4.9 million at the market price, they said. In the customs declaration the Thai Minh Company, who imported the goods, declared that their consignment only contained salted cowhides from Mozambique worth VND1.2 billion (US$57,500).


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birth

Saint Louis Zoo announces pregnant elephant

2012-08-02 - Saint Louis, United States.

Ellie, one of the Saint Louis Zoo’s Asian elephants, is pregnant with her third calf. Ellie has two other daughters, 6-year-old Maliha, 16-year-old Rani. Ellie is also the grandmother of Rani’s daughter, Kenzi, who was born in June 2011. Now in her third trimester, Ellie is carrying another female calf. Ellie is due to deliver in the spring of 2013. The father is 19-year old Raja, the first Asian elephant ever born at the zoo in 1992.


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conflict

50 jumbo attack cases a day in Karnataka; trench, solar fencing planned

2012-08-02 - Bangalore, India.

The state forest department on an average receives 50 complaints per day of elephant attacks on farm lands and villages adjacent to forests. In the previous year 17,979 cases of such attacks have been registered and in the year 2010-11 it
was 29,87, forest minister CP Yogeshwar has said.


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people

Religion Journal: How to Dress an Elephant

2012-07-31 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Kishinchand Chadiram Thadhani has been dressing elephants for 47 years. He is the official outfitter to the elephants taking part in one of Buddhism’s most significant festivals; the Kandy Esala Perahera in Sri Lanka. The 10-day parade centered on Kandy’s Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth Relic, ends Thursday.


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conflict

Elephant kills man during Thai offering ceremony

2012-07-31 - Surin, Thailand.

An elephant stomped a 50year old man to death before the alms offering ceremony on elephants´ backs began yesterday at Surin. The event was being held to welcome PM Yingluck Shinawatra´s mobile cabinet meeting. The unnamed victim, who appeared drunk, reportedly sneaked into the area where the elephants were kept at Wat Jumpol Sutthawat, and played with an elephant there. It got upset, grabbed him by its trunk, threw him onto a tree, and stomped on him after he landed.


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zoo
An elephant at the Toronto Zoo.

It Is Too Hot For African Elephants… In Canada

2012-07-23 - Toronto, Canada.

Three female African elephants named Iringa, Toka, and Thika live at the Toronto Zoo. Last summer, the Zoo’s board decided the trio would be moved to greener pastures, settling on the Performing Animal Welfare Society‘s 80-acre sanctuary in California. The 42, 41, and 30 year old elephants were set to move at the end of next week, but plans were postponed at the last minute. According to the CBC, Canada in the summer is just too hot for these African elephants, whose natural range consists o...


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death
Above: "Connie,

San Diego Zoo Elephant Connie Dies

2012-07-20 - San Diego, United States.

One of the two elephants brought to the San Diego in a trade with counterparts in Tucson in February was euthanized due to an infection, the San Diego Zoo announced today. Connie, an Asian elephant believed to be 45, was put down after a thorough veterinary examination that included specialists, the zoo´s Yadira Galindo told City News Service.


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zoo

Franklin Zoo closes after seven years

2012-07-13 - Auckland, New Zealand.

The south Auckland zoo where a keeper was crushed to death by a former circus elephant is shutting its gates after seven years. Staff at Franklin Zoo say they can no longer run the sanctuary without veterinarian Helen Schofield who was accidentally killed by African elephant, Mila, three months ago.


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relocation

Elephant rescued after six-year ordeal

2012-07-08 - Madurai, India.

The ordeal of a couple over the loss of a pet elephant for almost six years came to an end as the elephant was rescued from its trainers by the city police on Friday. It was one among the interesting cases handled by the police department.


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death

Machito Dead: African Elephant Dies At Zoo Miami

2012-07-05 - Miami, United States.

Zoo Miami reports that on Tuesday they had had to put down one of their most cherished residents, Machito, a 32-year-old African elephant who came to live with them back in 1981. Several weeks ago, the impressive pachyderm appeared stiff and soon his condition progressed to include lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss and labored breathing, according to the zoo.


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misc

Botanical garden restores bronze elephant statue

2012-06-25 - Ho Chi Min city, Vietnam.

The Saigon Zoological and Botanical Garden last weekend finished the restoration of the bronze elephant statue which Thai King Paramindr Maha Prajadhipok had presented to the zoo during his visit to the city in 1930.


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trade

Unusual Import: Six elephants from Laos to make Japan their new home

2012-06-25 - Tokyo, Japan.

Technically they are not an import, but a loan from the generous Laotian government, who have agreed to send across six elephants to Japan. The animals will make the Tohoku Safari Park in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Prefecture; Iwate Safari Park in Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture; and World Monkey Park in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, their new homes. The loan is for a short span of three years and the animals are expected to arrive in July.


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misc

Mass christening of baby elephants held in Sri Lanka

2012-06-10 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka.

15 baby elephants born at Sri Lanka’s biggest elephant orphanage were christened in a mass service today. The 15 babies were named: Singithi, Ahinsa, Themiya, Wanamali, Nandi, Mangala, Annuththara, Jeevaka, Kadol, Isira, Bimuthi, Aithi, Gagana and foreign favourites Trinky and Elvina.


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poaching

Zimbabwe recovers 50 elephant tusks, poacher killed in clashes with rangers

2012-05-29 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Wildlife authorities say rangers shot dead a poacher in northwestern Zimbabwe and seized 28 elephant tusks from a bush hideout. The National Parks and Wildlife Authority said in a statement Tuesday the poacher, aged about 50, died in an exchange of fire over the weekend in Binga near the border with Zambia.


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medical

Jumbo dies of anthrax?

2012-05-29 - Erode, India.

A 17-year-old cow elephant was found dead allegedly due to anthrax in Kurangupallam, Vadavalli in Kuthialathur reserve forest, Sathy, on Sunday. Locals informed the forest officials that a carcass of a elephant was found in the Kuthialathur reserve forest area. The conservator of forest D Arun and Sathy Divisional Forest Officer D Sathish visited the spot with forest veterinarian Dr Manoharan. In the autopsy, the officials found that the animal died due to anthrax.


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people

Lucy Melo: Senior Elephant Keeper, Taronga Zoo

2012-05-27 - Sydney, Australia.

When Lucy first started at Taronga, she was part of the team that went to Thailand to bring the first five Asian Elephants to Sydney, and has been part of the successful Conservation Breeding Program ever since. Since the herd arrived in 2006, three calves have been born and Lucy has been part of raising the calves and looking after the extended family of four adult females and one adult male.


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course

Asian Elephant Health, Reproduction and Breeding Management

2012-05-21 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This is an International training course on the Management of the Health, reproduction and breeding of Asian elephants. The course has two components, a stand-alone distance (online-based) course that is designed to provide you with background knowledge in elephant reproduction and health so that you will be able to fully engage with the one-week practical training course in Chiang Mai in Thailand.


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zoo
A Surabaya Zoo vet checks the pulse of the sick 35-year-old female elephant named Fitri

Morrissey calls for shut down of notorious Javan zoo

2012-05-08 - Surabaya, Indonesia.

The singer Morrissey has called on the Indonesian government to immediately shut down a notorious zoo in eastern Java where hundreds of animals have died or disappeared.


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death

Machito Dead: African Elephant Dies At Zoo Miami

2012-05-07 - Miami, United States.

Zoo Miami reports that on Tuesday they had had to put down one of their most cherished residents, Machito, a 32-year-old African elephant who came to live with them back in 1981. Several weeks ago, the impressive pachyderm appeared stiff and soon his condition progressed to include lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss and labored breathing, according to the zoo.


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people
Former keeper Dave Magner with a baby elephant

Howletts keepers Jim Vassie and Dave Magner sacked

2012-05-06 - Howletts, United Kingdom.

Two of Howletts Wild Animal Park’s most experienced keepers say they are devastated at being sacked by the company. Head of carnivores Jim Vassie and head elephant keeper Dave Magner were dismissed within three weeks of each other. But both men feel they have been harshly treated by the management.


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zoo

Zoo staff under radar after elephant dies ‘mysteriously’

2012-05-04 - Islamabad, Pakistan.

Performances of mahouts and veterinary staff of the Capital Development Authority were questioned after the death of a 20-year-old female elephant at Margazar Zoo on Tuesday. It is being alleged that ‘Saheli,’ the female elephant, was poisoned or given an over-dose of tranquiliser, resulting in her death.


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medical

Zoo’s demand to sanctuary could be an elephant-sized deal-breaker

2012-05-04 - Toronto, Canada.

Toronto zoo is insisting on what appears to be a deal-breaker: TB status reports on all wildlife, including deer and stray cats, found on the 2,300-acre site. There’s no time limit specified. “That’s not going to happen,” PAWS co-director Ed Stewart said Wednesday. “No request like that has ever been made of us — or anyone else. It’s above and beyond ridiculous, and it’s totally insulting.”


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relocation
Jim Laurita, a veterinarian in Hope, stands with Rosie, a 42-year-old retired circus elephant.

Two elephants coming to live in midcoast Maine

2012-05-04 - Hope, United States.

Two retired circus elephants are ready to move to Maine after the federal government gave its approval. Hope Elephants, a nonprofit group, plans to bring the animals to a new rehabilitation center built in town by this fall. The group already received town approval and the state approved the elephants’ move in September, according to Justin McAnaney, director of operations.


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death

Female elephant dies at Murgahazar Zoo in Islamabad

2012-05-04 - Islamabad, Pakistan.

The female elephant of the zoo was found dead on early morning of Sunday in its enclosure. All the Marghzar Zoo officers reached the elephant’s enclosure and the zoo’s veterinary officer examined the animal and declared that the animal had expired. The female elephant was suffering from an injury in one of its legs but this may not be considered as a reason behind its death.


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relocation
TRAGIC: Helen Schofield was killed by Mila at Franklin Zoo when the elephant picked her up with her trunk.

Cost of moving elephant could reach $500k

2012-05-04 - Auckland, New Zealand.

The cost of moving an Auckland elephant which crushed its keeper to death to a Californian sanctuary could reach half a million dollars but is the best option, the SPCA says. Helen Schofield was killed by Mila at Franklin Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary, south of Auckland, last Wednesday when the elephant picked her up with its trunk before bringing her down and crushing her. Schofield, 42, will be farewelled in Tuakau on Thursday.


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birth

35 year old Elephant gives birth at Nong Nooch Gardens

2012-05-03 - Pattaya, Thailand.

A 35 year old Elephant has given birth at Nong Nooch Gardens after a 24 month gestation period. We understand this is the 39th child of the father of the newborn. After a 10 hour labour, the new baby boy was born to the delight of workers at Nong Nooch who monitored the birth throughout the night.


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conflict

People flee for life at Thrissur Pooram

2012-05-03 - Thrissur, India.

At least 62 people including women and children were injured on Wednesday when an elephant participating in the Thrissur Pooram ran amok. It was at around 12.15 pm that the elephant, Unnippilly Kalidasan of Paramekkavu temple, who appeared during the elephant parade by noon on Wednesday turned hostile.


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event
Caparisoned elephants lined up for the "Pakalpooram" part of the Thrissur Pooram on Tuesday.

Lakhs witness Thrissur Pooram

2012-05-01 - Thrissur, India.

Revellers packed the city streets on Tuesday to soak in every bit of the Thrissur Pooram — the elephant parades, ensembles, religious ceremonies and the pyrotechnics. Elephant lovers got to see 38 majestic tuskers, 30 of them at the main parade. People devoted to temples and their customs admired the festival´s celebration of age-old rituals, especially the processions carrying the deities of the Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu temples to the Sree Vadakkannathan temple in the heart of the c...


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medical

Veterinary doctors examine elephants participating in Thrissur festival

2012-05-01 - Thrissur, India.

"Every year, we check the elephants. If the elephants are having musth (a period when elephants display highly aggressive behaviour), then we remove the elephant from the list, because it is a very important fair. We also check the heath as well as the microchip number that is inside the elephant´s body, so we can identify the animal very easily. We carry out this process every year for the betterment of the function of Pooram," said Giridas, a veterinary doctor.


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event

Monk ordination on elephant-back in Surin

2012-05-01 - Surin, Thailand.

Ban Ta Klang in Surin province is Thailand´s largest elephant village and where elephant raising has been passed down through generations for centuries. People here speak the Kui language and have well-preserved their ancient culture and traditions, such as the worshipping of ancestors before capturing wild elephants and the wedding and monk ordination procession on elephant-back.


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death

Poisoned Sumatran elephant dies in Indonesian palm oil plantation

2012-05-01 - Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

A ranger says an endangered Sumatran elephant has died in a palm oil plantation in western Indonesia, apparently after being poisoned by villagers trying to protect their crops. Fewer than 3,000 of the animals are left in the wild and environmentalists warn they could be extinct within three decades unless steps are taken to protect them.


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conflict

Elephant gores worker to death

2012-05-01 - Coimbatore, India.

A 25-year-old estate worker was today gored to death by a Kumki (tamed elephant), when he attempted to save his colleague from its attack at Kolikamudi Settlement area coming under Anamalai Tiger Reserve in the district, forest department sources said. Vadivelu noticed the elephant coming near his colleague and tried to prevent it from advancing.However, the elephant attacked him and gored him to death, sources said. Sources said there was a camp for taming elephants and the tamed elephant used ...


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zoo

Toronto elephants’ transfer at ‘impasse’ over PAWS medical records, zoo says

2012-04-30 - Toronto, Canada.

Reacting to a Saturday story in the Star that suggested the zoo is stalling or trying to block the transfer of three aging female elephants to the PAWS sanctuary, the zoo issued a release Monday evening accusing the sanctuary of refusing to hand over medical records for the eight elephants it has at its site. “Without this information zoo management is unable to fulfill its due diligence,” the release says.


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death
A file photo of an elephant electrocuted in a coffee plantation in Kodagu early this month.

28 elephants electrocuted in the last two years. Most of the deaths reported in Kodagu and Mysore districts

2012-04-30 - , India.

The news that 28 elephants have died in the State in the last two years due to electrocution comes as a shocker. Most of these incidents have been reported in Kodagu, Chamrajanagar and Mysore areas where the number of elephants is good and the animals are frequently on the move. The recent electrocution occurred at the BBTC plantations near Polibetta in Kodagu on April 12.


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circus

The menagerie manages: Circus animals unhurt after road accident

2012-04-30 - Quebec, Canada.

Vehicle transporting circus animals is all but completely destroyed in blaze north of Quebec City


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people
More than 110 years after elephant trainer John M. Anderson was killed by his elephant in June 1898, his unmarked grave finally has a headstone at Mound Cemetery in Racine, Wis. A local group, the High Riders Motorcycle Clubhouse, put a grave marker out

Elephant trainer, killed by charge, forgotten no longer - Motorcycle club buys headstone, hosting memorial ride for man fatally gored 113 years ago

2012-04-28 - Racine, United States.

For more than 100 years, a once-famous elephant trainer who was fatally gored by a pachyderm that went berserk,rested in an unmarked grave at Mound Cemetery in Racine. Not a shred of evidence showed that this patch of earth covered the burial site of renowned elephant trainer Joe Anderson. But 113 years after the Great Wallace Circus Show came to present-day Racine, when Anderson was gored by an elephant in his charge and died on June 3, 1898, his grave has a headstone. And members of the motorc...


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film
The video, entitled ‘Me at the zoo’, lasts 19 seconds and features YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim explaining that the plodding beasts behind him are pretty cool because they have “really, really, really long trunks.” Look into Karim’s eyes and think ‘He

‘Elephants have really long trunks’ — YouTube’s first ever video upload turns seven years old today

2012-04-25 - San Diego, United States.

The first ever YouTube upload, featuring one of its founders talking about elephants, is seven years old today. The site has grown remarkably in the intervening years, with an hour of video being uploaded to the site every single second and the Google-owned company inking deals with a number of major content producers.


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misc
Researchers have found cut and percussion marks in elephant bones in the site of Preresa.

"Inhabitants of Madrid" ate elephants" meat and bone marrow 80,000 years ago

2012-04-25 - Madrid, Spain.

Humans that populated the banks of the river Manzanares (Madrid, Spain) during the Middle Palaeolithic (between 127,000 and 40,000 years ago) fed themselves on pachyderm meat and bone marrow. This is what a Spanish study shows and has found percussion and cut marks on elephant remains in the site of Preresa.


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circus

Tests reveal escaped circus elephant was drugged

2012-04-25 - Blackpool, Ireland.

TWO circus elephants involved in separate freak incidents were drugged with paracetamol and morphine, it has emerged. An investigation is under way after tests confirmed fears that the elderly animals´ food had been tampered with. The results of laboratory tests on blood and urine samples were carried out on the elephants from Courtney Brothers´ Circus.


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poaching
Barbaric: In a scene too graphic to show in full, the carcasses of some of the 22 massacred elephants lay strewn across Garamba National Park in the Congo after being gunned down by helicopter-borne poachers  Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar

Unimaginable horror as helicopter-borne poachers massacre 22 elephants before hacking off their tusks and genitals.

2012-04-25 - Garamba National Park, Congo.

In a scene of inconceivable horror, these slaughtered elephant carcasses show the barbaric lengths poachers will go to in their hunt for nature´s grim booty. The bodies were among a herd of 22 animals massacred in a helicopter-borne attack by professionals who swooped over their quarry. The scene beneath the rotor blades would have been chilling - panicked mothers shielding their young, hair-raising screeches and a mad scramble through the blood-stained bush as bullets rained down from the...


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relocation

Elephant park at BBP soon

2012-04-25 - Bangalore, India.

The 14 elephants at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) will no longer be shackled or put as display items in their enclosures. They will be left free inside the safari with no interference from human beings. In accordance with guidelines laid down by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the new concept called ‘Elephant Park’ is being implemented at the BBP. The CZA sent a circular to all the state governments, banning chaining and displaying of elephants in public.


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conflict

Owner and director at Franklin Zoo, Helen Schofield killed by elephant

2012-04-25 - Auckland, New Zealand.

A female veterinarian has been crushed by an elephant at Franklin Zoo. Reports say the elephant was trying to protect the vet after it got a fright and wrapped its trunk around her, before going down, killing her. The 39-year-old African elephant is a former circus animal named Jumbo, that was taken in by the Franklin Zoo, in Tuakau south of Auckland, and renamed Mila. It has been at the zoo for about three years.


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zoo

Toronto Zoo loses international accreditation. Decision could have impact on future loans of animals from other zoos

2012-04-18 - Toronto, Canada.

The decision by Toronto city council to send three elephants from the Toronto Zoo to an animal sanctuary in California has apparently cost the Toronto facility its international accreditation with the Aquarium and Zoos Association (AZA). There was never any question of the Toronto Zoo´s animal care, governance was the key issue, ohn Tracogna, CEO of Toronto Zoo said.


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poaching
Two Kenya wildlife services[KWS] officers in Mombasa display two elephant tusks that they recovered from two suspects who they arrested in Shimba hills. The two tusks weighs 15kg each.

Three Somalis among arrested elephant poachers

2012-04-15 - Kenya, Kenya.

Three Somalis are among the latest people arrested in a crackdown on elephant poaching in the country. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers have linked them to a cartel behind poaching of the animal for its tusks in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. During the incident, three people, among them a 10-year-old boy, were arrested after they were found ferrying the tusks on a motorcycle.


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death

Dallas Zoo"s oldest elephant dies at age 47

2012-04-15 - Dallas, United States.

The Dallas Zoo´s oldest elephant, Stumpy, died Friday, officials announced. The elephant was 47 and was believed to be one of the five oldest African elephants living in the United States, the zoo said. Dallas Zoo veterinarian Dr. Tim Storms said the cause of the elephant´s death had not been determined yet, but her health reportedly had been failing in recent weeks because of her age.


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poaching
A Kenya Wildlife Services ranger shows elephant tusks intercepted from poachers.

Chinese blamed for rise in elephant poaching

2012-04-15 - Nairobi, Kenya.

The large number of Chinese now working across Africa has fuelled elephant poaching on the continent, according to a BBC report. While traders were wary of being filmed by a BBC TV crew, a Chinese undercover reporter working for Panorama quickly attracted the attention of sellers using the Chinese word for ivory to good effect.


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misc

Tourists ride elephants to visit Hue royal citadel

2012-04-15 - Hue, Vietnam.

Two elephants have been used to serve visitors to the Hue royal citadel at Hue Festival 2012, besides tramcars. Tourists can also touch and take photo with these elephants. The Center for Preservation of Hue Relics bought the elephants two years ago. They have been trained since then to perform circus. They will be used to serve tourists during the Hue Festival only.


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death

Lightning kills a temple tusker in Sri Lanka

2012-04-15 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Lightning during heavy showers has been suspected as the cause for the death of a temple tusker in Sri Lanka. The 24-year-old elephant named ´Lanka belonging to the Kotte Rajamaha Viahara was found dead Saturday morning in the Ingiriya area in the Kalutara district. According to Ingiriya Police, the elephant has been brought to the area to take part in a New Year festival and was left tethered to a tree in a two-acre filed.


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event

Packy the elephant celebrates his 50th birthday at the Oregon Zoo

2012-04-14 - Portland, United States.

Packy the elephant celebrated his 50th birthday today by becoming the first animal knighted by the Royal Rosarians, listening to thousands of fans sing him Happy Birthday and swallowing a 40-pound cake in nine minutes and 57 seconds. The 12,600-pound pachyderm and face of the Oregon Zoo debuted on April 14, 1962, the first elephant born in North America in 44 years.


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zoo

Honolulu Zoo"s accreditation renewed

2012-04-10 - Honolulu, United States.

The nation´s leading accrediting organization for zoos and aquariums has renewed Honolulu Zoo´s accreditation. The new elephant exhibit that opened in December was a critical element, the city said. The new home for Mari and Vaigai is 1.5 acres, nine times larger than the previous exhibit. It also contains two 50,000-gallon swimming pools. The city also increased staffing and improved signage, two areas the Association of Zoos and Aquariums pointed out as deficiencies in a previous i...


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misc
Forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) in Gabon.

Gabon to burn ivory stockpiles

2012-04-10 - Libreville , Gabon.

The government of Gabon has announced it will burn its stockpiles of ivory later this year in a bid to undercut illegal elephant poaching, which is decimating populations in central Africa. Recently, a group of poachers on horseback decimated elephant populations in Cameroon´s remote Bouba Ndjida National Park with impunity. Over 400 elephants were killed over several weeks, before the Cameroonian military was called in.


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abstract

Three wild elephants die in one week in Vietnam.

2012-04-09 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

The Dak Lak Elephant Conservation Centre on Thursday requested an official probe into the deaths of three wild elephants in the Central Highlands district of Ea Sup during the final week of March. A 2-tonne male elephant was found dead on March 31 with many parts of its body missing in Ea Bung Commune. The body of a 4-year-old elephant, weighing some 500kg, was discovered on the same day in Cu M’lanh while five days later a 5-month-old animal was found dead in the same area.


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poaching

Man charged with illegal elephant hunt

2012-04-09 - Louis Trichardt, South Africa.

A 54-year-old man from the Alldays area appeared in the Louis Trichardt District Court on Monday in connection with the alleged illegal hunting of an elephant. Steven Barber from the farm Weltevreden, situated in the Alldays district, was charged with the hunting of wild or alien animals. Barber, who allegedly does not have any elephants on his farm, arranged that an elephant from the neighbouring farm Kruidfontein would be lured to his farm. He supposedly placed a load of oranges close to the ...


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relocation

Plai Tawan relocated from Anantara to Elephant Reintroduction Foundation

2012-04-08 - Chiang Rai, Thailand. John Roberts

He’ll be kept on a long chain for a week or two until he gets used to where he is, he’ll then be put into ever increasing electrically fenced areas until, in a couple of months he’ll be put out into the 160,000 acres of protected forest and become one of the Queen’s Own Roaming Elephants.


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facility

Elephant Haven, european elephant sanctuary on planning stage.

2012-04-08 - Corrèze, France.

A sanctuary on planning stage already starts with attacking all european elephant institutions with the words: "Europe is the only continent that can not provide safe care for elephants. Yet there are many elephants in Europe who need care", a competition strategy copied from elephant sanctuaries in USA and Thailand.


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death

Three elephants die on a single day in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR)

2012-04-06 - Udhagamandalam, India.

Three elephants, including a one-year old male, were founded dead today at various places coming under Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Nilgiris district. A 25-year old female elephant, which was caught in a slush during search of water and was rescued last night by forest department officials, died this morning without responding to treatment, Forest Department sources said.


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death

Tiger kills elephant calves

2012-04-05 - Gundlupet, India.

An incident of a wild Tiger killing five elephant calves in Bandipur National Forest has come to light recently. About four elephant calves aged between one and two years were found injured following Tiger attack in Hediyala, Bandipura and Gudre forest areas. Forest officials had brought one of the calves and treated it, but to no avail. One more calf, which was injured in recent days, was found dead following the attack by the big cat.


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people

Mahout electrocuted while riding on elephant

2012-04-05 - Pathanamthitta, India.

A 40-year-old mahout was electrocuted while riding atop a temple elephant at Vallikkod near here, police said. Santhosh Kumar, a mahout of Travancore Devaswom Board, died after he suffered shock while trying to remove a palm leaf on their way with which a live wire was tangled yesterday, police said. The mahout fell off the elephant due to the impact of the shock. Though local people rushed him to a nearby hospital, he was declared dead.

The tusker Parthan, being taken to Vallikko...


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abstract
Marcelleno Anik, a mahout-in-training, rides a 14-year-old bull elephant named “Boy” at Lok Kawi Wildlife Park.

Sanctuary hits snag. There is only one expert in Sabah to train elephants.

2012-04-05 - Sabah, Malaysia.

THE Borneo Elephant Wildlife Sanctuary, which was expected to be ready by the middle of the year for the Borneo Pygmy elephants and other wildlife driven from their habitat, has hit a snag. There is a shortage of experts to train the elephants. In fact, there is only one specialist in the state. He is Sabah Wildlife Department´s elephant trainer Jibius Dausip, who is now tasked with recruiting and training mahouts.


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conservation
A photo taken on September 22, 2011 shows a Sumatran elephant under the care of the Conservation Response Unit roaming an area in the Ulu Masen forest in Aceh province, on western Indonesia

Sumatran Wildlife at Risk: Animal Activists

2012-04-03 - Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

The unbridled destruction of Sumatra’s forests over the past 20 years is the main reason for the 44 percent decline in the Sumatran elephant population during that period, wildlife activists said on Monday. Donny Gunaryadi, the elephant program coordinator at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Indonesia program, said the wild elephant population on the island had dropped from around 5,000 in 1992 to just 2,800 today


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conflict
Joy Gärtner

Circus investigates elephant crush

2012-04-02 - Blackpool, Ireland.

A circus worker is fighting for his life in a Cork hospital after being crushed by Baby, the runaway elephant. Spanish national Justino Munez suffered severe internal injuries when the 2.5-ton animal accidentally crushed him as he was cleaning the elephant pen at Courtney Brothers Circus in Blackpool, Cork, on Saturday night.


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conflict
The scene outside the Courtney Brothers Circus in Blackpool, Cork, shortly after a worker was injured by an elephant.

Circus worker injured by elephant

2012-04-01 - Blackpool, Ireland.

A circus worker has been taken to hospital with a suspected broken rib following an incident with an elephant at Courtney Brothers Circus in Blackpool, Cork. He was injured by an unintentional blow after one elephant charged another in a holding area. Medical workers and gardaí arrived on the scene shortly after 5pm and a male circus worker was taken by ambulance to hospital.


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conservation

Assam’s elephant population increasing

2012-03-31 - Guwahati, India.

Assam has recorded a remarkable growth in its elephant population, according to the recently concluded elephant census in the state.The elephant census this year recorded a total of 5,620 elephants in Assam compared to 5,246 elephants in the 2009 census year, state Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said and added that an increase of 374 in the jumbo population was a good indication.


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circus
Baby with owner Joy Gärtner

Runaway elephant makes worldwide headlines

2012-03-31 - Blackpool, Ireland.

A video of an elephant escaping from a Cork circus during the week has become a global sensation. The Indian elephant named Baby broke free from her keepers at Courtney Brothers Circus in Blackpool on Tuesday, after apparently deciding she was in no mood to have a shower.


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conservation

The Dark Side Of The Elephant Business

2012-03-31 - Bangkok, Thailand.

At this time of writing, 26 elephants without registration papers have been confiscated and impounded at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC), a government-run facility and elephant hospital. TECC has confirmed that eight elephants have tested positive in the screening process for TB, two have tested positive with a tetanus, and one of those elephants with tetanus has died. At the March 13th National Elephant Day symposium in Bangkok, the DNP Chief estimated that 10% of the captive eleph...


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wild
Leaving them for dust ... hyenas are stormed by the elephant

Elephant rescues baby from hyenas

2012-03-29 - Linyanti, Botswana.

During the bloody encounter with up to 18 hyenas the vulnerable baby - who had been momentarily separated from the herd - had its tail BITTEN OFF. A startled safari group – alerted to the sound of shrieking elephants - witnessed the furious mum stampede the snarling pack, repeatedly kicking out her feet and swinging her trunk to disperse them.


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medical

Accusations fly over poor health of seized elephants in Thailand

2012-03-29 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Eight of them have tuberculosis, while the others had blood infections and other ailments. The elephants were seized on Feb 29 by National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department officials, who suspected the animals had been obtained illegally. A female called Sri Thong, died on March 20 and health checks on the other 18 conducted by Department of Livestock officials found 15 of them to be in poor health. Mr Sittidet, chief of the state-run Elephant Hospital at the National Elephant In...


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death

Stillborn elephant is new tragedy for Twycross zoo

2012-03-29 - Twycross, United Kingdom.

Head vet Sarah Chapman said: "Immediately after the birth, we could see the calf wasn´t moving. "It´s common for elephants to nudge a newborn to help it rise to its feet to suckle. However, when all three elephants backed away we knew something was wrong. "The keepers and vet team rushed into the enclosure and worked on trying to bring life into the calf for almost an hour. "Once we reached a point when we knew there was nothing more we could do, we placed the calf back in front of t...


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conflict

Tusker gores mahout to death in Thrissur

2012-03-29 - Thrissur, India.

A tusker belonging to the Koodalmanikyam Temple in Irinjalakuda gored its first mahout to death inside the temple compound on Wednesday evening. The deceased has been identified as Devadas, hailing from Palakkad, police told. The temple authorities informed that the elephant “Megharjunan” was in musth and was showing signs of aggression.


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poaching

Kenya authorities shoot dead 6 suspected poachers

2012-03-29 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenya Wildlife Service rangers shot and killed three suspected poachers in Tsavo East National Park in the latest in a series of poacher killings amid a rise in elephant deaths, an official said Wednesday. Last week rangers shot and killed another three suspected poachers near Mount Kenya.


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pictures
A caretaker bathing a newly-born white elephant and its white mother in Naypyidaw.

Rare white elephants treasured in Myanmar

2012-03-28 - Naypyidaw, Myanmar.

Kings and leaders in the predominantly Buddhist nation have traditionally treasured white elephants, whose rare appearances in the country are believed to herald good fortune, including power and political change.


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job

Twycross Zoo: Deputy Section Head - Elephants

2012-03-28 - Twycross, United Kingdom.

The section manages our herd of 4 female Asian elephants in free contact. We are seeking a high performing individual with a proven track record in zoo animal management. You will have a minimum of 5 years experience as an elephant keeper and demonstrate a substantial working knowledge of the natural history and management of elephants.


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medical

Swiss circus Knie forces chubby elephants to diet

2012-03-22 - Rappersville, Switzerland.

Three overweight elephants at a Swiss circus will have to diet and work out in order to shed between 50 and 300 kilogrammes (110-660 pounds), Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger reported Wednesday. To help them lose weight, Circus Knie is not only putting them on a special and low-sugar diet but also making them work for their food. Hay barrels will now be suspended above the elephants´ heads, forcing them to make an effort to reach their food.


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death
Gina, photo courtesy Memphis Zoo.

Memphis Zoo elephant suffers miscarriage

2012-03-22 - Memphis, United States.

She was due to give birth in just a few months, but officials at the Memphis Zoo say that its 29-year-old African elephant has suffered a miscarriage. An ultrasound expert and veterinarians examined “Gina” Sunday and confirmed that the unborn calf had died. "Our animal caregivers, researchers and staff have been working for a very long time on this pregnancy, and everyone here at the Memphis Zoo is deeply saddened by this turn of events," said Dr. Chuck Brady, the Memphis Zoo´s preside...


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people

Passion for elephants

2012-03-20 - Buôn Ma Thuột, Vietnam.

Dang Nang Long is now director of the Lak Lake Travel Co., an affiliate of the Tourism Company of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. He owns eight elephants, the largest number of tamed elephants throughout the country. Long told Tien Phong newspaper that in the early 20th century, his grandfather moved from the central coastal region to the highlands. He tamed dozens of elephants and supplied some for King Bao Dai, the last emperor of Vietnam. Long’s father, Dang Nang Nhay, followed t...


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birth
Bua on walk outside the enclosure in 2009, with keeper Dan Koehl.

Swedish kings elephant Bua pregnant through AI

2012-03-20 - Kolmarden, Sweden.

Bua, a gift from the king of Thailand, to the king of Sweden, living in Kolmarden Zoo since 2004, is pregnant through artificial insemination, performed by Dr. Thomas Hildebrandt and Dr. Frank Goeritz from The Leibniz-Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin. Sperm donor is Raja in Woburn safari park, UK.


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trade
2011 was the worst year on record for ivory seizures

Huge Crackdown On Africa"s Ivory Traders

2012-03-20 - London, United Kingdom.

Interpol is carrying out the largest anti-elephant ivory poaching operation ever mounted. Wildlife agents in 14 different African countries have been raiding outlets and hunting down traders to crack down on the multi-million pound industry. Operation Worthy, as it is being called, is aimed at stifling the increasing demand in illegal elephant ivory, mostly from Asian countries such as China.


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people
Seri Srisuj (center) confessed that his elephant

Owner confesses to working elephant to death, mutilating carcass

2012-03-18 - Krabi, Thailand.

The owner of the elephant found mutilated in Krabi on Thursday has confessed to working the animal to death. Local villagers had discovered the gruesome remains, now identified as that of 49-year-old elephant Plai Boonam. The front of the head had been hacked off and the elephant’s tusk was missing. In response, Krabi Muang District Chief Yutisak Akeakkara and Wiboon Lerdwattnasombut, chief of the Krabi Livestock Office, launched an investigation into the cause of death of the pachyderm.


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misc

10 elephants seized from elephant camps in Phuket for inspection have NOT the same identity as that stated in their official papers.

2012-03-18 - Phuket, Thailand.

Police from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division have confirmed that 27 out of 37 elephants seized from elephant camps in Phuket for inspection have the same identity as that stated in their official papers. Police seized the 37 elephants from four camps for inspection on February 27. Of the 27 "confirmed" elephants, nine belong to At Hill Adventure Tours 2009 camp and other 18 are owned by Siam Safari Nature Tours camp.


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people
So adorable! Gisele feeds a baby elephant during a visit to Kenya

I"m ready for my close up! Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is upstaged by a cute baby elephant in Kenya

2012-03-17 - Nairobi, Kenya.

As one of the world´s most beautiful women, all eyes are usually on Gisele Bundchen. But the 31-year-old Brazilian model found herself well and truly upstaged by an adorable baby elephant during a recent trip to Africa. The stunning star looks deliriously happy in photographs she posted of her January trip to Kenya on her Facebook page today.


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poaching

WWF Statement on Cameroon Elephant Slaughte

2012-03-15 - Bouba N’Djida , Cameroon.

The following statement was issued today by Natasha Kofoworola Quist, WWF’s Central Africa Regional Programme Office Representative: “It has been two weeks since the Cameroon government authorized a military intervention at the site of the slaughter of hundreds of elephants. WWF is disturbed by reports that the poaching continues unabated in Bouba N’Djida National Park and that a soldier’s life has been lost.


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medical

Army vets treat injured wild elephant

2012-03-15 - New Delhi, India.

Army veterinary doctors in Assam recently performed the difficult task of successfully treating an adult wild elephant after it pierced its foot with a six-inch long glass shrapnel. The Advance Field Veterinary Hospital (AFVH) in Misamari regularly helps the ailing animals brought there by forest officials and villagers. Recently the veterinary doctors there successfully treated a wild elephant with a glass piece embedded in its foot, Army officials said here.


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abstract

Woolly mammoth: Scientists agree deal to recreate extinct jumbo using elephant’s womb

2012-03-14 - SEOUL, South Korea.

Russian and South Korean scientists signed a deal yesterday on joint research intended to recreate a woolly mammoth, an animal which last walked the earth some 10 000 years ago. The deal was signed by Vasily Vasiliev, of North-Eastern Federal University of the Sakha Republic, and controversial cloning pioneer Hwang Woo-Suk of Korea’s Sooam Biotech Research Foundation.


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conservation
Tourists watch a traditional waterpouringceremonyand a feast organised for elephants at Ban KarenRuamMit in tambonMaeYao of Chiang Rai’sMuang district, to mark Thai Elephant Day yesterday.

State agencies vow better safety for jumbos

2012-03-14 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Damrong Pidech, chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, yesterday said the department backed plans to amend regulations on issuing ID cards to captive elephants to make it an effective tool to prevent poaching. Mr Damrong was speaking at a seminar to mark Thai Elephant Day yesterday. Under current regulations, an ID card is issued to a captive elephant when it is eight years old. However, Mr Damrong said the ID cards should be issued to a calf as young as thre...


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wild
Segaliud the female elephant was fitted with an Iridium collar at the Segaliud-Lokan Forest Reserve in Kinabatangan.

Female elephant in Sabah forest reserve first to be fitted with Iridium collar

2012-03-13 - Kinabatangan, Malaysia.

THE protection of endangered animal species in Sabah took another significant step following the successful collaring of an elephant in Kinabatangan recently. The female elephant was caught in the Segaliud-Lokan Forest Reserve before it was fitted with an Iridium collar in a joint effort by the state Wildlife Department, Borneo Conservation Trust and KTS Plantation.


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poaching
File picture of elephant tusks

Two killed as Cameroon troops fight to save elephants

2012-03-13 - Bouba Ndjida national park, Cameroon.

The fight to save elephants from ivory poachers in Cameroon’s Bouba Ndjida national park has reached new, deadly levels, with at least two people killed and about 400 elephants slaughtered since January, rights group say. A poacher, a soldier and 10 elephants were killed in one clash alone last week, when Cameroonian troops intervened after poachers on horseback began storming the park. Rights groups estimate that there are now fewer than 3 000 elephants left in Cameroon.


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death
The body of Hapoor Junior son of legendary elephant bull Hapoor, lies on the ground of the Pumba Private Game Reserve and is watched by his brother Nick.

Dominant Addo elephant killed by brother

2012-03-11 - Addo, South Africa.

HAPOOR JUNIOR, one of the offspring of the legendary elephant bull Hapoor who dominated Addo for 24 years, has died at his Pumba Private Game Reserve home after he was attacked by his brother, Nick. He was 58. Hapoor Junior was born at Addo in 1954, sired by Hapoor, the park’s dominating bull. The SANParks website says Hapoor was named for a nick in his ear caused by a hunter’s bullet.


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people

Elephant Center"s new director to outline facility"s plans Tuesday

2012-03-11 - Fellsmere, United States.

After 32 years working with elephants in various zoos, John Lehnhardt says he´s in familiar territory as the executive director for the National Elephant Center planned for Fellsmere. Lehnhardt, who was one of the center´s founding board members, agreed in January to be the first executive director and steer the project to opening. "I tried to retire," he said Wednesday, chuckling at leaving his most recent job last year, as animal operations director for Disney´s Animal Kingdo...


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conservation
In 2011, the Dak Lak provincial people’s committee approved the elephant conservation project worth 61 billion dong, and the Artemisia conservation project worth 50 billion dong, in an effort to rescue and develop the last elephant and yew individuals in

Local authorities still busy themselves with plans to protect elephants and yew

2012-03-11 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

Dr Bao Huy from the Tay Nguyen University has warned that the slow implementation of the conservation projects would be a big disadvantage to the province, since a lot of foreign and domestic organizations now show their big interests in the conservation work. The organizations will only provide capital, equipment and techniques to fund the projects if they can see with their eyes, the feasibility of the conservation projects. Meanwhile, Vietnam has to spend too much time on complicated procedur...


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abstract
Asian elephants, Rozie and her calf Daizy, at the Albuquerque BioPark

Albuquerque BioPark Elephant, Rozie, Is Pregnant

2012-03-08 - Albuquerque, United States.

Albuquerque BioPark’s 19-year-old Asian elephant is expected to have her second calf in November 2013, according to a news release from the zoo. Rozie is three months pregnant, and the average gestation for elephants is 23 months. We are cautiously optimistic because it is early in the pregnancy, said Rhonda Saiers, Elephant Barn Manager.


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smuggle

Man faces 5 years" jail for bringing in ivory

2012-03-08 - Hangzhou, China.

A MAN who bought more than 10 kilograms of ivory and six scales of pangolins worth more than 220,000 yuan (US$34,826) during a trip to Angola may face more than five years in prison on charges of wildlife smuggling. The construction company employer surnamed Tan argued he purchased African ivory, listed as a legal commodity in Angola, as gift for his friends rather than for resale, according to the trial at the Intermediate People´s court in Hangzhou, capital of east China´s Zhejiang...


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conflict

Task Force visits Maldare

2012-03-08 - Madikeri, India.

Coffee Growers said that the elephants have started consuming coffee berries. If this is not checked, then coffee growers will be in distress. The growers aired their grievances before the Elephant Task Force constituted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest on the direction of the High Court, to study the elephant menace, during their visit to Maldare on Wednesday.


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birth
Rani. Calgary Zoo 03/2009. Photo: © Brent Van Hooft

Calgary Zoo elephant Rani pregnant again

2012-03-08 - Calgary, United States.

Calgary Zoo officials hope the female elephant´s third try at motherhood will be a lot more successful than her previous attempts. Known as Rani by zookeepers, the 22-year-old Asian elephant initially rejected both of her calves, which both subsequently died. Rani is now 10 months along in a 22-month gestation period, meaning that she´s not due to give birth until February.


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conservation

Elephant conservation projects remain on… paper

2012-03-06 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

An action plan to conserve elephants in Nghe An, Dak Lak and Dong Nai was approved by the Prime Minister six years ago, in 2006. However, no considerable progress has been made so far. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said that the elephant conservation plan has been going slowly, because localities have not have money to implement the plan. Therefore, the ministry has asked the Prime Minister to extend the elephant conservation plan until 2020 with the name: “Emergency...


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misc
Bloodhounds have begun working with rangers at Virunga National Park to track down poachers

DR Congo employs dogs to tackle elephant poaching

2012-03-06 - Virunga park, Congo.

Rangers in the Democratic Republic of Congo´s Virunga park have a new weapon in their fight against poachers. National Park authorities have trained five bloodhound dogs to track elephant poachers after a spate of incidents. The first investigation using the dogs was carried out last week and led to the discovery of illegal weapons.


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death

Elephant in a frenzy of lust (musth) goes crazy, kills owner, then goes crazy again, chases driver, collapses, dies from heart failure.

2012-03-05 - Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.

Male elephant Sidor Plaiwan collapsed and died from heart failure after chasing its mahout in Nakhon Si Thammarat province on Saturday. The mahout was unhurt. The 25-year-old jumbo killed its previous owner when it went berserk last month. The bizarre incident happened in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The 25-year-old elephant, Sidor Plaiwan, which had killed its previous owner while also in a frenzy of lust, died of heart failure on Saturday night after chasing its owner along a hill. The elepha...


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conservation

Scientists say elephants seriously endangered

2012-03-05 - Saigon, Vietnam.

Vietnam has been well known as a country with many elephants that can be found throughout the country. However, big international conservation organizations have repeatedly given warnings that elephants are in danger of extinction.
Dr Bao Huy from the Tay Nguyen University has pointed out that the elephant breeding for tourism purpose has degraded their fertility. “If we don’t take actions right now, Dak Lak elephants would get extinct in 20 more years,” he warned.


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research

Pain of translocation

2012-03-04 - Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Rosslyn Beeby

A team led by David Jachowski from the University of Missouri detected high levels of chronic stress in elephants relocated to three South African nature reserves. In some cases, these had occurred more than 10 years ago, and elephants were still exhibiting stressed behaviour in their responses to the not-so-new environments. The study, published online in the global science journal PLoS ONE, has interesting implications for the future design of nature reserves in Africa, and also raises questio...


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relocation

Why relocating badly behaved wild elephants doesn’t work

2012-03-04 - Mysore, India. Janaki Lenin

About 25 wild elephants are slated to be transplanted from around Kattepura and Dodbetta Reserve Forests, Hassan District in Karnataka, to other as-yet-undetermined locations. This is punishment for a long string of complaints against them. Since 2007, 14 people have been killed and many more injured by these giants. Besides loss of life and limb, cereal and tree crops are destroyed. In some cases, the entire year’s yield is lost in a single night.


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relocation
Connie (front) and Shaba started their day sampling fresh ficus in their new home at the San Diego Zoo. — San Diego Zoo

Reid Park Elephant pals at home in San Diego Zoo

2012-03-03 - San Diego, United States.

Connie and Shaba, elephant pals from Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, are safely ensconced at the San Diego Zoo following a 10-hour journey during which they were housed in individual crates. Although the two females are to be kept in quarantine for six weeks, San Diego zoo personnel are already detecting interest from the Elephant Odyssey´s inhabitants. While Connie and Shaba are in a separate enclosed area, part of it is outdoors.


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poaching

Two elephants killed by poachers in Mwatate

2012-03-03 - Tsavo, Kenya.

Two elephants have been killed by poachers at a private ranch in Taita Taveta County. Wildlife conservationists have condemned the killing of the two female elephants aged about 40 years at Lwalenyi Ranch within Mwatate district which borders the Tsavo West National Park. Poaching is threatening elephant population in the Tsavo ecosystem.


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smuggle
The price for raw elephant tusks in China has tripled in the past year because of growing demand, according to Grace Gabriel, the Asia regional director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Looking For Elephant Ivory? Try China

2012-03-03 - Beijing, China.

Armed with tips from animal welfare activists, I recently went on an ivory hunt with my Chinese assistant, Yang, in an antiques market in Beijing. Activists say China´s growing purchasing power is driving global demand for products from vulnerable animals, everything from elephant ivory to rhino horn.


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people
Lawrence Anthony, affectionately known as The Elephant Whisperer for his dedication to the rehabilitation of the African Elephant, has passed away at the age of 62.

R.I.P. "Elephant whisperer" Lawrence Anthony passes away

2012-03-03 - Johannesburg, South Africa.

Born in Johannesburg in 1950, Anthony was the owner and head of conservation at KwaZulu-Natal’s Thula Thula Game reserve and the author of several bestsellers including The Elephant Whisperer: Learning About Life, Loyalty and Freedom From a Remarkable Herd of Elephants, which has sold over 90 000 copies worldwide. Anthony was also known for his bold ventures in conservation, most notably when he braved the 2003 US bombing of Iraq to rescue a pack of starving lions.


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abstract

Kenya: 20 Elephants Killed By Poachers in Marsabit

2012-03-03 - , Kenya.

MORE than 20 elephants have been killed in the vast Marsabit Forest in the Central division of Marsabit county in the last two months as Ethiopian poachers invade the forest. Marsabit Central DC Ruto Kipchumba said hundreds of poachers have found their way into the forest from Ethiopia and are causing havoc by killing elephants.


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abstract

Cameroon sends military to stop elephant slaughter

2012-03-03 - DOUALA, Cameroon.

Cameroon has launched a military offensive to flush out elephant poachers from a remote national park in the country´s northeast near the border with Chad. Defense Minister Alain Mebe Ngo´o announced the operation on state television late Thursday, saying that the country needed to take action against the poachers believed to be from Sudan.


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misc

The big freeze. Tackling elephant inbreeding in zoos

2012-03-01 - Pittsburgh, United States.

Pittsburgh Zoo has joined an international effort to establish North America’s first elephant sperm bank. The plan is to distribute from it semen collected from wild elephants in South Africa and frozen. Project Frozen Dumbo, started two years ago and led by a German researcher, has already set up an elephant sperm bank in France in the hope of resolving a similar predicament in Europe.


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relocation

Reid Park Zoo elephants are leaving town today for San Diego

2012-02-29 - Tucson, United States.

Zookeepers are preparing elephants Connie and Shaba to leave for their new home. The beloved Reid Park Zoo elephants are going to live at a sanctuary in San Diego. There has been a big push to keep Connie and Shaba together, as they have been together for more than 30 years. The city received more than 16,000 emails from concerned citizens when there was talk of splitting up the elephants.


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people
One of 19 elephants seized from an elephant kraal in Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok district by officers from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. A team from the department seized the elephants because the kraal owner allegedly d

Elephant operators threaten blockade

2012-02-29 - Kanchanburi, Thailand.

Elephant park operators have threatened to block major roads with their jumbos if wildlife officials continue to seize animals from private shelters. Rangsri Paisa-ard, who said he was a representative of elephant parks, made the threat after officials from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department confiscated 19 elephants at Saiyok Elephant Park in Kanchanaburi´s Sai Yok district yesterday. Mr Rangsri is also president of Tambon Lumsum Administration Organisation in S...


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relocation

Mela shikar makes a comeback after two decades

2012-02-29 - KOLKATA, India.

If all goes well, the state will witness this traditional method of capturing wild elephants next August. Permission for this was sought way back in 2000. But the ministry of environment and forests sanctioned it only on February 16 to capture four sub-adult elephants from Dalma herd for captive use.


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relocation

Reid Park Zoo gets new elephants

2012-02-28 - Tucson, United States.

There are two new faces at the Reid Park zoo. Lungile and Mabhulane (Mabu), two African elephants just arrived on Friday night. They came from the San Diego Zoo, where both have been staying since they were transported to the U.S. in 2003.


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birth
Pang Saifon, born at 1:49am today and weighing 75 kilograms, is the second elephant to be born at the camp and is in perfect health.

Phuket welcomes newborn elephant Pang Saifon

2012-02-28 - Phuket, Thailand.

The owners of the Kinnari Elephant Camp in Rawai this morning announced the birth of a baby elephant at the camp. Pang Saifon, born at 1:49am, is the second elephant to be born at the camp. The newborn weighs 75 kilograms and is in perfect health, said Jirayu Nirunwiroj, a veterinarian from the Phuket Livestock Office’s Animal Health Development division.


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misc
The legal status of 37 elephants is currently under investigation in Phuket.

Phuket News - Status of elephants under investigation

2012-02-28 - Phuket, Thailand.

The legal status of 37 elephants is currently under investigation in Phuket, following official raids on four elephant trekking camps on the island on Monday. Nine elephants were seized from AT Hill Adventure Tour, eight from ATV Seaview Tour, two from Laguna Excursions in Cherng Talay and 18 from Siam Safari. All elephants are allowed to keep working, but cannot be moved from the camps until the investigation, which aims to determine the elephant’s legality, has been completed.


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relocation
Young elephants are popular for charming tourists into taking rides. This is Popeye, one of the two confirmed as being illegally held.

Phuket News - Two young elephants found to be ‘illegal’

2012-02-27 - Phuket, Thailand.

Two of the three young elephants “seized” from elephant trekking camps in Phuket on February 10, have been confirmed as being linked to 19 elephants confiscated in Sai Yoke, Kanchanaburi Province, on January. The two animals, Popeye and Joey, were officially seized on February 10 but were left in place while authorities carried out checks to see whether they were related to the illegally held animals discovered in Sai Yoke.


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zoo

No elephant for the Guyana zoo just yet

2012-02-27 - Georgetown, Guyana.

There will no elephant for the zoo just yet. And it will be expensive to modernize the facility. It denied that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission is paying for an elephant for the zoo and said there has been no such agreement with any sister agency, country or organizations for the acquisition of an elephant. However, it is discussing the possibilities of introducing an elephant.


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birth

New Baby Elephant at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden

2012-02-25 - Pattaya, Thailand.

It was indeed happy news announced on Friday at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden in Na-Jomtien, when management proclaimed that one of their female elephants, Pangubon had successfully given birth to a baby elephant. Both mother and baby are in good health.


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conflict
An elephant feeding itself on cassava from a farmer’s field in Hamlet 2, Phu Ly Commune, Vinh Cuu District, Dong Nai

Elephants fighting back in southern Vietnam

2012-02-25 - Dong Nai, United States.

A herd of wild elephants have been ravaging farmers’ fields in the southern province of Dong Nai for a week-and-a-half, according to local forest management authorities. The elephants have eaten up fields of corn, sweet potatoes, cassava and sugarcane in Hamlet 2 near the Vinh Cuu Nature Reserve in Phu Ly Commune, Vinh Cuu District.


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fossil
Jim Moorefield, executive director of Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services, holds the teeth of a mastodon in his downtown Corvallis office Thursday morning.  Read more: http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/mastodon-bones-found-at-construction-site/

Mastodon bones found at construction site

2012-02-25 - Corvallis, United States.

Vernon Kessi was digging a sewer line for a new apartment complex last December when he saw something strange from the cab of his excavator: What Kessi and his power shovel unearthed that morning turned out to be the jaw of a mastodon, an extinct elephant-like creature that roamed North America until the end of the last Ice Age. A deposit of white, crumbly material that he could tell wasn’t rock.


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abstract

The woman who fosters elephants in Kenya

2012-02-24 - Nairobi, Kenya.

For more than half a century Dame Daphne Sheldrick has rescued and looked after orphaned elephants and other animals in Kenya. Daphne Sheldrick´s elephant orphanage sits in a corner of Nairobi National Park. Every morning, for an hour, it is open to tourists who come from all over the world to watch the orphans, aged up to three years, play in their mud bath and drink bottles of milk fed to them by their keepers.


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conservation

Kenya Launches 10-Year National Elephant Strategy

2012-02-24 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on wednesday launched a national elephant conservation and management strategy. Speaking at the launch, the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife Hon Dr Noah Wekesa noted that the world was witnessing increased illegal killing of elephants and that the sophistication and the level of organisation of illegal traders in ivory were also worrying.


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poaching
Three people have been arrested for purchasing elephant meat and ivory from poachers who allegedly hunted the pachyderms in Phetchaburi province

Three arrested for illegally possessing elephant meat and ivory

2012-02-23 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Police arrested Manoon Ruengworraset, his son Withoon, and Panya Samranphis for possessing carcasses of protected animals without permission, after a raid at their homes turned up several organs of elephants, including penises, and ivory. While in police custody, the three suspects implicated Lookkaew Uppatham and Jan Kuafoo for allegedly killing a number of elephants and butchering them for meat and ivory. Police are also on the hunt for Somphorn Jorkai, who has been implicated in poaching.


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conflict
An elephant seen destroying cassava crops in Dong Nai Province.

Solar fence to safeguard humans and elephants

2012-02-23 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.

A 30km solar electric fencing system will be installed in southern Dong Nai Province´s forest this year to minimize conflict between elephants from the Natural and Cultural Reserve and nearby villagers. Tran Van Mui, reserve director, told the Viet Nam News that the fencing, the first of its kind in the country, is expected to protect the living environment of both the people and dwindling elephants.


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event

Elephants draw tourists to Laos

2012-02-23 - Hongsa, Laos.

Sayabouly has hosted an elephant festival for six consecutive years sharing venues in three districts — Sayabouly, Paklai and Hongsa. This year’s event took place, 17 to 19 February, and attracted around 100,000 visitors. Almost all spectators were domestic tourists, while just a few international tourists, possibly 1,000 and most ly Thais, joined the festival.


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conflict

Wild elephants trample crops in Dong Nai

2012-02-23 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.

Late night of February 21, a two hectare sugarcane plot belonging to five households in Phu Ly Commune of Vinh Cuu District in Dong Nai Province was completed trampled and devastated by a herd of ten wild elephants, foraging for food. Tran Van Mui, the Zone’s Director, said the herd included female and male elephants along with few baby elephants.


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zoo

Yerevan zoo not to purchase many elephants

2012-02-23 - Yerevan, Armenia.

The exaggerated information published in the media stating that Yerevan zoo is allegedly going to purchase several elephants is not true, the press service of Yerevan zoo informs Armenian News-NEWS.am adding that works are done towards improving the living conditions of the only elephant, Grand. Besides that, it is planned to acquire only one elephant, a girlfriend for Grand. To remind, according to the information that had appeared in the media, Yerevan zoo is planning to purchase not one, but ...


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fossil

Ancient UAE tusker tracks bust the record

2012-02-21 - Beirut, Lebanon.

Paleontologists working in the United Arab Emirates have uncovered elephant footprints that are seven million years old, making them the oldest of their kind and possibly the longest preserved trackway in the world. The find, reported on Wednesday in the British journal Biology Letters, was made at a site called Mleisa 1, in the UAE´s Baynunah Formation, a geological outcrop dated to the Late Miocene.


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people
Mahouts on a strike at the Dubare Elephant Camp in Kodagu pressing for their demands on Friday.

Dubare mahouts strike work

2012-02-18 - Mysore, India.

Mahouts in the Dubare Elephant Camp near Kushalnagar in Kodagu, rallying under the banner of Budakattu Krishikara Sangha, a tribal organisation, staged a protest on Friday to draw the attention of the State Government to confirm their services. They let the 21 captive elephants at the camp, including three calves, into the forests for grazing at 7 a.m. as a measure of protest and refused to bring them back in the afternoon. The elephants, barring a few used in safaris, are let into forests after...


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birth
The head and trunk can be seen on the ultrasound picture

Twycross Zoo prepares to welcome baby elephant

2012-02-17 - Twycross, United Kingdom.

Twycross Zoo is preparing to welcome its newest addition with one of its elephants nearly ready to give birth. First-time mother Tara, a 13-year-old Asian elephant at the zoo, is being monitored with video cameras around the clock and being kept extra warm at night, ready for the special delivery. As the scan on this page shows, the elephant´s calf is fully formed and could be delivered any day now. All the keepers are prepared.


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poaching
Wildlife experts say that large seizures of elephant tusks made 2011 the worst on record for elephants since ivory sales were banned in 1989.

Activists: Poachers kill 200 elephants in Cameroon

2012-02-17 - Johannesburg, South Africa.

Poachers have slaughtered at least 200 elephants in the past five weeks in a patch of Africa where they are more dangerously endangered than anywhere else on Earth, wildlife activists said Thursday. The money made from selling elephant tusks is fueling misery throughout the continent, the International Fund for Animal Welfare warned.


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fossil

Central Valley museum adds woolly mammoth

2012-02-17 - Chowchilla, United States.

The Fossil Discovery Center in Chowchilla (Madera County), which opened in 2010, recently added a 13-foot-tall mammoth skeleton replica to fossils of saber-toothed cats, camel kin and the dire wolf, all unearthed from the ground adjacent to the center - which happens to be the largest Pleistocene-era fossil bed in the West.


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event

The 6th Annual Lao Elephant Festival in Hongsa

2012-02-17 - Hongsa, Laos.

The Elephant Festival has been organised to raise awareness of the need for action to protect the Asian elephant as part of the vital cultural and natural heritage of Laos and the countries of the region. Sayaboury Province welcomes you back to pay tribute to its elephants and enjoy great cultural activities and entertainment.


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medical

CUPE Local 1600 compelled to respond to Zoocheck"s public statements regarding quarantine procedures at PAWS

2012-02-15 - Toronto, Canada.

Examination of Zoocheck´s statements reveals that PAWS appears to be no different than the standard in place at the majority of accredited zoological institutions in North America. CUPE Local 1600 queries Zoocheck´s assertion, and would welcome verification, with specifics. In addition, Zoocheck makes the claim that the Toronto Zoo´s African elephants are not at risk of contracting disease at the PAWS sanctuary," Ankenman continues. "With all due respect, no one can make this c...


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smuggle
Officers were at Phuthai Souvenir Market in Phuket to investigate the origins of the baby elephant there.

Phuket’s baby elephants under investigation

2012-02-15 - Phuket, Thailand.

Three elephant camps in Phuket are being investigated after concerns were raised about the origins of the baby elephants in their possession. Officers of Central Investigation Bureau of the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok investigated Phuthai Souvenir Market in Chalong, ATV Elephant Camp near the Big Buddha image in Karon and Sheraton Camp in Cheng Talay to determine if the baby elephants were born in the wild or not. “We came down to examine the elephant camps in Phuket as part of our investigat...


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conservation

Karnataka HC appoints expert committee to study man-elephant conflict

2012-02-15 - Bangalore, India.

In the wake of increasing incidents of wild elephants entering human settlements following their shrinking habitat, the Karnataka High Court has recently appointed an elephant experts´ Action Committee to study the man-wild conflict. According to sources, environment scientist Raman Sukumar has been appointed as the committee´s chairman with experts from various fields -- Ajaikumar Desai, Sharashchandra Leele, C Basappanavar, S S Bhat, N Ravindranath Kamath, B R Deepak, M K Madhusuda...


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pictures
The image was published in the April 10, 1973 Los Angeles Times.

Two ways to wash the elephant

2012-02-15 - Northridge, United States.

April 9, 1973: Shirley, 9, getting a scrub-up at Goodtime Car Wash before her next performance with the Miller-Johnson Circus at the Devonshire Downs Fairground in Northridge. May 21, 1976: Judy, 12, gets a wash in the ocean at Venice Beach with the help of trainer Bones Craig. The Circus Vargas elephant weighs 6,300 pounds. This photo was published in the May 22, 1976, Los Angeles Times.


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research
This tusk lost the end due to "abrasive action." So longer tusks convey more information on the animal

Elephants trumpet dietary changes

2012-02-15 - Kruger Park, South Africa.

Stable isotope series from elephant ivory reveal lifetime histories of a true dietary generalist, by Jacqueline Codron et al in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences The implications for all herbivores, and indeed many animal populations, is that you need to widen your dietary intake.


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abstract
Japan

Tokyo zoo celebrates Asian elephant Hanako"s 65th birthday

2012-02-14 - Tokyo, Japan.

Inokashira Park Zoo in western Tokyo held an event Sunday to mark the 65th birthday of Japan´s oldest Asian elephant, Hanako. A Thai Embassy envoy and mayors of two local cities took part in a ceremony while around 350 visitors joined zoo staff in celebrating. Hanako is now the fifth oldest elephant at zoos around the world, with the oldest aged 74 years, zoo director Etsuo Narushima said in a speech.


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relocation
THIRD TIME LUCKY: It took three attempts to successfully sedate the elephant.

Conflict elephant rescued from death sentence. Authorities ordered tusker be put to sleep

2012-02-14 - Rajaji National Park, India.

An adult tusker has been relocated to a new area of India´s Rajaji National Park after allegations of human/elephant conflict - rescuing it from an official death sentence. The successful, if complicated, move from Narendranagar Forest Division to the Chilla Range of the park was a joint operation between the Uttarakhand Forest Department, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and is the result of two months of careful planning.


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abstract
Richard Miron (center), from Marietta, holds up sign supporting a ban on elephant bullhooks before the Fulton County Commission meeting on June 1, 2011.

Judge"s order halts Fulton elephant bullhook ban

2012-02-14 - Fulton, United States.

A Fulton Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday that could prevent the county from enforcing animal control laws in the city of Atlanta, according to a Fulton County commissioner. Commissioner Rob Pitts said Judge John Goger´s order effectively blocks the county´s ban of the use of bullhooks by circus elephant trainers. The decision comes only days before Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to Philips Arena in Atlanta. The show will run from W...


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wild

Elephants find sanctuary along southern foothills in Bhutan

2012-02-14 - Samtse, Bhutan.

Seasonal elephant-visitors to the country from across the Indian border spend longer time in Bhutan, a study the forestry officials recently did revealed.
The study conducted in 2010 in Samtse, Sarpang and Phipsoo estimates about 110 elephants in Samtse and 380 in Sarpang and Phipsoo wildlife sanctuary. The data were mobilised through collection of dung samples. The reason, foresters said was the availability of large patches of forests and absence of threat from poaching they were trauma...


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misc

Captive elephants of Kerala: It is loveless lives indeed

2012-02-14 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Captive elephants in the state are a sad and lonely lot. Of the 702 captives in the state, only 118 are females, less than 17 per cent of the total captive population. And of the 118, more than 60 per cent have crossed the reproductive age. The jumbos lead such a loveless existence that there is no record of a pregnancy as a result of a union between two captive elephants in the state. In the last four years two female elephants delivered, one in Kollam and another in Kottayam, but both had conc...


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event

Wedding on an Elephant on Valentine’s Day

2012-02-14 - Surin, Thailand.

The provincial administrative organization in Surin will hold the sixth “Wedding on the back of an Elephant” event on Valentine’s Day on 14th February 2012. About 55 local and foreign couples are expected to take part in the wedding. Mr. Thongchai Mungcharoenphorn, president of the Surin provincial administrative organization, said the event will take place at Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village in Tambon Krapoh of Thatoom district, Surin province. The event is aimed at promoting warmth, family ...


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relocation
A herd of captive elephants with their calves seen wandering the Bandipur Elephant camp

State to hand over 11 captive elephants to Madhya Pradesh

2012-02-13 - Madhya Pradesh, India.

The Union Government has given permission to Karnataka to hand over 11 captive elephants to Madhya Pradesh, mostly for use in safaris. According to sources, the permission was granted in November last following a request from the State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Wildlife Warden. The State Forest Department had identified 29 elephants in various camps from which forest officials from Madhya Pradesh could choose, Ajay Mishra, Field Director, Project Elephant, told The Hindu.


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abstract

500 elephants killed in DR Congo"s national park

2012-02-13 - Kinshasa, Congo.

Over 500 elephants have been killed by poachers at DR Congo´s Virunga national park since 2010, a senior government official has revealed. An official of the Congolese Institute for Conservation of Nature (ICCN) decried the incidents of poaching at the Virunga national park which is considered as a World Heritage site by Unesco, Xinhua reported Thursday.


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smuggle
SOUVENIRS OF SHAME: Uganda Wildlife Authority official John Wasike checks impounded items handed over by the Uganda Revenue Authority over the weekend. The banned items were seized over a three-month period by URA staff.

URA seizes $700,000 animal trophies

2012-02-13 - Kampala, Uganda.

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) last weekend handed over illegal Elephant Ivory, Monitor Lizard skins and Rhino teeth worth Ush1.6b ($700,000) to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). The trophies that are banned under the Convention in Trade in Endangered Species were impounded over the last three months destined for export. The items were impounded at different customs points after lacking exportation documents. According to Mr. James Kisaame, the enforcement assistant commissioner at URA, 1...


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death

Injured elephant given mercy killing in Jaipur

2012-02-13 - Jaipur, India.

The nation may not have legalised euthanasia (mercy killing) for humans but in a first of its kind incident in the state, an elephant was given mercy killing in Jaipur. The female elephant Sita was down after she broke one of her legs and seeing her pathetic condition the wild life department granted permission for a euthanasia request on Saturday. According to officials, Sita had fractured her leg for the last two and half months.


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conflict
In a Rage: Temple elephant Narayanankutty goes on the rampage during an annual ceremony of the Puthenkavumala Mahadevar Temple at Nellad, near Vallamkulam, in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala on Sunday afternoon. The tusker uprooted a few trees, crushed

Elephants strike terror in Pathanamthitta, Palakkad

2012-02-13 - Palakkad, India.

Two elephants ran amok in Palakkad district and another in Pathanamthitta during temple festivals on Sunday. Four persons were injured in Palakkad, while in Pathanamthitta, the elephant damaged two vehicles and uprooted trees. The pachyderm, Narayanankutty, ran amok at the annual ‘parackezhunnellippu´ ceremony of the Puthenkavumala Mahadevar temple, at Nellad, near Vallamkulam, in Pathanamthitta at 1.30 p.m. on Sunday. It was tranquillised and tethered after three hours by an Elephant Sq...


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book

Save Asian elephant, urges Sukumar

2012-02-12 - Bangalore, India.

Legend has it that King Alexander did not dare cross the Ganges as there were about 6,000 elephants stationed there. And seated on an elephant, he defeated Porous in the Battle of Jhelum. And Alexander had one Indian elephant in his army! Sharing such nuggets of elephant lore, Prof. Raman Sukumar of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc at the release of his book ´The Story of Asia´s Elephants -- An ecological and cultural history of the Asian elephant´, at Strand book stall...


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misc

Elephant rescued from well in Dong Nai

2012-02-12 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.

Forest rangers in the Dong Nai Natural and Cultural Conversation Zone in Dong Nai Province yesterday saved a 100-kg elephant that had fallen into a well. With the help of local residents, the rangers managed to take the elephant out of the 2-m deep well in Subzone 59, Phu Ly Commune, Vinh Cuu District, said Tran Van Mui, the zone’s director.


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wild
A cladogram showing the relationships between the African elephants (genus Loxodonta), Asian elephants (genus Elephas) and pleistocene woolly mammoths (genus Mammuthus) based on the hyoid bone, which is located in the neck. Figure from Shoshani & Tassy 2

If you’ve seen one elephant, have you seen them all? "A horse is a horse" – but is any elephant just another elephant?

2012-02-11 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

Few people realize that Asian and African elephants are about as different from one another as we are from chimpanzees. That’s not an exaggeration – the estimated time that they diverged from a common ancestor is about six million years ago, whereas humans and chimpanzees are estimated to have diverged between five to six million years ago [2]. Some have even suggested that Asian elephants may be more closely related to woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius).


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relocation

‘Chandramukhi" to make Kottur her home

2012-02-11 - Alappuzha, India.

The people passing by the Forest Office here on Saturday morning stopped for a moment to watch the little baby elephant inside. The one-and-a-half-month old baby elephant, fondly called ‘Chandramukhi’ has just stopped to take some rest before starting on its journey to Kottur Elephant Rehabilitation Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.


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misc

Kerala Elephants to have name plates

2012-02-11 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

According to the fresh guidelines on safekeeping of elephants, issued by Kerala forests department, all domestic elephants should wear a name plate. It also says that elephants should be covered under third party insurance scheme. According to an official release, the safekeeping of elephants would be monitored by a committee comprising district collectors, police superintendents, divisional forest officer, devaswom board member and a representative of the Kerala elephant owners´ associati...


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misc

Phuket News - Three baby elephants seized in trek camp raids

2012-02-11 - Phuket, Thailand.

Representatives of the three camps, the Sheraton Elephant Camp in Cherng Talay, and the Phu Thai Review Souvenir Market and ATV Review Elephant Trekking Camp, both in Chalong, admitted they had rented the young elephants, which were being used to attract tourists, from an elephant camp in Sai Yoke District, Kanjanaburi Province.


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death

500 elephants killed in DR Congo"s national park

2012-02-09 - KINSHASA, Congo.

Over 500 elephants have been killed by poachers at DR Congo´s Virunga national park since 2010, a senior government official has revealed. An official of the Congolese Institute for Conservation of Nature (ICCN) decried the incidents of poaching at the Virunga national park which is considered as a World Heritage site by Unesco, Xinhua reported Thursday.


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misc
Thai navy officers and forestry officials display dead tigers and leopards seized after a raid on an illegal wildlife trade on the bank of Mekong river in That Phanom district of Nakhon Phanom province northeastern Thailand,

Tiger, Elephant Parts Found in Thai Slaughterhouse Bust

2012-02-08 - , Thailand.

When two Bangkok cops spotted a man on a street last Saturday whose hands were caked in blood, they decided some tough questioning was in order. The man led them to a nearby house where they found a group of men cutting up two tiger carcasses, over 400 kilos of tiger meat, and bodies and body parts of zebras, crocodiles, wild buffaloes and an elephant. Police arrested seven men and a few days later apprehended the house owner and alleged ring leader, who is denying all charges.


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event

Annual Nawam Maha Perahera at Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo

2012-02-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Navam Perahera, held annualy in February, displays hundreds of monks, sacred relics housed in a casket are carried by a majestic elephant on its back, dancers, drummers, and many elephants also displays the rich religious and cultural tradition of Sri Lanka.


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blog

Elephants in Sri Lanka

2012-02-02 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka. Dan Koehl

Sri Lanka is an island with a land area of approximately 62,000 km2 situated in the Indian Ocean, 35 km from the southern end of the Indian Peninsula. The first-ever nationwide elephant census in August 2011 produced a total of 7,379 jumbos across the island: 5,879 of them were spotted near parks and sanctuaries, while another 1,500 were estimated to be living in other areas.


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abstract

New ID cards planned to protect elephants

2012-02-02 - Bangkok, Thailand.

A new type of identity card should be issued for elephants, which should have embedded microchips, an updated photograph every six months and an updated record of every unique change, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said yesterday. The proposal will be taken to the Interior Ministry, and if it is okayed, permission for the movement of every elephant will have to come from provincial governors. This should make illegal movement or getting the pachyderms to beg more difficult, perma...


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abstract

Fewer zoos may have elephants under new standard

2012-02-02 - Kansas City, United States.

Fewer U.S. zoos of the future may have elephants but those that do would have happier animals under a new policy requiring American zoos with two elephants to add space for a third in case one dies. Starting in 2016, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums will require room for three elephants if a zoo wants to retain the AZA´s coveted accreditation. "Elephants are social creatures, they require other elephants," said AZA spokesman Steve Feldman.


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abstract

New ID cards planned to protect elephants

2012-02-02 - Bangkok, Thailand.

A new type of identity card should be issued for elephants, which should have embedded microchips, an updated photograph every six months and an updated record of every unique change, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said yesterday. The proposal will be taken to the Interior Ministry, and if it is okayed, permission for the movement of every elephant will have to come from provincial governors. This should make illegal movement or getting the pachyderms to beg more difficult, perma...


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misc
Advice... elephants could eat pest grass.

Introduce elephants to solve bushfire risks: professor

2012-02-02 - Tasmania, Australia.

Australia should introduce elephants and allow dingoes to breed in packs as a radical, yet serious, solution to the country´s rampant bushfire and feral animal problems, University of Tasmania professor of environmental change biology, David Bowman, writes in an opinion piece for journal Nature today. Those animals are reconstructing ecosystems and destabilising the country´s food webs, he says.


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blog

Elephant captive breeding history and Hall of fame

2012-02-01 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka. Dan Koehl

Some notes about history of captive elephant breeding 1875-2011. The 20 most succesful captive elephant breeders. Thoughts for the future regarding subspecies, and a last hope for the elephants of Vietnam.


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death

Tusker kills pregnant elephant

2012-02-01 - Jalpaiguri, India.

A pregnant elephant was gored to death by a tusker at the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) forest on Monday night, apparently when it refused to respond to the male´s mating call. The carcass was found on Tuesday morning.From the signs found at the spot, it is thought that the tusker suddenly approached the female elephant from behind. But being pregnant, she could not run and join its herd that had moved ahead by then.


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poaching
Forest officials with the elephant tusks at Mango range office in Jamshedpur on Tuesday.

Tusk haul from Dalma sanctuary with help of sniffer dog. 32kg Ivory worth Rs 40 lakh

2012-02-01 - Jamshedpur, India.

A pair of elephant tusks, weighing approximately 32kg, were recovered late last night from Dalma sanctuary with the help of a sniffer dog and forest officials believe they have scuttled an attempt to smuggle out the ivory valued at Rs 40 lakh in the open market. Ranchi divisional forest officer (wildlife) Kamlesh Pandey said a massive search operation was launched after they heard about the dead elephant.


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relocation
Sambo on Tuesday 31st January 2012 at her new home

Sombo in Phnom Penh is retired

2012-01-31 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

On Monday 30th January 2012, Louise Rogerson from EARS, Mr Sin Sorn’s son and their mahout, walked Sombo throughout the night when the roads were quiet to her new home in Sen Sok district, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. This was her walk to freedom… her last journey for a long time… she will now live a peaceful life receiving daily medical treatment whilst her feet begin to heal.


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evolution

Elephants took 24 million generations to get to their current size, a study has shown

2012-01-31 - Melbourne, Australia.

Mammals evolved from the size of a mouse to that of an elephant during that time Shrinking is a much faster process, however. Large-scale reductions in size leading to dwarfism only take around 100,000 generations. Scientists writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked at 28 groups of mammals, including elephants, primates and whales.


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misc

Elephants seized in Kanchanaburi

2012-01-31 - Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

Authorities in Kanchanaburi and from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department have seized 51 elephants from three elephant camps in Sai Yok district for inspection. Two more camps will be inspected this week in an effort to stop people taking the identity papers of dead elephants and passing the documents off as those of elephants taken from the wild.


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trade
A carver displays an ivory walking stick, an item popular with Egyptian and Gulf Arab buyers

Egypt Called Major Hub of Illegal Ivory Trade

2012-01-31 - Cairo, Egypt.

A new report names Egypt as the center of illegal ivory trade and smuggling in Africa. With the political unrest of the Arab Spring, illegal ivory outlets and workshops have done a booming business. The report, which appears in TRAFFIC Bulletin, said illegal ivory products are readily available in Cairo and Luxor.


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medical

A jumbo graduation

2012-01-31 - Theppakadu, India.

A 48-day rejuvenation camp for temple elephants in Tamil Nadu concluded on Monday, at Theppakadu in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris. The camp was held as per recommendations made by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department followed by a government order. About 37 elephants from various temples in the state, all female except for one, participated in the camp which began on December 13.


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medical

Elephant Hospital to Be Built in Lampung

2012-01-31 - Lampung, Indonesia.

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan broke new ground on Monday on the construction of Asia’s first elephant hospital, to be built in the Way Kambas National Park in Lampung. The 1,300-square-kilometer park is home to around 180 Sumatran elephants, a species that was last week listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.


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people
Jaruwan Wathanapumchoo and her brother Prasit denied any involvement in elephant meat trafficking

‘We’re not elephant killers’, say Phuket pair

2012-01-30 - Phuket, Thailand.

Jaruwan Wathanapumchoo and her brother Prasit yesterday publicly refuted all allegations that they were in any way involved in the trafficking of elephant meat to Phuket to serve as “exotic food” in selected restaurants. The public joint-statement, made at a press conference at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday, follows allegations of elephant meat trading made against them by two national newspapers. According to Ms Jaruwan, both the Daily News and Thai Rath Today published articles stating ...


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conservation

Own an elephant in Thailand? You must register it.

2012-01-30 - Buri Ram, Thailand.

Local authorities in Thailand´s northeastern Buri Ram province urge elephant owners to register their animals in order to prevent abuse or fake registration. In the effort to prevent slaughter and cruelty acts to elephants, regarded Thai national symbol, District Chief of Satuek district Damrongchai Neramit-takapong elephant owners to file registration of their animals with the District Administration and report status in such cases as sale and death.


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research
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk has vowed to solve within a year issues related to Thailand

DNA database to protect elephants

2012-01-30 - Lampang, Thailand.

Preecha planned to build a DNA database on 4,000 or so domesticated elephants in order to stop people taking over identity papers of deceased pachyderms and replacing them with elephants taken in the wild. After a Wednesday press conference to discuss the February 35 elephant fair at the Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang´s Hang Chat district, Preecha said he would contact the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of issuing elephant identification papers, for information about the be...


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people
Tina Dow, a doctoral student at West Virginia University, interacts with some of her elephant friends. She says elephants experience emotions close to that of humans. They are very intelligent, very caring individuals that have a very complex family grou

WVU doctoral student pursues passion

2012-01-30 - MORGANTOWN, United States.

Tina Dow has always had an interest in elephants. From her first Little Golden Book and frequent visits to the Pittsburgh Zoo as a girl, the Cumberland, Md., native´s love for the creatures has transformed into a career and a passion."In my backpack I still carry the first Little Golden Book that I was given as a child, and that was ´The Saggy Baggy Elephant,´" said Dow, a doctoral student at West Virginia University.


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facility
Zookeeper Norma Gheen works with the elephant Cinda at the Sedgwick County Zoo on Friday. The zoo currently has two elephants but new standards will require that they have enough space to hold three.

Sedgwick County Zoo needs to make room for one more elephant

2012-01-30 - Wichita, United States.

Stephanie and Cinda have been two peas in a pod for 40 years, but the Sedgwick County Zoo needs to make room for a new friend for them. If it can’t, it risks losing the popular elephants. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is requiring that all zoos it accredits have space for at least three elephants by September 2016.


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relocation

Ailing elephant "Raja" sent back home

2012-01-29 - Mhow, India.

After spending more than three weeks at the clinic of College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry Mhow, ailing elephant Raja was bid adieu when it was sent back to its home town of Chhatarpur in Rajasthan. As Raja was unable to stand, a crane was used to put him in the truck which is carrying him back home. Raja had arrived in Mhow in the back of a truck on January 3.


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misc
Time to hang up his trunks: Rajan, the last seafaring elephant has been replaced as a sea taxi by motorised boats.

The elephant who never forgets to pack his trunks: Rajan the retired sea taxi enjoys a paddle in the Indian Ocean

2012-01-29 - Andaman islands, India.

After thirty years of service, some workers may never want to work see their employer again, but Rajan the elephant who is retiring at 60 years old, doesn´t want to leave his boss behind. Replaced by motorised boats, the five tonne Asian elephant no longer needs to swim miles as a sea taxi around the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean. So now he swims alongside his human keeper, known as a ´mahout´, who has used him as a ferrying service for over 30 years.


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event
1963: Two recently imported elephants, Tricia and Tania, with elephant keeper Joseph Noble

Tricia the elephant marks 55th birthday

2012-01-25 - Perth, Australia.

Tricia is 55 years old, her favourite fruits include watermelons and bananas, and she enjoys long walks around Perth Zoo. Tricia is an Asian elephant and has celebrated her milestone birthday with a 1.5m fruit and bran cake, decorated with tree branches. She first arrived in Perth from Singapore in 1963 and is the longest resident at Perth Zoo.


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conservation

Sumatran elephants driven closer to extinction:WWF

2012-01-25 - Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Sumatran elephant could be extinct in the wild in under 30 years unless immediate steps are taken to protect its rapidly diminishing habitat, environmental group WWF said on Tuesday. IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, raised its listing of the Sumatran elephant subspecies from "endangered" to "critically endangered" after nearly 70 percent of its habitat and halve its population has been lost in one generation.


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abstract
A stockpile of ivory seized under CITES regulations.

No money to protect elephants in Zimbabwe

2012-01-25 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe has missed out on accessing money for elephant conservation programmes, due to its non-participation in the recent CITES committee meeting in South Africa. Six African states were allocated money for conservation initiatives at the meeting in December 2011. The CITES fund was launched in August 2011 and has received approximately $250,000 in contributions from Germany, France and the Netherlands.


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death
A fixture at the Kansas City Zoo for 40 years. Penney, pictured in 2006, helped inspire the book and movie "Water for Elephants." She was euthanized Tuesday after suffering from arthritis and old age.

Penney the elephant is euthanized at the Kansas City Zoo

2012-01-25 - Kansas City , United States. MATT CAMPBELL

Penney the elephant was a favorite at the Kansas City Zoo for 40 years after coming here as a “mail order bride,” and she helped inspire a popular book and movie. But on Tuesday the four-ton animal was euthanized after it became clear she was losing her battle with arthritis and old age.Penney had long been arthritic and was being given ibuprofen, but her condition worsened over the last month and a half. Zookeepers upped her pain medication and were feeding her packed balls of grain and giv...


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medical

Amsterdam elephant gets contact lens

2012-01-25 - Amsterdam, Netherlands.

An elephant at Amsterdam’s Artis zoo has become the first elephant in Europe to be fitted with a contact lens. Her eye was injured during a scuffle with another elephant, the zoo says. Asian elephant Win Thida’s eye began streaming and she was evidently having trouble keeping it open because of the pain. Vet Anne-Marie Verbruggen was called in, and an examination revealed that the elephant’s cornea had been damaged, most likely by a twig.


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death
Goodbye little one: An adult elephant tenderly nuzzles the lifeless body of baby Lola at Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich, Germany. The three-months-old calf was due for an operation on her defective heart but sadly died during a preliminary scan

We"ll never forget you: Elephants say a sad farewell to baby who died of a heart defect

2012-01-25 - Munich, Germany.

A herd of grieving elephants gathers round the lifeless body of a little calf after she died of a heart defect. Three-month-old Lola was due to receive groundbreaking surgery for her condition but passed away during a preliminary scan. Keepers at Munich´s Hellabrunn Zoo decided to return her body to the enclosure so mother Panang, 22, could say her goodbyes in peace.


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death

Statement on retired elephant Banana

2012-01-23 - Vienna, United States.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® is sad to announce the passing of Banana, a 55 year old female Asian elephant. Since 2010, Banana has lived at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® in central Florida, where she spent time with the herd and was cared for by dedicated members of the Ringling Bros. animal care and veterinary team. Unfortunately, Ringling Bros. veterinary staff recently concluded that euthanasia was appropriate due to Banana’s declining hea...


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abstract

Experts suggest translocation of elephants

2012-01-23 - Bangalore, India.

After a daylong workshop on Saturday organised by the Forest Department, Forest Minister C P Yogeeshwara said, that the experts have suggested that the area which holds small population of elephants is not viable for conservation. They have also suggested their translocation to a distant place. “We will catch those 25 jumbos and translocate them to a distant place on an experimental basis. If they return, we will capture them and keep them in captivity,” he said.


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misc

Baby elephant rescued in Sabah

2012-01-23 - Sabah, Malaysia. Kristy Inus

An abandoned male baby elephant, believed to be a few weeks old, was rescued by the Sabah Wildlife Department´s Wildlife Rescue Unit at a plantation, about 40km from here, on Saturday. Calling it the "Chinese New Year miracle", the team said it was alerted by the plantation workers who found the baby elephant in a deep moat and unable to move.


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event

Jumbos" Day Out At Topslip

2012-01-22 - COIMBATORE, India.

Nearly 1,000 people gathered to witness Yanai (elephant) Pongal celebrations at Topslip, nearly 85 km from the city, on Saturday. Fourteen elephants were brought from the permanent camp. "Only 14 of the 21 elephants could make the trip. Four more are in a state of ´musth´. And three are ill or aged," said forest ranger Saravanan.


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death

Munich baby elephant dies

2012-01-22 - Munich, Germany.

A three-month old elephant at a zoo in Munich died on Saturday of a pulmonary embolism, just before she was due to receive a heart surgery for a congenital defect. The elephant was taken to the Grosshadern Hospital for a CT scan, so that vets could take a closer look at her heart before operating. She was anaesthetized, but died during the scan, despite attempts to resuscitate her.


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misc
Local visitors and tourists are unwittingly encouraging a potentially lethal habit when they feed wild elephants.

Thrill-seekers take jumbo-size risks

2012-01-21 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Feeding wild elephants and enticing them with homemade bites or fast-food leftovers is encouraging a bad and potentially lethal habit – potentially lethal to the humans who tempt the wild animals, who might the next moment turn on them, and lethal to the animal who will probably have to be put down if it took a human life. Local visitors and tourists are unwittingly encouraging a potentially lethal habit when they feed wild elephants.


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poaching
Ms Weiland explains the uses of the equipment to UWA officials in Kampala yesterday

Poaching in the country could significantly be checked after the Uganda Wildlife with UWA , anti-poaching , gadgets

2012-01-21 - Entebbe, Uganda.

Authority received an assortment of machines, including computers, ivory detectors and security torches for its workers. The equipment worth Shs7.5 million, a donation from Bush Meat Eastern Africa, will help the wildlife authority staff track animals through the Global Positioning System and also detect ivory in whichever form it has been carried.


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poaching
Kenya Wildlife Service rangers followed the suspects’ footprints until they exited from the ranch to the Nairobi Mombasa Highway between Bachuma and Maungu.

Elephant Poachers Kill Wildlife Ranger

2012-01-21 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Elephant poachers have shot dead an unarmed wildlife ranger in Voi, according to Kenya Wildlife Services. A statement from the KWS said Abdullahi Muhammed was killed by poachers in Rukinga Wildlife Works ranch last Friday night. Another Wildlife Works ranger, Ijema Funan, was also shot and is undergoing treatment at the hospital.


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relocation
One of the zoo elephants that will patrol the forests

Zoo jumbos on tiger duty

2012-01-21 - Ranchi, India. A.S.R.P. MUKESH

Samrat and Lakhi will soon be taking jumbo strides in Palamau, helping forest officials patrol the tiger reserve and protect big cats. Their compatriot, Ramu, however, will be entertaining guests at Dalma. Birsa Munda Biological Park in Ormanjhi in Ranchi will soon bid adieu to the three elephants in keeping with Central Zoo Authority guidelines that no longer allow jumbos to be kept in captivity.


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medical

Munich baby elephant first to get heart surgery

2012-01-20 - Munich, Germany.

A baby elephant in Munich will be the first in the world to undergo heart surgery, after vets at the zoo realised she had a congenital defect which will kill her within weeks if nothing is done. This is the only chance the little on has to survive,” said Christiane Reiss, spokeswoman for Hellabron zoo.


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relocation

MP to have 11 more trained elephants

2012-01-19 - Indore, India.

State’s five national parks will soon have 11 more trained elephants to attract tourists and organize jungle safaris. A team of experts from Bandhavgarh national park left for Karnataka on Wednesday to assess quality of elephants the state government has offered to provide. Karnataka has surplus elephants and we are in dire need of trained ones. So, we accepted the offer,” chief wildlife warden Dr HS Pabla said.


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poaching
Suriyon Pothibandit, left, assistant to Kaeng Krachan National Park chief Chaiwat Limlikitauksorn, right, surrenders to police, who want him in connection with the recent burning of a wild elephant carcass in the park.

Assistant park chief surrenders in elephant case

2012-01-18 - PHETCHABURI, Thailand.

An assistant to the chief of the Kaeng Krachan National Park wanted by police in connection with the burning of a wild elephant carcass early this month has turned himself in. Suriyon Pothibandit, assistant to Kaeng Krachan National Park chief Chaiwat Limlikit-auksorn, surrendered to Kaeng Krachan police, who are investigating the elephant killing and burning case. Five elephants were recently found shot dead and their carcasses burnt in the park. Police have laid charges against five park staff...


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death

A matter of life and death in Coimbatore-Erode belt

2012-01-18 - Coimbatore, India.

the number of elephants that died in the 11 years between 1999 and 2010 is 298. As many as 23 elephants died in 2011 alone. Of the 23 elephants that died in 2011, one was due to poaching, two died of anthrax disease, three were electrocuted, 11 died of worms, one of starvation, three of gastroenteritis, one of old age, and a two-year-old male elephant lost his life in a tiger attack.

The Coimbatore-Erode belt is the largest haven for Asiatic elephants. Thus, there is cause for con...


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abstract
An elephant trench will be dug at Prachuap Khiri Khan

Trench to protect wild elephants

2012-01-18 - Bangkok, Thailand.

The declaration was signed yesterday by eight state agencies, the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) Thailand, the Kui Buri Wild Elephant Conservation and Environment and Tambon Hat Kham Administrative Organisation. It originated from His Majesty the King´s idea - expressed on July 5, 1999 - for a conservation strategy to rehabilitate the 18,000 rai of agriculture lands, deemed the Kui Buri Forest encroachment, to be the home and food source for elephants and other wildlife.


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relocation

Tucson elephants Connie & Shaba stay together

2012-01-18 - Tucson, United States.

City of Tucson Parks and Recreation officials and staff from the Reid Park Zoo have been re-evaluating a decision to separate Connie and Shaba from one another. Today, after conferring with experts from San Diego Zoo Global, Reid Park Zoo staff, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the African Elephant Taxon Advisory Group (TAG), both Connie and Shaba will be relocated to Elephant Odyssey in San Diego. The decision to move Shaba to San Diego along with Connie allows Reid Park Zoo to conti...


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event
star attraction:Pongal being offered to an elephant at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on Saturday.

Temple elephants get festival feast

2012-01-18 - Udhagamandalam, India. D. Radhakrisnan

A significant increase in the inflow of tourists owing to the extended weekend marked the Pongal celebrations in this holiday destination on Saturday. At the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) near here hundreds of tourists, including many foreigners, celebrated Pongal with the camp elephants. After being given a special scrub in the river, the elephants were brought in a procession to the camp at Theppakadu.


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relocation

Kenya: Voi Rogue Elephant Moved to Tsavo Park. Cost around Sh2 million

2012-01-18 - Nairobi, Kenya.

The Kenya Wildlife Services has translocated a rogue elephant and its calf from Ikanga and Caanan area in Voi. During the operation, business was interrupted along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway as the KWS helicopter hovered around before darting the elephant. It was moved to the Tsavo East National Park.


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conservation
BEHIND THE WIRE: Elephants in Sri Lanka.

Human-elephant conflict escalates in Sri Lanka. Call for a long-term focus - not electric fences

2012-01-17 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Plans to translocate elephants in Sri Lanka have been scrapped - to the delight of the Sri Lanka Conservation Society (SLCS). However, the charity remains concerned about how the country´s elephant population is to be managed amid intensifying human-elephnt conflict on the island. President Ravi Corea said: There seems to be no definite plans as to how the current populations of elephants in Sri Lanka will be managed over the long term.


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medical

Tuberculosis in two U.S. elephant sanctuaries

2012-01-16 - Galt, United States. Dan Koehl

My earlier blogs Can elephants suffer in sanctuaries, as an effect of volonteers opinions? and Can Sambo and other elephants transmit tuberculosis to people? has become even more actual after the death of Sabu (Look Chai) at Performing Animal Welfare Society / ARK 2000 (PAWS). Sabu tested positive for TB (Tuberculosis) already in year 2000


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medical

Animal lover fears Toronto’s elephants risk infection at their new home

2012-01-16 - Toronto, Canada.

While many activists are applauding the decision by Toronto City Council to move the Toronto Zoo’s elephants to a California sanctuary, one animal lover warns it might not be in the best interest of the pachyderms. Michael Hackenberger, the Director of the Bowmanville Zoo alleges the PAWS sanctuary where they’re being moved to is home to elephants with tuberculosis and herpes.


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misc

Final Ruling Rejects Efforts by the ASPCA and Other Animal Special Interest Groups to Reverse Prior Legal Victories for Feld Entertainment

2012-01-16 - Vienna, United States.

Feld Entertainment, Inc. announced today that a federal appeals court unanimously re-affirmed the judgment entered on behalf of Feld Entertainment, Inc. at trial and on appeal. Feld Entertainment, Inc., the producer of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus. , won the lawsuit that was originally filed more than a decade ago by animal special interest groups who ultimately sought to outlaw elephants in the circus. After losing at trial in 2009 and losing a unanimous appeal in October of 201...


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blog

The Toronto Zoo Elephants are in trouble. (TB elephant dead at PAWS)

2012-01-16 - Toronto, Canada. Peter Dickinson

Were the councillors kept in the dark over the TB question? How open has this sanctuary been with its medical records? If it were an AZA approved collection (which it isn´t) then these records would be available. It is to an approved AZA collection that the Toronto Zoo staff wanted to send the animals they loved and cared about. Now they have another nightmare of worry.


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poaching
Tragic end: The mother elephant

Pregnant female jumbo felled by shotgun in Sri Lanka

2012-01-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

It was a double tragedy – the bullets not only killed the cow-elephant but also the unborn baby she was carrying at Demaliya, close to the northern boundary of the Lunugamvehera National Park last Wednesday. Gunned down by a home-made shot-gun, within an area cleared for chena cultivations, when officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) rushed to the area on information received from the villagers , the cow elephant with severe gunshot injuries to the head was already dead, th...


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conservation

Borneo elephants now classified as totally protected species

2012-01-15 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Those who kill Borneo elephants will now face a mandatory jail term as part of Sabah´s efforts to upgrade its conservation of the animal. State Tourism, Culture and En­­vironment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the elephant was classified as a totally protected species under its wildlife laws. "This means that as far as our elephants are concerned, if you kill, you go to jail," he said when closing a wildlife conference here yesterday.


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poaching
Livestock and wildlife authorities examine part of an elephant carcass found in the Kaeng Krachan National Park before removing it for an autopsy.

Row erupts over mystery of elephant deaths in Phetchaburi, Thailand

2012-01-15 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Accusations fly between Kaeng Krachan park chief and local villagers over who killed five jumbos. The brutal slaying of wild elephants in Kaeng Krachan National Park has taken a nasty turn with five officials suspected of being involved.


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welfare

Campaign to save Sombo the elephant from her agony

2012-01-12 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Poor Sombo has been forced to pound the pavements for 30 years. Her feet are so deformed and infected after performing for tourists she can barely support her 5,000lb weight. And yet four days a week the 51-year-old elephant limps four kilometres through the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. And that’s BEFORE she gets to the temple where she gives rides to tourists for nine hours a day.


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zoo

Massive corruption and nepotism threatening Lives of poor elephants at Islamabad Zoo

2012-01-11 - , Pakistan.

After the suspension Mahaut (Elephant caretaker) who has been working for the last 20 years broke the headlines a month ago, the authorities at the Marghazar Zoo in Islamabad have refused to reinstate the suspended employ Muhammad Bilal, apparently the only trained Mahaut who can handle the two elephants at the facility.


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book
Di Clarke from Knaresborough and John Bostock from Ripon - two of the evacuees from Burma 70 years ago retrace their routes out of ther country.  Di Clarke from Knaresborough and John Bostock from Ripon - two of the evacuees from Burma 70 years ago retra

Exodus Burma: The British Escape through the Jungles of Death 1942-43 by Felicity Goodall

2012-01-11 - Yorkshire, United States.

Now Yorkshire survivors of a wartime exodus of half a million people from Burma have seen their stories told in a newly published book Exodus Burma – The British Escape Through the Jungles of Death 1942 by Felicity Goodall. John’s father, A procession of 56 elephants, 22 women and 15 children through the mountains to safety in the first of two superbly organised caravans.


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conservation

Borneo elephants now classified as totally protected species

2012-01-11 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Those who kill Borneo elephants will now face a mandatory jail term as part of Sabah´s efforts to upgrade its conservation of the animal. State Tourism, Culture and En­­vironment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the elephant was classified as a totally protected species under its wildlife laws. "This means that as far as our elephants are concerned, if you kill, you go to jail," he said when closing a wildlife conference here yesterday. The conference was jointly organised by the state&...


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event
By the trunkful: Zookeeper Kotaro Takahashi feeds Hanako the Asian elephant at Inokashira Park Zoo in western Tokyo on Dec. 14.

Japans oldest Asian elephant set to turn 65

2012-01-11 - Kyodo, Japan. NAOKO IWASAKI

Inokashira Park Zoo in western Tokyo is getting ready to fete the 65th birthday next month of Hanako, soon to become the oldest Asian elephant in Japan. "She likes people very much," said Miwa Saito, 28, one of four keepers who look after the pachyderm. Hanako has been living at the zoo for more than 50 years and has never had a major disease or injury. But she is very timid and nervous, especially from sounds such as sirens, thunder and passing aircraft.


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zoo

Schönbrunn Christmas tree provides new year menu for the zoo

2012-01-11 - Vienna, Austria.

The 16.5 metre high Christmas tree which has stood proudly in front of Schloß Schönbrunn in Vienna, Austria, over the Christmas period, is to be taken down today (Tues) and turned into animal feed. "The tree serves as not only food for the elephants but also as a toy," said Zoo director, Harald Schwanner, who has watched the animals play with the shredded tree in previous years.


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conflict

Jumbo trouble: Farmers ready to sell their lands

2012-01-11 - Bengaluru, India.

Farmers living on the fringes of the Western Ghats in Hassan district, where elephant movement is rampant, have offered to sell their farm land to the government. About 416 farmers and land owners have agreed to sell their land to make way for elephants if the government purchase’s the land at the rate of Rs 15 lakh per acre.


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people
Princess Michael milkfeeding a baby elephant at Pinnawala

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent visit Lanka

2012-01-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Among the places they visited in Sri Lanka was the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Pinnawala officials feclicitated the visit with the planting of a tree. Eco and wild life tourism expert Sri Lal Miththapala guided the VIPs around on the invitation of the tourism authorities. “Such high profile visits are welcome at a time we are trying to reach out to high end tourists,” said the Acting Sri Lanka Tourism Director General Vipula Wanigasekera.


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conservation

International Elephant Foundation Supports Worldwide Elephant Conservation Through 2012 Grants

2012-01-10 - Azle, United States.

The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) today announced that it is providing more than $225,000 to support 19 elephant conservation projects for 2012. IEF-supported projects protect elephants from poaching, seek solutions for human-elephant conflict, equip and train community conservationists, increase our knowledge of the treatment and prevention of disease and educate people.


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people
Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok receiving a souvenir from Malaysian Palm Oil Council chairman Datuk Lee Yeow Chor (right) after the launch of the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Colloquium 2012 yesterday. At left is stat

New wildlife haven for Sabah.2,000ha abode is for elephants and other animals driven from their habitat

2012-01-10 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

A BORNEO Elephant Wildlife Sanctuary will be established on a 2,000-hectare site in Kinabatangan as a refuge for elephants and other wildlife affected by land clearance activities in Sabah. The MoU was one of the five signed during the opening ceremony of the two-day Sabah Wildlife Conservation Colloquium 2012, which was launched by Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.


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people
Born in 1962 in Chiang Mai, Saengduen graduated from the Liberal Arts Faculty at Chiang Mai University before beginning a career in tourism.

Conservationist Lek Saengduen Chailert wins Polish award for work with elephants

2012-01-10 - Warsaw, Poland.

A Poland-based foundation has given an award to a Thai activist who founded a nursery for disabled or injured elephants in Chiang Mai, the Thai embassy in Warsaw said yesterday. In its citation for granting the Good Deed Award to Saengduen Chailert, Fundacji Zacny Uczynek said the Elephant Nature Park in Mae Taeng district had nurtured sick and wounded elephants while relying on those in good health to serve local tourism in an ecological and conservationist manner.


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medical

Luckiest of India"s overworked elephants given spa holiday

2012-01-09 - Udhagamandalam, India.

Forty-three stressed-out elephants are frolicking and taking it easy at a spa. They are there to soothe their bodies and minds. These elephants - hired out to Hindu temples to lend majesty to religious ceremonies - are at Mudmalai Wildlife Sanctuary in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. They have been sent there by the government to relax for six sybaritic weeks because of their gruelling jobs.


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relocation

Vietnam circus elephant relocated to saigon Zoo

2012-01-09 - Saigon, Vietnam. Dan Koehl

Ni stayed on Saigon Circus in Vietnam as a single elephant, most of the time kept on an extremely short chain, which restricted her movements to a minimum. She arrived yesterday in Saigon Zoo. And since I am now in Saigon, I will go to see her tomorrow.


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smuggle

Elephant Tusks From South Africa Worth RM2.4 Million Seized

2012-01-09 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Selangor Customs have foiled an attempt to smuggle in elephant tusks weighing 492.4kg valued at RM2.4 million at West Port here. Its director, Datuk Azis Yacub said the ivory, which were shipped from Cape Town, South Africa, were found in a container as it went through a scanning machine on Friday.


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relocation
Ramba at Parque Safari de Rancagua

Chile circus elephant Ramba transfered to Rancagua Safari Park

2012-01-09 - Rancagua, Chile.

Chiles last circus performing elephant Ramba, was released last saturday into her newly designed facility at Parque Safari de Rancagua in Chile, the first Safari Park in Chile, owned by Ivan Sanchez Lobos.


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facility

Sanctuary For Rescued Pygmy Elephants To Begin This Year

2012-01-09 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

A sanctuary for the rehabilitation of rescued Borneo pygmy elephants is expected to be operational in the middle of this year. Sabah Wildlife Director Dr Laurentius Ambu said 2,000 hectares of land has been reserved for the sanctuary, known as the Borneo Elephant Wildlife Sanctuary, in Kinabatangan. "We will keep the animals there for treatment and then we will release them back into the wild," he told reporters after the opening of the Sabah Wildlife Conservation Colloquium 2012 here Monday.


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conflict

Elephant runs amok in Kerala

2012-01-09 - TRIPUNITHURA, India.

Tension prevailed as an elephant, brought for a festival, ran amok across the town for around one-and-a-half hours, in the Sunday afternoon. Thottakkaattu Ramachandran, brought to Kannankulangara as a standby for the festival, ran from Kannankulangara to the crowded Statue Junction, before running towards Tripunithura Junction. “The tusker got frightened as the crowd followed him and some vehicles began to sound horn,” said the mahout after bringing the tusker under control. No causalities w...


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conflict
People running for safety when one of the elephants from the herd that strayed into a eucalyptus grove in Mantapa village near Bannerghatta on Friday charged towards them.

Elephant kills amateur lensman in India

2012-01-08 - Bangalore, India.

“Just as we were trying to get people to stay behind the perimeter, one man (Mr. Ramesh) broke the cordon and approached the elephants with his camera,” said a forest official. He was too slow to react to a charge by one of the elephants and was trampled. The crowd intervened and their howling and screaming made the animal retreat. But it was too late, said Police Circle Inspector H.S. Venkatesh.


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medical

Help pours in from all quarters for ailing ‘Raja’

2012-01-08 - Indore, India.

Elephant lovers are doing everything possible to see that the ailing jumbo at Mhow Veterinary College does not suffer from lack of medicine or diet. Elephant lovers from as far as Bhopal and other places are extending help to see the ailing tusker gets best possible treatment. The tusker was brought to Mhow from Kota in Rajasthan for treatment of congenital disease.


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birth

Highest elephant births turnout for Pinnawela Orphanage

2012-01-08 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka.

The Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala whas recorded the highest number of elephant births in 2011, according to the statistics of the Department of National Zoological Gardens. During the year, 15 elephant calves were born and nine of them were males. Last year 2,438,541 foreigners visited the Orphanage. A total of 4,612,631 local and foreign tourists have visited the National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwala and the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.


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misc

Dehivela Zoo, Pinnawela elephant orphanage gets record income

2012-01-08 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Department of National Zoological Gardens has earned Rs. 651 million last year, the highest on record. The income came from earnings from the Dehiwala Zoo (Rs. 163 million), Elephant Orphanage, Pinnawela (Rs 487 million) and Rs.16 million from other sources. More than 1. 6 million locals and 20,000 had visited the Dehiwela Zoo in 2011 while around 400,000 locals and around 2.4 million foreigners had had visited the elephant orphanage, the Government’s news web site said.


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death
San Diego Zoo is mourning the loss of two of their Asian elephants that passed away this week. Cookie (right) died on Wednesday, and Cha Cha passed away on Friday

San Diego Zoo mourns loss of 2 Asian elephants

2012-01-07 - San Diego, United States.

Veterinarians performed an emergency procedure on Christmas after discovering a blockage in Cha Cha´s esophagus. They were able to remove the mass, but the elephant´s condition continued to deteriorate. Animal care staff made the decision to euthanize her on Wednesday. The second elephant, Cookie, was estimated to be 56 years old and had been at the zoo since 1981.


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event

$10,000 fundraising drive for Elephant Adoption

2012-01-06 - Williston, United States.

Happy Holidays from everyone at Two Tails Ranch! Santa is bringing us an early christmas present. A new Asian Elephant is set to help extend our conservation and breeding program here at the ranch, but we need your help. We are in need of roughly $10,000 worth of upgrades. We only have two weeks to get our ranch ready to receive the new Asian Elephant


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blog
Sambo being hand fed from a tourist, who probably have minor knowledge about Tuberculosis

Can Sambo and other elephants transmit tuberculosis to people?

2012-01-06 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

Does Sambo have Tuberculosis? Tuberculosis is a medical problem which is a sleeping bomb in regards to captive elephants in Asia. TB is airborne and spreads through tiny droplets in the air. Besides people and elephants, tuberculosis also affects primates, cattle, horses and other animals.


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welfare
Sambos feet and joints are destroyed from standing on stones and asphalt 9 hrs/day/7 days a week since 1992.

What’s Sambo’s future?

2012-01-06 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Ou Mom

Sambo’s health has become a matter of controversy which has brought her owner into negotiations with the Forestry Administration of Cambodia and wildlife NGO Elephant Asia Rescue and Survival Foundation (EARS) to find a solution to the suffering elephant’s medical problems.


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misc
Ruth. Buttonwood Zoo 12/2008. Photo: © Kristy Kaeterle

Letter: Buttonwood"s elephants are already in sanctuary

2012-01-06 - New Bedford, United States.

A well-meaning animal rights activist from out of state, Deborah Robinson, and her organization, have had at least four, if not more, letters published in this paper suggesting that our elephants, Emily and Ruth, be sent to a sanctuary. To my knowledge, Ms. Robinson has never visited our zoo nor met Emily and Ruth. We, obviously, work with these animals every day.


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circus
Comments Tweet      * Email     * Print     * Share           o LinkedIn           o Tumblr           o StumbleUpon           o Reddit           o Del.icio.us           o Digg      *     * A     * A     *  Catherine Carden directs Carol, Patty and Duches

Family farm ordinary, except for the elephants

2012-01-06 - Myakka City, United States.

When she’s not on the road, Catherine Carden likes to relax at her family farm in Myakka City. It’s a relatively normal household — with three very big exceptions. There’s Carden, her husband and their two sons, of course. And then there’s the three Asian elephants in the backyard.


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smuggle

China Seizes 93 Suspected Ivory Products

2012-01-05 - Jinghong, China.

Police have seized 93 suspected ivory products in southwest China´s Yunnan province after a raid on stores located near the region´s wild elephant habitat, local officials said Thursday. Police searched 293 stores in the city of Jinghong on Dec. 28 and found the suspected products in four stores, the officials said. The raid was part of a crackdown on illegal ivory trading, which has flourished in recent years in some of China´s border regions, the officials said. China banned ...


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misc

New African elephant fund receives major boost

2012-01-05 - Skukuza, South Africa.

The African Elephant Action Plan and the African Elephant Fund received a more than R2 million boost at a meeting held in Skukuza from 12 to 14 December, 2011. The first official session of the trust fund´s steering committee took place in the Kruger National Park (KNP) to allocate available financial resources to the first set of eligible projects. The initiative was created under the auspices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) w...


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poaching
Thai Customs Department officials inspect seized elephant tusks ahead of a news briefing in Bangkok. A Thai elephant was discovered in Kaeng Krachan National Park without its tusks, tail or penis, parks that were believed to be headed to restaurants.  Re

Thai elephant killed, mutilated "for restaurants"

2012-01-05 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Thai wildlife officials on Thursday said body parts from a dead wild elephant found without its tusks, tail and penis were likely destined for restaurants in tourist areas. The creature, which was discovered in Kaeng Krachan National Park near the Myanmar border in central Thailand on Monday, is believed to have died at the hands of a local gang of poachers.


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relocation

Tucson zoo prepping Connie the elephant for her trip to California

2012-01-03 - TUCSON, United States.

Crate training is under way at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson as zoo workers slowly prepare for the day they say goodbye to Connie the elephant. Last month, zookeepers moved into Connie´s pen the crate she´ll be traveling in when the time comes for her to leave Tucson for good. The 42-year-old is being traded to San Diego for a herd of African elephants.


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poaching

Elephant population in Tanzania sanctuaries drops

2012-01-03 - DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania.

The number of elephants in two wildlife sanctuaries in Tanzania has fallen by nearly 42 percent in just three years, a census showed on Tuesday, as poachers increasingly killed the animals for their tusks. The census at the Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park revealed elephant numbers had plunged to 43,552 in 2009 from 74,900 in 2006.


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death
MISHAP: The male baby elephant which fell accidentally into an irrigation well near Hosur on Friday

Elephant calf falls to death

2012-01-01 - Hosur, India.

A 2-year-old calf, which came in a herd of 60 elephants, fell accidentally into irrigation well and died near Hosur on Friday. Forest officials said that the male calf along with 60 other elephants strayed into a field in a village near Hosur. It accidentally fell into the 20-feet well, which had no water. Though it had not suffered any serious injury on its body, it died of asphyxiation. Senior forest officials rushed to the spot and after retrieving the carcass conducted a post-mortem and buri...


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relocation

Elephant captured in Jeli released at National Park

2012-01-01 - KOTA BARU, United States.

The elephant, named Awang Jerek, was sent to the national park on Thursday with the help of two tamed elephants Che Mek and Lokimala. Department director Rahmat Topani said the three-hour operation, which started at 9am, involved 18 workers of the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang. "Like in the previous operations, we had to use Che Mek and Lokimala to escort Awang Jerek to ensure that the translocation process to Terengganu went smoothly," he said.

R...


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conflict

Elephant attack claims one more

2012-01-01 - BHADRAPUR, Nepal.

One person lost his life in a wild elephant attack in Jhapa district on Friday. With this, the death toll by tusker attack reached three in Jhapa district in one month. According to the District Police Office, Dil Bahadur Magar, 60, of Garamani VDC died on the spot in the elephant trample. A herd of elephants coming from the nearby forest had attacked five pedestrians, killing one of them. Other four managed to save their lives by fleeing the rampage.


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blog

Records from the elephants dabase during 2011

2011-12-31 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

During 2011 submissions in the elephant database: There was 66 elephants born 2011 in the database, 32 males, 20 females. 49 were born in captivity, 22 males, 17 females. 64 records of elephants deaths in the database during 2011. 105 transfers of elephants during 2011 in the database. In The Elephants News, 359 headlines about Elephants was recorded during 2011.


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event

Elephant Pedicures, Face Paint & More At Nepal Festival

2011-12-30 - Chitwan, Nepal.

The lucky ellies got their toes painted in Nepal as part of a a three-day, elephant-themed festival. The event, which includes elephant races, elephant soccer and an elephant beauty pageant (!!), is intended to attract positive attention to Nepal, encourage tourism and raise awareness of conservation efforts. You know how many cool nail designs you could fit on those things? Check it out.

But what they really raised awareness of (for us, at least) was how awesome it would be to d...


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birth

Jumbo rampage in Steel City checked after baby births

2011-12-30 - JAMSHEDPUR, India.

The birth of two baby elephants has come as a boon for the villagers of Chandil block in Seraikela as it has stopped a marauding herd from wreaking further damage to crop and property in the area. On Wednesday, the wandering elephants razed about a dozen houses and destroyed crops in Kodidhar village.


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poaching

77 elephants killed in Mozambique reserve

2011-12-30 - Maputo, Mozambique.

Poachers have killed 77 elephants in a Niassa Game Reserve in northern Mozambique this year, Xinhua reported Thursday. Poachers, reportedly from Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, have also cut trees indiscriminately in the reserve, the local media reported. The provincial authorities have intensified operations to nab the criminals.


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conservation

New sanctuaries for jumbos in Sri Lanka

2011-12-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Disna MUDALIGE

Work on four elephant conservation sites planned in selected areas to control the human-elephant conflict would be completed within the next year, Wildlife Conservation Department director general H D Ratnayake told the Daily News yesterday. He said that the centre in Veheragala has been completed, while the construction of the three other centres in Horowpathana, Maduru Oya and Galgamuwa will be completed within the next year using the budgetary allocation of Rs 100 million.


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blog

Return to Elephant Valley Project in Cambodia

2011-12-29 - Sen Monorom, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

Upon my return to Cambodia in December, I met Jack Highwood, again, and he invited me to Mondulkiri to spend christmas there, and see the Elephant Valley Project again. It once again strucked me, what a nice place Jack has found for the elephants within the project, and for himself and the project volunteers and guests.


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misc

Wuppertal zookeeper finds novel way of making calf do as she"s told

2011-12-29 - Wuppertal, Germany.

Zookeepers in Germany appear to have come up with a novel way of getting reluctant baby elephants to behave. These pictures, which some may find disturbing, show a young man dragging a resistant calf by the trunk to get it on to the weighing scales for a check-up at Wuppertal Zoo in Germany. Uli is one of around 5,000 animals of 500 different species living at the park, who all have to be counted, weighed and measured each year to see if they are developing as they should.


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medical
Duchess has the eye conditions glaucoma and cataracts

Paignton Zoo elephant Duchess recovering after eye surgery

2011-12-29 - Paignton, United Kingdom.

An elephant in a south Devon zoo is recovering well after receiving surgery to remove an eye. Paignton Zoo´s four tonne African elephant Duchess became the first in the UK to undergo the operation. Duchess had been plagued by pain after glaucoma and cataracts had left her virtually blind.


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misc
National Parks Board officials carry an elephant tusk in the storeroom at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park.

Global trust fund boosts six elephant projects

2011-12-29 - Pretoria, South Africa.

SIX AFRICAN elephant conservation projects across the continent are the first to benefit from a new international trust fund set up last year to help protect the giant pachyderms. The selected projects, which have collectively been granted $150 000 (R1.2 million), include investigating regional illegal ivory markets, mitigating local human-elephant conflicts, providing equipment to rangers and strengthening the management of key protected areas.


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conservation

Efforts to help save elephants end in failure

2011-12-29 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.

Half of the wild elephants in Dong Nai Province have been wiped out in recent years, despite steps taken by the Prime Minister to save them. A project that he initiated five years ago to provide them with sanctuary in three "elephant" provinces by the year 2010 failed to get underway in the province.


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misc

What ails captive elephants in Kerala

2011-12-29 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Elephants in India may be considered an embodiment of Lord Ganesh, but the status of captive jumbos in Kerala is anything but divine. Experts say the lack of proper medical care as well as money-minded owners pose a serious threat to the magnificent beasts. According to 70-year-old veterinarian Jacob Cheeran, of the 14,000 elephants in captivity in the world, around 26 percent are in India.


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smuggle
Elephants tusks are in huge demand in Asia

Elephant poaching: "Record year" for ivory seizures

2011-12-29 - Johannesburg, South Africa.

More elephant tusks were seized in 2011 than in any year since 1989, when the ivory trade was banned, international wildlife trade group Traffic says. The group said elephants have had a "horrible year", with 23 tonnes of ivory seized - representing at least 2,500 dead animals.


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blog

Elephant Valley Project in Sen Monorom, Mondulkiri province, Cambodia. (March 2011)

2011-12-28 - Sen Monorom, Cambodia.

A couple of years ago I came in contact with Jack Highwood through the Internet, and finally visited him in Cambodia in March 2011. In 2007, Jack Highwood founded the Elephant Valley Project 20 minutes from the Mondulkiri capitol Sen Monorum, which is 5-7 hours bus trip from Phnom Penh.


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blog

Elephants in Cambodia

2011-12-28 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

There is between 400 and 600 wild elephants in Cambodia. There is today around 120 captive elephants in Cambodia. Most of Cambodias captive elephants are privately owned by tribal peoples in eastern Cambodia.


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poaching
The body of the elephant that was killed in Dong Nai Province on December 23

Bullet tips found in dead elephant

2011-12-28 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.

Police in Dong Nai Province said they had found 2 bullet tips in the body of the wild elephant that was killed 5 days ago. One of the tips was buried in the head of the elephant and the other in its right leg, the police said. Six holes similar to bullet-holes were found on the head and hip and two cuts, about 50 cm long each, were also found on the back.


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welfare

Odisha: Mahout Left Pet Elephant in Village

2011-12-28 - Jaipur, India. Akshya Rout

On Sunday , Nanda Lal a Mahot from Uttar Pradesh left the village Trijanga after chained a 50 year old male elephant on the tree . The elephant roared in hunger and due to absence of its Mahot . After knowing this incident, we rushed to the village with veterinary doctors and six forest guards to provide proper food and medicine to the jumbo. A Mahout of a pet elephant left the chained jumbo in village Trijanga under Danagadi block of Jajpur district for two days for which thepanicked villagers ...


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people

Woman Jumps Barriers, Pets Elephants at L.A. Zoo

2011-12-28 - Los Angeles, United States.

The woman, who has not yet been identified, crossed ditched and climbed fences -- barriers specifically meant to keep people like her out to get into the elephant sanctuary on what was a very busy afternoon at the zoo. The woman walked right up to the animals and even petted some of them while horrified onlookers screamed at her, trying to get her to leave the sanctuary which houses three elephants.


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abstract

Elephant found dead in Vietnam forest

2011-12-27 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.

Forest rangers on Friday found the carcass of an elephant in a protected forest in the southern province of Dong Nai, the online newspaper Dan Tri reported.
The decaying elephant, which weighed around three tons, was found in the 14,000-hectare Tan Phu Forest in Dinh Quan District.


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job

Houston Zoo: elephant keeper

2011-12-26 - Houston, United States.

The Houston Zoo Inc. is seeking an enthusiastic professional to join our Elephant Team. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of a progressive elephant program. With a new exhibit and barn and continued elephant breeding, the Houston zoo elephant program has become a state of the art program and facility. We recently opened another new Elephant exhibit, tripling the elephant’s usable space.


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job

Dallas Zoo: elephant keeper

2011-12-26 - Dallas, United States.

Responsible for the care, husbandry, and training of the African Elephants. Responsible for maintaining all aspects of daily animal husbandry. Responsible for exhibit maintenance and observation. Assists in veterinary procedures and research. Provides environmental enrichment. Actively encourages public interest in elephants through educational presentations, public relations and tours.


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smuggle

Kenya seizes more Asia-bound ivory

2011-12-25 - Mombasa, Kenya.

Kenya seized 727 pieces of ivory in a container destined for Asia, a customs
official said, the latest in a wave of ivory hauls in the east African country. Customs agents in the port of Mombasa said the contraband was hidden in bags of plastic chips and showed up in a scan of the container ahead of shipment on Wednesday.


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abstract

From Flat Foot to Fat Foot: Structure, Ontogeny, Function, and Evolution of Elephant “Sixth Toes”

2011-12-24 - London, United Kingdom. 1. John R. Hutchinson1, 2. Cyrille Delmer2, 3. Charlotte E. Miller1, 4. Thomas Hildebrandt3, 5. Andrew A. Pitsillides1, 6. Alan Boyde4

Our survey shows that basal proboscideans were relatively “flat-footed” (plantigrade), whereas early elephantiforms evolved the more derived “tip-toed” (subunguligrade) morphology, including the predigits and fat pad, of extant elephants. Thus, elephants co-opted sesamoid bones into a role as false digits and used them for support as they changed their foot posture.


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relocation
Wildlife and National Parks Department (Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) officers relocating the female elephant and her male calf in Kampung Troh, Karak, yesterday.  Read more: New home for 3 wild elephants - General - New Straits Tim

Captured jumbos sent to Taman Negara, two more to follow

2011-12-23 - Bentong, Malaysia. M. HAMZAH JAMALUDIN

THE Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) successfully relocated three out of five wild elephants that were captured in Kampung Troh near here, last week. The pachyderms were relocated to an undisclosed location in Taman Negara on Wednesday. Twenty State Perhilitan employees, including those from the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, were involved in the seven-hour relocation process of the two adult females and a year-old calf, which began at 8am.


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smuggle
African elephants

Kenya seizes giant haul of smuggled ivory

2011-12-22 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan authorities seized 727 pieces of ivory in a container at the main port of Mombasa in one of the largest hauls of tusks in recent years, officials said Thursday. "We had a suspicion of the contents, and that is why we invited the Kenya Wildlife Service, opened the container and we have elephant tusks," said Kenya Revenue Authority Deputy Commissioner Rose Gachiri.


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job

Living With Elephants looking for elephant keeper

2011-12-22 - Maun, Botswana. Doug and Sandi Groves

We are looking for a dedicated and experienced person to help with the handling and husbandry of our little herd. If you are interested and qualified please send resume and reference letters. Living With Elephants is dedicated to relieving conflict and competition between the African Elephant and human populations in Botswana.


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smuggle

Popular Alaska river guide, author Karen Jettmar indicted

2011-12-22 - Anchorage, United States.

A man from Pennsylvania who planned to go fossil hunting in Alaska has learned the hard way that bragging about your ill-gotten stash can come back to haunt you. In this case, though, it´s the guide who helped him gain access to Alaska´s prehistoric treasures who´s suffering the consequences. On Dec. 14, a federal grand jury indicted author and outdoor guide Karen Jettmar on charges of conspiracy and removing a paleontological resource from federal land.


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job

Winston Wildlife Safari: elephant keeper

2011-12-20 - Winston, United States.

This is a full-time staff position responsible for the daily animal husbandry of a designated department or area. Works independently and in a team environment to apply highest standards of animal care, enrichment and training. Interacts with the public to educate them about the collection and conservation concerns, providing keeper talks and encounters. Works closely with the vet staff to maintain animals’ good health and well-being.


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job

Winston Wildlife Safari: Supervisor of elephants

2011-12-20 - Winston, United States.

This is a full-time, working supervisory role, coordinating daily operations of the Elephant Section while under general supervision of the General Curator and assisting the General Curator in managing the animal collection of the Elephant Section. Senior Ranger is responsible for supervising keeper staff and regularly performs keeper duties.


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misc

No private elephants in Chitwan Nat"l Park for now

2011-12-18 - Chitwan, Nepal.

Chitwan National Park (CNP) has decided not to allow the entry of private-owned tuskers for now after all political parties unanimously opposed the government decision to allow private elephants in CNP. CNP was preparing to allow entry from Monday after the government gave its permission despite serious concerns raised by conservation activists about the negative impact of the movement of private-owned elephants on bio-diversity and animal conservation.


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smuggle

Suspects arrested for trafficking 44 ivory tusks

2011-12-17 - Moloundou, Cameroon.

Game rangers and the military in Cameroon have confiscated over 100 kilograms of elephant ivory hidden in a truck transporting cocoa. Authorities say four people have been arrested in the case, including a businessman believed to have arranged for the transportation of the ivory. The seizure was conducted Monday near Lobéké National Park in Southeast Cameroon, close to the country’s borders with Congo and Central African Republic.


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medical
Duchess the African Elephant is given a local anesthetic and her eye is cleaned before an operation  Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/12/17/duchess-the-elephant-has-eye-removed-by-15-vets-in-four-hour-operation-115875-23640576/#ix

Duchess the elephant has eye removed by 15 vets in four-hour operation

2011-12-17 - Paignton, United Kingdom.

A FOUR-tonne elephant suffering from painful vision problems has become the first in Britain to have an eye removed. A team of 15 vets, nurses and animal keepers spent four hours operating on giant 40-year-old Duchess. The African elephant is virtually blind due to cataracts and glaucoma and experts decided the only way to prevent her suffering further was to remove it.


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blog

What can be done for the elephant Sambo in Phnom Penh?

2011-12-17 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Of course noone wants Sambo to suffer anymore, including her owner, Sin Sorn in Phnom Penh. What can be done for Sambo? I want to stress, that she can not be viewed only as an elephant, shes a vicitm of so many pathological issues, that shes in need of intensive medical care. And her feet are in such a bad condition, that they have to be priority over general management issues.


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blog

Visit to Sambo in Phnom Penh 14 December 2011

2011-12-17 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Went to the area opposite the Australian Embassy and met Sin Sorn and Sambo, it looks almost idyllic. When you get close, the picture changes. Numerous abcesses, and she keep the worst foot lifted all the time. Her nails had really been shortened, but the laength of the nails is now a secondary problem, as can be seen here and on close-ups.


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facility
Rosie and veterinarian Jim Laurita.

Hope Elephants schedules open house, presentation

2011-12-17 - Hope, United States.

Hope Elephants welcomes the community to its nearly-completed elephant care and rehabilitation facility in Hope on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 3 p.m. for a behind-the-scenes tour and presentation in advance of the arrival of its first resident elephant, Rosie. Jim Laurita, executive director and curator of Hope Elephants, will give a short tour of the facility, a description of the care Rosie and a second elephant will receive at the facility, and a presentation on Asian elephants, including their habi...


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blog

Sambo veterinarian examination in October

2011-12-17 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Dr Paolo Martelli, Chief Veterinarian, Ocean Park, Hong Kong: His Conclusion states that she is painfully lame as a result of pododermatitis, osteitis, ostoelysis, deep sepsis and other lesions. Furthermore, if the lameness is not improved drastically it will lead to degeneration of all joints in all limbs.


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conflict

Human-elephant conflicts in Sri Lanka kill 200 elephants and 48 men in 2011

2011-12-17 - Colombo, United States.

Sri Lanka Department of Forest Conservation says that 200 elephants and 48 men were killed in the human-elephant conflicts this year. Of these elephants, 75 were killed due to gunshot injuries, says the Deputy Director of the Department W.S.K. Navaratne. Another 22 elephants were killed by food traps laid by farmers and hunters. This explosive laden food detonates when the elephant munches it and the animal receives a painful death.


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welfare

Santa Ana Zoo ends 25-year-old elephant ride attraction

2011-12-17 - Santa Ana, United States.

The Santa Ana Zoo announced Friday that it has ended its 25-year-old elephant ride attraction to comply with changes in animal care and safety guidelines designed to protect zookeepers and trainers from being harmed by the powerful and moody land giants. The decision was based on policy changes adopted in September by the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits the Santa Ana Zoo. Santa Ana Zoo was one of the last two zoos in the United States encouraging visitor-elephant interactions.


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blog

Sambo at temple Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2011-12-16 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

I had already from Internet collected information about the female asian elephant Sambo, which were used daily for tourist rides around the temple Wat Phnom, by her owner, Sin Sorn since 1993. Sin Sorn also claims a romantic story, about him finding her again, after being separated from her during the years of Khmer Rogue.Now I should see her myself.


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misc
A Police person warning the Mahout against using the Panchderm for begging for alms in Srirangam in Tiruchi on Thursday

Elephant used for begging chased away at Srirangam

2011-12-16 - Tiruchi, India.

An elephant, visibly weak and with some injury above it´s hind right leg , which was used for begging alms, was chased away by police personnel at Srirangam on Thursday. Even as the mahout was directing the elephant to stand before each and every shop near the ‘Rajagopuram´, a large number of Iyappa devotees, after worship with folded hands, offered money.


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fossil
Columbian Mammoth

Giant New Beast Moves to Valley

2011-12-16 - Madera County, United States.

The biggest mammal ever to walk North America now lives in a museum in Madera County. On Thursday, the Fossil Discovery Center unveiled its new replica skeleton of a prehistoric giant. Center director Blake Bufford says it took three hours to set up the display of the mammoth that lived right here in the Valley about 10,000 years ago. But if you´re thinking "wooly," you´ve got the wrong mammoth.


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job

Taronga Zoo: Keepers, Elephant Unit

2011-12-16 - Sydney, Australia.

Taronga Zoo is looking for a number of permanent Keepers to work in our Elephant free contact program within the Exotic Fauna Precinct. The Elephant Unit currently manages eight Asian Elephants on site at Taronga Zoo. Our ideal candidates will have significant experience working free contact with elephants, possess a detailed knowledge of elephant behaviour and biology and will have good team work, communication and mentoring skills.


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blog

Two albinistic elephants born in 2011, heres a short summary of white elephants I know.

2011-12-15 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dan Koehl

An albino elephant has been born by the wild elephant Jemima around the 10th of December 2011, in Amboseli National Park. A rare sight, and probably the first albino elephant born in Amboseli. In 27th of October 2011 a captive white elephant was born in Naypyidaw Zoo (Nay Pyi Taw Zoo) in Burma, most probably the first captive bred one documented.


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relocation

Rex the elephant arrives at Oklahoma City Zoo

2011-12-15 - Oklahoma City, United States.

The Oklahoma City Zoo added a bull elephant to its growing herd Tuesday as a male Asian elephant named Rex arrived about noon Tuesday after a 20-hour, 1,300-mile trip from Cambridge, Ontario. Rex was brought to the Oklahoma City Zoo to breed with the two female elephants, Asha and Chandra.


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people

PIL against rejuvenation camp

2011-12-15 - Madurai, India.

V Sundararaj, an advocate and environmentalist is seeking to restrain the state government from conducting the elephant rejuvenation camp at Mudumalai, a public interest litigation was filed on Tuesday in the Madurai bench of the Madras high court. The petitioner said that the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve has the highest density of tigers in the country.


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medical
Elephants from temples head to Theppakadu reserve for rejuvenation

Tamil Nadu government organises vacation for temple elephants

2011-12-15 - Chennai, India.

Beginning from Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu government is organising a 48-day-long vacation for temple elephants in the wilderness. As many as 35 pachyderms are heading to a rejuvenation camp in Theppakadu reserve forest along the Moyar river in the Mudumalai hills. From a herbal diet to health screening and treatment for infections, the elephants will get to enjoy a stress-free life in the jungle environs.


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research
Staple diet: Up to 60 per cent of the meat consumed by our Homo erectus ancestors was elephant, say the researchers

Early man Homo erectus, lived on elephant meat, so much so we wiped them out in the Middle East 400,000 years ago

2011-12-15 - Tel Aviv, Israel.

Findings from the University of Tel Aviv reveal how important the huge animals were to the diet of early humans - researchers that elephants provided 60 per cent of the meat eaten by Homo erectus. Elephants also had the perfect fat-to-protein ratio for early humans and provided a year-round source of food.


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blog

Angkor Wats elephants (Compagnie des Eléphants d’Angkor)

2011-12-15 - Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Around Angor Wat and Angkor Thom you can ride elephants on the roads. During the day, elephants await customers near Bayon or at the South Gate of Angkor Thom. In the evenings, elephants are stationed at the base of Phnom Bakheng, ready to transport riders up the hill for sunset.


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abstract
Part of the largest ever seizure of ivory of 15 tonnes.

Possibly the largest haul of ivory ever found, 15 tonnes, seized in Malaysia

2011-12-15 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malaysian authorities have seized a staggering 15 tonnes of elephant ivory in Port Klang, just west of Kuala Lumpur; the sixth and by far the largest major seizure involving Malaysia in recent months, quite possibly the largest ever. If we estimate the tusks of an African elephant weigh 30 kilos each, this haul represents the death of 250 elephants! This ivory seizure is the largest to date in a year that has seen an overwhelming number of seizures.


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relocation

Ohios Columbos zoo gets male elephant Hank from Arkansas sanctuary, plans to breed him with 2 females

2011-12-10 - Powell, United States.

The 23-year-old named Hank arrived Thursday at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Plans are to breed him with the zoo´s females, Connie and Phoebe. Zoo Assistant Curator Harry Peachey says Hank has previously sired a calf. The elephant moved from Riddle´s Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary in Arkansas. He was born at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and has also lived at the Bronx Zoo and at Have Trunk Will Travel in California.


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conflict
Gored to death ... Jenna O

Australian woman killed by Borneo elephant

2011-12-08 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Jenna O´Grady Donley, 26, a Sydney-based veterinarian, was attacked by the elephant yesterday, Malaysian newspaper The Star reported. The animal was apparently startled by the sounds of a camera´s shutter and flash. Witnesses said that she could not escape in time as the elephant suddenly charged at her while her female companion and guide escaped in the attack at the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah.


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medical

International Elephant Foundation Announces Grant to Help End Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV)

2011-12-07 - Azle, United States.

The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) is thrilled to announce another major grant to help fund the National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory (NEHL) at the Smithsonian´s National Zoo. Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, Feld Entertainment, Have Trunk Will Travel, the Oregon Zoo, and the Saint Louis Zoo were all major donors to fund IEF´s grant to the NEHL lab through the Smithsonian´s National Zoo.


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evolution

No, we won’t be able to clone a woolly mammoth in the next five years

2011-12-07 - Washington, United States. Alasdair Wilkins

No, we won´t be able to clone a woolly mammoth in the next five yearsA team of Russian and Japanese scientists recently announced that they have discovered pristine DNA samples of woolly mammoths, and they will clone a living mammoth within five years. It´s tremendously exciting...but almost certainly not going to happen. Here´s why.


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poaching

Uganda: Conservationists Worry Over Rising Elephant Poaching

2011-12-05 - Kampala, Uganda.

Conservationists have raised the red flag over the increase in poaching of elephants in national parks. According to UWA, 33 elephants have been killed at Murchison Falls National Game Park in the last seven years, of which 25 have been killed this year. The numbers of elephants killed in parks since the year began have more than tripled.


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evolution

Mammoths May Be Roaming the World In Five Years

2011-12-05 - Tokyo, Japan.

Scientists from Japan´s Kinki University and the Sakha Republic´s mammoth museum have discovered well preserved marrow in a thigh bone discovered in Siberia, buried under the permafrost. The marrow is in such good condition that its cells´ DNA could be used to replace the nuclei of elephant egg cells. Scientists have been trying to clone woolly mammoths for years, but now they´re really close. So close that in five years you may see herds of this gigantic beast—one of t...


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conflict

Elephants demolish houses in Giridih district

2011-12-03 - Giridih, India.

A herd of elephants destroyed at least 35 houses in adjoining villages in Giridih district, rendering the dwellers homeless, the police said today. The animals raided villages under Kudko panchayat last night, trampled a few cattle to death and ate away grains, the sources said, adding angry villagers put up road blockade at Pirtand demanding compensation. The blockade was removed after Deputy Commissioner D P Lakra and DFO Asmita Pankaj went to the spot and announced compensations. The DC assur...


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fossil

Neandertals mammoth building project

2011-12-03 - Molodova, Ukraine.

The new discovery comes from Molodova, a Ukrainian site first excavated in the 1950s. There, Neandertals erected a mammoth-bone structure thats unlike later mammoth-bone huts, suggesting that the two Homo species developed these practices independently, says study coauthor Stephane Pean, also of France’s National Museum of Natural History.


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people

Late Reds Owner’s Foundation Gives Zoo Record Gift

2011-12-02 - Cincinnati, United States.

Cincinnati’s zoo has received an elephant-size gift from the foundation of the late Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott. She was a major supporter of the zoo and once donated an elephant named Schottzie. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden director Thane Maynard says the $5 million contribution from the Marge and Charles J. Schott Foundation is the zoo’s single biggest gift ever. Marge Schott died in 2004 at age 75.


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welfare

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

2011-12-02 - Washington, United States.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals provides aid and comfort for the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). The two groups are responsible for more than 600 crimes since 1996, causing (by a very conservative FBI estimate) more than $43 million in damage. ALF’s “press office” brags that in 2002, the two groups committed “100 illegal direct actions” -- like blowing up SUVs, destroying the brakes on seafood delivery trucks, and planting firebombs in re...


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workshop

Elephant-Keeper meeting and Protected Contact Training Workshop

2011-12-01 - Vienna, Austria.

This course is organized as a workshop and will be basically in English language but main parts of the presentations and live performances will be provided in English and German. The Workshop is turned specifically to elephant keepers but also veterinarians and curators. The program includes theory - and a lot of practical parts and deals with various topics related to advanced protected contact methods. Beneath preparation for birth, foot care and enrichment there is a special part of the works...


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medical
C

R&M’s Loadmate helps save elephant

2011-11-30 - , United States.

Lifting equipment manufacturer R&M Materials Handling have been called on to help veterinary specialists in North Carolina lift a very unusual load, a 6.5USt partially-sighted elephant. A team of vets from North Carolina State University of Veterinary Medicine decided an operation to save the elephant’s eyesight was necessary, but the sedated C’sar had to be lifted into a suitable position to perform the procedure.


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film

Flora the Elephant Get Documentary "One Lucky Elephant" on the Oprah Winfrey Network

2011-11-30 - St. Louis, United States.

A documentary starring Flora debutes nationwide December 1st on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Circus Flora´s David Balding discusses the film, "One Lucky Elephant." Flora, the African elephant was the star of Circus Flora until she retired from the big top in 2000. Flora was moved to an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. That´s where this story really begins: A documentary starring Flora debutes nationwide December 1st on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Circus Flora´s David...


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relocation
The elephant calf that was shifted to the forest office in Erode.

Orphaned Anthiyur elephant calf may be shifted to Vandalur Zoo in Chennai

2011-11-30 - Coimbatore, India.

The orphaned elephant calf which was rescued from jungles on Sunday is finding its transit home, the Erode forest office, quite comfortable and responding well to treatment. The two-month-old male calf strayed from its herd and was found stranded near a pond in Chennampatti village in Anthiyur block on Sunday morning. Forest officials tried to reunite the calf with its mother. The officials took it to the forests and left him to the care of a herd. But the calf returned to the pond as the herd r...


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birth

Announcing arrival of new baby at Xayabouri Elephant Conservation Centre (ECC) in Laos

2011-11-29 - Xayabouri, Laos. Tracy Brookshaw, ElefantAsia

Having reported Laos’ first registered elephant birth of 2011 in Ban Viengkeo, Hongsa late September, ElefantAsia proudly announces the birth of a second baby elephant born in Sayaboury just last week. Born to mother Mae Thongkhoun under the supervision of ECC staff, this new baby elephant, a male, will share the same name ‘Noy’ meaning small with the other calves at the Center until the age of two or three when during an official animist ceremony he will chose his own name through the sel...


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welfare

Don"t mistreat elephants

2011-11-29 - ALAPPUZHA, India.

District collector Saurabh Jain on Monday issued stringent guidelines under the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules 2003 to prevent cruelty against elephants in the wake of the commencement of the festival season. If rules are flouted, action would be taken against the officers concerned, temple authorities, elephant owners and mahouts, he warned.


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welfare
April, a 1-year-old female Asian elephant stays with her mother, Alana, 33, at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk County in September. The USDA on Monday announced the company would have to pay a $270,000 fine

USDA Fines Ringling Circus Owner $270,000 Over Animal Treatment

2011-11-29 - Polk City, United States.

The USDA on Monday announced a $270,000 fine against the company that owns Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus and an elephant breeding facility in Polk County over its treatment and housing of animals. The United States Department of Agriculture reached an agreement with Feld Entertainment Inc. in which the company would be penalized for violating portions of the Animal Welfare Act between June 2007 and August 2011.


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film

Muslim elephant riders in Hindu celebrations in Jaipur (Video)

2011-11-28 - Jaipur, India.

One of its many popular tourist spots is the Amer fort that was constructed in the 16thcentury by Rajput King Man Singh. Located nearby is the village of Amer after which the Amer fort is named. But another thing, which makes the village special today are the number of elephants it houses. About 110 elephants are taken care of here by the mahouts or elephant riders of the village.


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death

Pregnant elephant shot dead in Nagarahole

2011-11-27 - Hunsur, India.

A 25-year-old elephant was found dead with a bullet injury on its back near the Nagapura Tribal Rehabilitation Centre’s VI block on the fringes of Nagarahole National Park on Saturday. The pachyderm was pregnant. This is the 75th jumbo death in the Hunsur sub-division in the last one-and-half-year, according to Doddahejjur Gram Panchayat former


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relocation
Connie, a baby Asian elephant, being welcomed to the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson in 1968. It

Tracking a baby elephant from Bladensburg

2011-11-27 - Bladensburg, United States. John Kelly

After last week’s column on George’s Pet Shop, Answer Man had mentioned that an elephant from George’s was sold to Jett’s Petting Zoo. Dan Koehl noticed that Jett’s sold an elephant to the Tucson zoo. Could it be the same elephant? Maybe.


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smuggle

Kenya seizes container with 87 elephant tusks

2011-11-27 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan authorities have seized a container loaded with 87 elephant tusks and disguised as soapstone carvings destined for Hong Kong, a customs official said. The 20-foot container was impounded at a depot in Nairobi. As it was being inspected for clearance for shipment, officials scanning its contents became suspicious.


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misc
On April 22, 1966, Karen O’Donoghue, 4, of Cheverly was ready to serve a bucketful of milk to this 4-month-old elephant when the latter arrived at George’s Pet Shop in Bladensburg.

George’s Pet Shop: The elephant’s fate

2011-11-26 - Bladensburg, United States. John Kelly

As for elephants, George actually owned two over the years, baby Asian elephants that he purchased to rent out for political rallies, although a 1966 story in The Post said George was willing to part with his 4-month-old elephant from Thailand, for $5,000 to $6,000. One of the elephants was eventually sold to a traveling petting zoo called Jet’s. One was rented to a Republican convention where, Georgette said, it caught a cold. “Exotic animals are very, very frail,” she said. “It develop...


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film

Elephant Man of Burma:

2011-11-26 - Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Amateur documentary footage filmed by Gyles Mackrell, a British man who rescued hundreds of people during the Second World War using a herd of elephants has been
published by Cambridge University.


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people
Still of film taken in 1942 by Gyles Mackrell of elephants crossing the Dapha river to rescue Britons fleeing the Japanese invasion of Burma.

Gyles Mackrell"s 1942 footage shows how he led rescue of refugees from the Japanese invasion of Burma

2011-11-26 - Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Mackrell, a 53-year-old tea exporter in the Indian province of Assam, hurried the convoy of about 20 elephants and their handlers to the river – a journey of more than 100 miles through jungle, braving leeches – in less than a week and waded across the river to rescue troops in danger of starvation, capture or drowning.


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people

First budget with serious proposals for human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka

2011-11-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Holding grounds will be the most effective way to address the problem, he said. President Rajapaksa has approved building four elephant holding grounds in Lunugamwehera, Horowpathana, Maduru Oya and Palukadawa Galgamuwa areas where wildlife and people overlap as a means to reduce the conflict. President has allocated Rs 400 million for Wildlife and Agrarian Ministry to carry out these projects.


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wild

Wild elephants are always happy because they have a better life?

2011-11-25 - Wankie, Zimbabwe.

Near the waterhole alone, four calves elephants lie dead, while scores of other elephants continue with their struggle to drink, each concentrating on his or her own survival. Close to the drinking hole, a mother elephant battles to resuscitate its dying calf. It uses its foreleg to try and make the baby stand on its feet again but the baby collapses to the ground, headlong.


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misc

2011-11-25 - Yangoon, Myanmar.

Myanmar said it was holding a welcoming ceremony in the capital on Sunday for two white elephants, a five-year-old male from western Rakhine state, while the second was a female aged 15 found in the Irrawaddy region, west of Yangon, another official said.considered symbols of good luck -- after a landmark week for the Army-dominated nation. The recent capture of the pale pachyderms brings the number being held by the government to an auspicious seven, according to an official in the capital Nayp...


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medical
Duchess has lost the sight in her right eye, which is causing her pain

Elephant to have right eye removed in operation

2011-11-25 - Paignton, United Kingdom.

An elephant at a Devon zoo is to undergo an operation to remove an eye. Duchess, a 40-year-old African elephant at Paignton zoo has been treated for cataracts in both eyes and glaucoma in her right eye. Paignton zoo said the two conditions meant her eye-sight was "greatly reduced" and she had no sight in her right eye, which was causing her pain.


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death

Heatwave kills 200 elephants in Zimbabwe national park

2011-11-25 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Approximately 200 elephants have died of thirst in Zimbabwe´s Hwange National Park due to searing heat and chronic water shortages, a local conservationist said Thursday. Zimbabwe, which, as a southern hemisphere nation, is currently in the middle of summer, has been experiencing record-high temperatures since October.


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zoo
Africa elephants at the Toronto Zoo.

Toronto Zoo’s accreditation could be in jeopardy

2011-11-25 - Toronto, Canada.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) are threatening to pull Toronto Zoo’s accreditation over the city´s decision to transfer three of its elephants to a sanctuary in California. Toronto city council voted 31-4 on Oct. 25 to transfer the elephants from the zoo to the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in San Andreas. The climate at the new location would be much more suitable for these large land mammals. AZA and CAZA...


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people

I"m just here tinkling the ivories: Eccentric British pianist plays piano to blind elephants at the top of Thai mountain

2011-11-25 - Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

A 50-year-old British man has dragged a piano up a mountain in Thailand - so he could play Beethoven for blind elephants. Paul Barton achieved a long-held ambition as he sat behind his piano, just a few metres away for the graceful giants, calmly playing his instrument. He decided to do the challenge to help fund raising for the blind elephants, which live in a sanctuary on the mountains of Kanchanaburi, north-east of Bangkok.


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conflict

Woman describes deadly elephant attack

2011-11-25 - Tuli, Zimbabwe.

Ling Dobson told the Cape Times that her husband Mike, 67, had been killed at the weekend, in a "once-in-a-lifetime freak accident" on a private game farm belonging to close friends on the Shashe River in the Thuli block region in Northern Botswana. Botswana police confirmed that he had been gored by an elephant tusk "with great force".


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fossil
Mastodon unearthed in Daytona Beach

Mastodon bones unearthed in Daytona Beach

2011-11-25 - Daytona Beach, United States. Tom Johnson

"They say it´s a mastodon," said Leroy McDuffie. "I live right here on the corner and I´ve been watching them dig the project, and all of a sudden it came to a screeching halt." Archaeologists have already recovered some teeth and at least one tusk. "The tusks on that thing must´ve been massive," said McDuffie. "It had to be at least five foot long!" The historic find was sitting just 8 to 10 feet underground a block from McDuffie´s house.


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people

Interview with veteran mahout Mew Salangam, in Ban Ta Klang, Surin.

2011-11-23 - Ban Ta Klang, Thailand. Dan Koehl

Mew Salangam, was born 1926 in the village of Ban Ta Klang. Altogether he has caught 50-60 elephants, the last catch was about 1970, 40 years ago. Now 85 years, he is one of the five oldest Mor Chang (highranked elephant trainers) of Kui tribe, having the rank Sadam. His father had 5 elephants, which he started to work with, when he was 10 years old. After his fathers death, being the only son, he inherited those elephants, and caught another 5 for himself. His last two elephants were passed to ...


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event
People parade with a white elephant and a vehicle carrying a sacred Buddha tooth relic from China, encircling the grounds of the Maha Pasana Cave in Yangon Nov 22, 2011.

Sacred Buddha tooth relic arrives at Yangon

2011-11-23 - Yangoon, Myanmar.

The Chinese Buddha sacred tooth relic, after being placed in Nay Pyi Taw for 16-day public obeisance, was conveyed to Yangon´s Maha Pasana Cave in Kaba Aye Pagoda Tuesday for continued public obeisance by Yangon residents. Nearly 50,000 people filled the two sides of the 7-kilometer motor road leading from the airport to the Kaba Aye Pagoda in greeting the tooth relic.


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blog

Report from the Surin elephant roundup festival 19-20 November

2011-11-21 - Surin, Thailand. Dan Koehl

King Naresuan´s elephant is now standing out on the stadium field, prepared to battle. The black color also has a reason; Naresuan (then known as Prince Naret) was also known as the Black Prince (Thai: พระองค์ดำ). His younger brother Ekathotsarot was known as the White Prince, and his elder sister Suphankanlaya was known as the Golden Princess.


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blog

Chipperfield to Ringling Brothers Barnum & Baileys Circus in U.S.A.

2011-11-17 - Kolmarden, Sweden. Dan Koehl

What started with a 100 year old picture of 12 Chipperfield elephants in Clonmel railway station, Tipperary, during tour in Ireland in 1952, has developed into an ambitious effort to research all their elephants from 1947.Inspired by this story about about travels, I pack my trunk and leave with air to Bangkok, for a five months journey in Asia, soon comes here pictures and reports from the elephant roundup in Surin!


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smuggle
Hong Kong Customs officials display the rhino horns and elephant ivory products they seized November 14, 2011

Hong Kong Customs Seizes Rhino Horns, Ivory Worth Millions

2011-11-16 - Hong Kong, China.

Hong Kong Customs officials Monday smashed a smuggling case and seized 33 rhino horns, 758 ivory chopsticks and 127 ivory bracelets with a total value of about US$17.4 million. The contraband ivory and rhino horns were hidden inside a container shipped to Hong Kong from South Africa. Acting on a risk assessment, Customs officers selected a container for inspection that was declared to contain 63 packages of "scrap plastic" from a vessel arriving from Cape Town, South Africa.


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event

Wangchang Ayutthaya corral set to reopen Nov 15

2011-11-15 - Ayutthaya, Thailand.

The Ayutthaya Elephant Palace and Royal Elephant Kraal or Wangchang Ayutthaya corral, a major tourist attraction in the central province of Ayutthaya, will reopen Nov 15 as the severe flooding has eased, according to owner Laithongrien Meepan.


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misc

Restoring P.T. Barnum"s Jumbo was no small project

2011-11-14 - Rochester, United States.

On Sept. 15, 1885, at St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, Jumbo and a tiny clown elephant named "Tom Thumb" were being led along a railroad track when an unscheduled freight train appeared. Jumbo charged at the train and was killed in the ensuing collision. Barnum immediately summoned the best man in America to salvage something from the debacle – Henry A. Ward of Rochester.


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conflict

Elephant herd prowls Mayurbhanj villages

2011-11-14 - BARIPADA, India.

A huge herd of elephants sneaked into Khuntapal village in Mayurbhanj´s Rasgovindpur block at about 8 pm on Saturday, triggering panic among people. Before entering into Khuntapal, the herd prowled through Bhuraidihi and Kukudajodi villages of the block, giving forest officers sleepless nights.


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course

The First European Elephant Management School

2011-11-14 - Hamburg, Germany.

The curriculum will cover the majority aspects of elephant management and elephant care, from husbandry and health care, to transport, training, reproduction and conservation.


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people
Minister for Forest and Sports KB Ganesh Kumar inaugurating the 4th State Conference of Kerala Elephant Owners Federation at Town Hall yesterday.

Jumbo Associations merge amidst row

2011-11-13 - Thrissur , India.

He was inaugurating the 4th State Conference of Kerala Elephant Owners Federation at Town Hall yesterday. Ganesh Kumar also announced the merger of Kerala Elephant Owners Association with Kerala Elephant Owners Federation.


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relocation

Elephant relocation begins in Hassan

2011-11-13 - Bangalore, India.

The forest department is all set to capture and relocate at least 30 elephants in December in Hassan district. While they await the central government´s permission for it, the forest department has begun preparations for one of the massive elephant captures of the country.


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smuggle

What news of seized ivory?

2011-11-13 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

IT HAS been more than two months since the Royal Malaysian Customs announced there had been three massive seizures of African elephant tusks or ivory at the ports of Pasir Gudang, Penang and Port Klang. In total, 1764 tusks were seized. Has the ivory been auctioned as suggested by some parties, and if it is to be, where is the public announcement?


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accident

Elephant Falls Into Ditch At Tea Plantation In India, Rescued By Excavator And Locals (VIDEO)

2011-11-13 - New Delhi, India.

This elephant tumbled into a hole while walking in a tea plantation in India, according to the video. The animal struggles to get off its back to no avail, as a crowd gathers and attempts to help. In what appears to be a last-ditch effort, some locals bring in an excavator to dig out the elephant and give it a few friendly pushes.


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circus

US circuses against proposed "no exotic wildlife" law

2011-11-13 - New York, United States.

The bill, introduced this month in the House of Representatives by Virginia Congressman Jim Moran, aims directly at travelling circuses by seeking to outlaw exotic or wild animals from performances if they have been traveling within the previous 15 days.


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conflict

65-year-old inured in attack by wild elephant

2011-11-13 - KOZHIKODE, India.

A 65-year-old man was injured when a wild elephant ran amok at a retreat centre at Kulathuvayal, near Chakkittapara in the district on Saturday morning. The tusker came from Mukkavala forest region and entered the centre by destructing the compound wall.


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accident

Jumbos hit by trains: When will these tragedies end?

2011-11-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

One is dead and will more follow, for three elephants have been mowed down by the Colombo Fort-Omanthai mail train at the 97.5 milepost between Galgamuwa and Ambanpola at about 3 a.m. last Tuesday. Ironically this is not the first but the third time that elephants have been knocked down at the same location. It was in June this year that three gentle giants died an agonising death after being hit by a special train carrying Poson pilgrims. A few years prior to that another three were killed prac...


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relocation
Robert Mugabe

Mugabe gives elephants to China

2011-11-12 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

President Robert Mugabe has donated three elephants to China in appreciation for that country’s assistance to his wife’s orphanage project. The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force says it does not know where the elephants came from and is concerned that they may not survive the long, traumatic journey to China.


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misc
A mother and baby elephant were found distressed and dehydrated, sinking in deep mud at a safari park in Zambia.

Dramatic rescue of mother and baby elephant. Sinking elephants pulled from mud

2011-11-11 - Mfuwe, Zambia. Dominique van Heerden

Most conservationists would agree that you should not interfere with mother nature. But there are exceptions to every rule. Staff and tourists at Kapani Safari Lodge in Zambia were caught by surprise when a mother and baby elephant became trapped in mud. Saying they couldn´t just "stand by and watch them slowly die," what ensued was a dramatic rescue.


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event

Mumbai Pooram hopes to recreate Kerala temple fest

2011-11-11 - Mumbai, India.

Kerala’s famous Thrissur Pooram festival will be replicated in the city from November 11 to 13 at the KDMC stadium in Dombivili. Complete with gold caparisoned elephants, colour, dance and fireworks, the festival will aim to increase cultural exchange between the two states.


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poaching
Maps showing dramatic decreases in elephants in the Democratic Republic of Congo

More than 50-per-cent decline in elephants in eastern Congo due to human conflict: UBC research

2011-11-10 - Kinshasa, Congo.

In some of the best-documented cases to date, the study shows the elephant population in the Okapi Faunal Reserve – one of the last strongholds of forest elephants in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – saw a 50 per cent decline in the last decade due to civil war and ivory poaching, from 6,439 to 3,288. In other parks in eastern DRC, the decimation was even greater.


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relocation

3 Syracuse zoo elephants back home from Canada

2011-11-10 - Syracuse, United States.

Three of the Syracuse zoo´s elephants are finally back home after spending the past five years at a safari park in Canada. Ted Fox, director of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, says Mali and her 3-year-old son Chuck arrived at the zoo Tuesday afternoon, followed the next day by Targa. The pachyderms were carried from Cambridge, Ontario in tractor-trailer trucks specially designed to haul elephants.


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people
Anne was filmed being hit and kicked by circus staff

Bobby And Moira Roberts Charged With Causing Suffering To Anne The Circus Elephant

2011-11-10 - London, United Kingdom.

Husband and wife Bobby and Moira Roberts have been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to Anne the circus elephant. The Crown Prosecution Service said it had taken over the prosecution of the couple, who run the Bobby Roberts Super Circus, from Animal Defenders International (ADI) "given the public concern over the case". An undercover team from the animal welfare organisation filmed Anne being hit with a metal pitchfork, kicked in the face and body and shackled with heavy chains earlier ...


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smuggle
Some of the ivory seized in Vietnam

Tonne of African ivory seized on Vietnam-Chinese border. More than 200 pieces hidden in cloth

2011-11-10 - Mong Cai, Vietnam.

Weighing more than a tonne and hidden inside bundles of cloth, more than a tonne of ivory has been confiscated from a river boat near the city of Mong Cai, close to the country´s border with China. Vietnamese officials say that scientific analysis confirms that all 211 items seized during the raid last month were, as suspected, African elephant ivory.


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event

162 Elephants Head to Singapore

2011-11-10 - Singapore, Singapore.

In January, Sotheby’s will auction off the statues and donate part of the proceeds to the Asian Elephant Foundation and the conservation fund of the Wildlife Reserves Singapore. The funds will pay for elephant hospitals and land for elephants to roam in the wild.


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facility

Demolition of Cheyenne Mountain Zoo elephant barn

2011-11-10 - COLORADO SPRINGS, United States.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo´s ´Encounter Africa´ project took another step Wednesday morning when crews demolished the old elephant barn to make room for the new exhibit. Elephant keepers got the first swings in with sledgehammers, then gave way to a wrecking ball, which made quick work of the vacant barn.


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fossil
Fossils of mastodons and mammoths found at a site in Colorado may have come from animals that became trapped in ‘quicksand’ during an earthquake.

Secrets of a mastodon graveyard

2011-11-09 - Snowmass, United States.

The site was uncovered on 14 October 2010, when a bulldozer ran into a number of mammoth bones at Ziegler Reservoir near Snowmass, Colorado. Palaeontologists were called out, including Kirk Johnson of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and found the nearly complete skeleton of a Pleistocene mammoth (Mammuthus columbi).


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misc

San Diego fair board turns down activists who oppose elephant rides

2011-11-09 - San Diego, United States.

After hearing three hours of passionate disagreement about how to treat elephants, the governing board of the San Diego County Fair rejected a request Tuesday from two high-profile animal-rights groups to cut ties with a company that brings elephants to the fair for children to ride. But board members voted 4 to 3 to revisit the issue in 2014 when new restrictive rules from the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums about elephants become effective. The new rules do not have the force of law, but the asso...


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facility
Newcomer Bodhi, a 7-year-old male, is one of eight bull elephants the Denver Zoo intends to acquire for its Asian Tropics habitat, set to open next spring. The habitat also will be home to clouded leopard, flying fox, fishing cat, Asian small-clawed otte

Denver Zoo finishing world-class expansion for elephants and friends

2011-11-09 - Denver, United States. Electa Draper

The two-year din of construction behind screened fences at Denver Zoo is being replaced by the pitter-patter of enormous feet — elephant, rhino and tapir. The almost-completed $50 million Asian Tropics exhibit is the zoo´s bid for greatness. Everything about the 10-acre exhibit — which must remain under wraps until late spring, when animal relocations, quarantines and training all will have run their courses — is meant to be a gee-whiz, eye-opening experience. And not just for the hu...


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conflict
The elephant after it was calmed in Burdwan.

Elephant tramples child after fun ride. Attack when boy placed money on trunk

2011-11-08 - Burdwan, India.

An elephant twice flung a seven-year-old boy to the ground and trampled him to death in front of his parents, shortly after the child had a fun ride on its back here this afternoon. Vivek Sahani had just placed a ten-rupee note in the hollow of 30-year-old Anarkali’s trunk when the unexplained attack came.


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event

Let Toronto Zoo Experts Decide the Best New Home For Their Elephants. Sign petition

2011-11-07 - Toronto, Canada.

Back on May 12th a decision was made by the Toronto Zoo Board of Management to send the zoo´s three Elephants to another accredited facility. On Oct 25th this decision was overturned in a surprise last minute motion by a Toronto City Councilor. Please sign this petition to help us urge Toronto City Council to change this motion to allow the elephant experts at the Toronto Zoo to research and decide which facility is best for these elephants taking all of their physical and psychological ne...


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conflict

Wild Asian elephant kills villager in SW China

2011-11-06 - Xishuangbanna Dai, China.

Local police confirmed the death of Cao Xiaoer, a resident of Xinshan village in the prefecture, was caused by a wild elephant, said a statement issued by the prefecture government´s information office. Since 1991, wild elephants in Xishuangbanna have attacked more than 140 people and destroyed 50,000 tonnes of grain, local forestry authorities said one year ago.


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trade
 Ivory and Tortoiseshell-veneered Cabinet Ceylon, for the Portuguese market, late 16th-17th century. Height: 16.75 cm. Width: 51 cm. Depth: 32.5 cm.

Sri Lankan ivory carvings from the Dutch period at Francesca Galloway in London

2011-11-05 - London, United Kingdom.

Amongst the objects on show will be a rare and important Anglo-Indian writing cum dressing table from Raynham Hall, Norfolk. Vizagapatam ivory inlaid furniture from the late 17th and first half of the 18th century was the exclusive preserve of senior representatives of the East India Company and wealthy British patrons enamoured of exotic Anglo- Indian design.


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poaching

3 elephants found dead in Similipal

2011-11-05 - BHUBANESWAR, India.

In a chilling reminder of last year’s elephant poaching spree in Similipal, three elephants were found dead in Ektalia forests under Karanjia forest division on Friday. Besides a male and a female, carcass of a calf was found. The tusk of the male elephant was missing fuelling fears of poisoning, as is suspected by the wildlife officials too. “A forensic officer will proceed to the spot on Saturday morning to collect evidence,” said Field Director Anup Kumar Nayak.


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medical
A baby elephant gets a new leg: Conservationists didn

Wounded elephant walks again, thanks to jumbo-sized false foot

2011-11-05 - PHNOM TAMAO, Cambodia.

"I really thought he would never make it," said Nick Marx, stroking Chhouk´s trunk with a sense of pride and affection. "He was seriously injured. He was extremely young, emaciated and very, very sick." Chhouk, a bull elephant now 5 years old, was found in the Cambodian jungle in 2007, alone and close to death, his left front foot mangled by a poacher´s trap.


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poaching

Poachers slaughter elephants in Niassa

2011-11-04 - Niassa, Mozambique.

So far this year, poachers have killed at least 52 elephants in the Niassa Reserve, in the far north of Mozambique, according to a report in Wednesday’s issue of the Beira daily paper “Diario de Mocambique”. Last year, the poachers, many of whom have crossed the border from Tanzania, killed 72 elephants in the reserve. Usually, the poachers hack off the tusks, and leave the elephants’ bodies to rot in the bush.


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wild
A herd of wild elephants at the Vallakadavu forest range, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Thekkady. File photo: H. Vibhu

Wild elephant population stable in Kerala: census

2011-11-04 - Trivandrum, India.

The wild elephant population in the Kerala forests has remained stable and healthy between 2007 and 2010, according the 2010 wild elephant census results received by the Forest Department this week. The 2010 census, according to what is called ‘block count method’ of enumeration, puts the number of wild elephants in the State’s wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas at 3,520. The same method of enumeration in the previous census conducted in 2007 had put the number at 3002.


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relocation
Bohdi, pictured taking a dip at the Columbus (Ohio) Zoo, arrived Thursday at the Denver Zoo. The 7-year-old male elephant will share his new home, Asian Tropics, with other bull elephants and other species. (Grahm Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium )

Denver Zoo new home for 7-year-old male elephant

2011-11-04 - Denver, United States.

The arrival Thursday afternoon of a 7-year-old male elephant named Bodhi marked a new chapter for the Denver Zoo, where staffers excitedly welcomed the first of the bull elephants for which it built the $50 million Asian Tropics exhibit. Bodhi, pronounced BOH-dee, traveled by truck with an elephant manager, veterinarian and head animal keeper from the Columbus Zoo in Ohio to his new home — which is nearly completed and slated for a public opening in the late spring.


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film

Head-butting Elephants at Sabi Sabi

2011-11-04 - Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, South Africa. Boyd Matson

Showing off for the girls, pushing and shoving, picking fights, refusing to listen to their mothers, I could be describing teenage boys, but in this case I’m talking teenage male elephants. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference in their behavior, and the similarities were on display when I was at the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve in South Africa. In the young male groups one minute they would be eating and the next they were butting heads and crossing tusks.


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facility

Zoo elephants movin’ on up. A larger, $12M habitat is almost ready for the pair to settle in

2011-11-04 - Honolulu, United States. Nina Wu

Sometime this month, Honolulu Zoo elephants Mari and Vaigai will take a short stroll to their newly expanded home that is 17 times larger than their old enclosure.

The new $12 million elephant exhibit, measuring 1.4 acres, features an open dirt space, tall concrete planters, shady coves and two 55,000-gallon waterfall pools with overlooking viewing areas. It is skirted by a walkway leading from the gharial display to the African Savanna section, and is surrounded by an electrified...


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fossil

8,000-year-old discovery

2011-11-04 - Bedford, United States.

Trimble County High School recently received a special donation that was at least 8,000 years in the making - a mastodon tusk. Trimble County Superintendent Marcia Dunaway delivered the tusk to TCHS biology teacher Debby Griffin about three weeks ago. It was donated by Rick Leach, the plant manager of Nugent Sand Co. in Milton, who found it while digging in one of the company´s pits.


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people

CUPE 1600 questions proposed Toronto elephant transfer

2011-11-02 - Toronto, Canada.

CUPE 1600, representing workers at the Toronto Zoo, can no longer remain silent on the issue of transferring the zoo’s three aged elephants to a private sanctuary in California. “What the council did was an ‘end run’ around the duly constituted Toronto Zoo Board of Management, who, to their credit, were doing due diligence to find the best possible place for our beloved animals,” said Grant Ankenman, president of CUPE local 1600.


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conflict

Stray elephants invade villages in northern Tanzania

2011-11-02 - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

About 300 rampaging elephants have invaded three villages in Sedeko ward in Serengeti district, northern Tanzania, and destroyed over 200 hectares of farmland and killed one person. "Until now the elephants are in the farms and they are grazing on crops like cows. Over 200 hectares have already been destroyed in Mbirikiri, Isarara and Bonchugu villages," Sedeko Ward Councilor, Richard Nyakera was quoted by Dailynews as saying. The stray elephants have also blocked thousands of villagers in the a...


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relocation

Ex-Philly elephant being moved again

2011-11-02 - Philadelphia, United States.

The Philadelphia Zoo announced yesterday that Kallie, an elephant that was moved to the Pittsburgh Zoo´s International Conservation Center in 2009 - along with Bette, another African elephant - was moved again yesterday, this time to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.


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conflict

Tuskers destroy houses in Chitwan

2011-11-02 - Chitwan, Nepal.

A group of wild elephants has dismantled two houses at Ayodhyapuri VDC of Madi in Chitwan. The wild tuskers entering from the Chitwan National Park area broke down the houses of Bhim Prasad Neupane and Nawaraj Goudel of Ayodhyapuri-3 last night. Losses incurred due to the breakdown of houses by elephants is estimated at around Rs. 100,000, informed Chitwan District Police Office.


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smuggle
A carved tusk and statue seized at the Auckland Mail Centre that have been tested and confirmed to be ivory from African elephants.

Global ivory ring busted in Auckland

2011-11-01 - Auckland, New Zealand.

Luxury items made of elephant ivory and turtle shell have been seized in Auckland as part of an international-sting on smugglers. Wildlife enforcement officers confiscated 25 wildlife items from an Auckland address on Monday night. Forensic tests will be carried out to confirm the pieces including three carved tusks, six statues and a fan - were made from endangered elephant tusk and turtle shell


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relocation

Metroparks Zoo lands 6th elephant

2011-11-01 - Cleveland, United States.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo´s elephant herd just grew to six with the arrival of Kallie from the International Conservation Center near Pittsburgh. When her quarantine is over in about a week, she will find three familiar faces: Willy, the bull of the herd, and females Martika and Shenga.


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misc

Kruger elephant tusk may break record

2011-11-01 - Mbombela, South Africa.

The tusk of one of the Kruger National Park´s oldest elephants, Duke, who died in October, seems set to break environmental records, according to a report on Tuesday. The elephant´s left tusk was the longest ever measured in the KNP, reported Beeld newspape. It was 3.21m long, while the right tusk was 2.93m long. Together, the tusks weighed 140.5kg.


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misc

Thailand flooding strands elephants in Ayutthaya

2011-11-01 - Ayutthaya, Thailand.

A group of elephants is facing a second month cut off by floods in this submerged Thai city, stranded on a small concrete island at an animal shelter just a few yards (meters) wide. The group of 17 includes seven pachyderms under 4 years old who were too small to flee when the rest of their nearly 90-strong herd escaped approaching floodwaters that engulfed this historic city north of Bangkok more than a month ago.


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fossil
In August 1977, Carl Gustafson inspects a mastodon bone embedded with what turned out to be the point of a spear fashioned from another mastodon bone. The use of new technology such as DNA sequencing has confirmed the find of the now retired WSU professo

WSU prof was right: Mastodon weapon was older than thought, scientists say

2011-10-31 - Seattle, United States.

For years, scientists dismissed Carl Gustafson´s claims that a pierced mastodon bone found in Sequim in 1977 was evidence that humans were hunting large mammals in North America 13,800 years ago. For almost 35 years, his find was ridiculed or ignored, the site dismissed as curious but not significant. New tests now show he was right.


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event

Jumbos get ready to put on a show

2011-10-31 - Mysore, India.

If you missed the elephants´s procession during Dasara celebrations in Mysore, here´s another chance. The festival of elephants is being organized on Monday at Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu district where elephants and their masters will amuse the public.


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research

Bornean elephants tracked by satellite

2011-10-31 - KINABATANGAN, Malaysia.

Three more Bornean elephants in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary (LKWS) in Sabah have joined two others being tracked from space after they were fitted with a satellite collars last week. The collars will help experts track the animals which have been penned into smaller areas over the last several years by uncontrolled plantation activities that have encroached into their habitat.


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job

Elephant Handler-Farm Hand

2011-10-31 - Pittsburgh, United States.

The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is seeking experienced elephant keepers who would be interested in joining a progressive elephant management team, utilizing both free and protected contact. The successful candidate´s primary assignment will be at the Zoo’s International Conservation Center just outside of Berlin, Pa., about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh.


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conservation
A wild Asiatic elephant foraging in a forest of Teknaf.

Save endangered elephants

2011-10-31 - Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Unplanned human settlement and cultivation on elephant habitat is causing a human-elephant conflict in Bangladesh. The result each year is around 32 human and four elephant deaths, said experts yesterday. Many more are injured and the damage to crops amounts to Tk 3 crore in the country´s north-eastern and south-eastern regions, they said.


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conservation

China, Laos Will Expand Nature Reserve To Protect Asian Elephant

2011-10-31 - Kunming, China.

China and Laos have signed an agreement to jointly build another cross-border nature reserve in order to better protect the endangered Asian elephant, reports Xinhua news agency quoting local authorities as saying. The second reserve will cover 20,000 hectares of forest in China and stretch across 35,000 hectares in Laos, according to the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Administration.


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misc

Seven-foot ceramic elephants made in 1889 selling for $9 million

2011-10-30 - London, United Kingdom.

Million Dollar Dandy brand revealed today a pair of unique, ornamented elephants worth $9 million that were manufactured more than 100 years ago. Standing seven feet high, they were crafted by the Minton factory in Staffordshire, England, for The Great 1889 Exhibition in Paris and to celebrate the opening of the Eiffel tower, these unique pieces are currently on offer by David Frosdick, founder of www.milliondollardandy.com, with a price tag of approximately over $9,000,000.


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job

Perth Zoo: Elephant keeper

2011-10-29 - Perth, Australia.

Perth Zoo currently has a fixed term vacancy up to 7 December 2013 as a Keeper within our Elephant Section. The Keeper’s role involves providing the highest possible levels of welfare, husbandry, species management, conservation research and enrichment for the group of elephants in our care.


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relocation

Rescued baby elephant brought to Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP)

2011-10-28 - Bangalore, India.

A three-month-old baby elephant, rescued from Kollegal Forest Division was brought to Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) on Thursday. The baby elephant is very weak, tender and suffering from malnutrition. It has been put into intensive care and is being closely monitored. With an addition of one more elephant, the total number of elephants in the BBP has gone up to 14, said R Raju, Executive Director, BBP.


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people

Toronto City Hall ‘not qualified to make the decision’ on elephants’ futures: Toronto Zoo staff

2011-10-26 - Toronto, Canada.

A senior elephant keeper at the Toronto Zoo is “begging” city council to reconsider its decision to send its three aging pachyderms to an 80-acre sanctuary in California. In an unexpected, and unusual move, city council voted late Tuesday to seize control of the fate of Toka, Thika and Iringa away from the Zoo board, which had decided earlier this year to place the animals in a facility accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.


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relocation

Toronto Zoo’s elephants will be sent to sanctuary

2011-10-26 - , Canada.

The Toronto Zoo’s three aging elephants should be moved to a California sanctuary, city council decided late Tuesday. The elephants would be able to live out their days there, said Councillor Michelle Berardinetti, whose motion to move the elephants was approved in a 31-4 vote. Berardinetti said councillors could be assured the elephants would not be moved again but would stay in the spacious facility, which includes an elephant sized whirlpool to treat arthritis.


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welfare
Apparently Phungbunma had been tied up for about a month and had grown more and more weak, eventually falling over. She was given medication from the vets and will hopefully soon make a full recovery.

Emergency services and local residents help neglected elephant

2011-10-26 - Pattaya, Thailand.

Residents help ´Phungbunma´, female elephant that had fallen in the eucalyptus jungle and could not get up on her own, she is a tour elephant that the mahout had tied from being ill in an area vegetated with Eucalyptus not far from the Maaprachan reservoir.


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zoo

NY zoo hopes to get 3 elephants back from Canada

2011-10-25 - SYRACUSE, United States.

Anyone who has tried to get their pet across an international border knows that it can be difficult. Try getting three elephants across the border. That´s what officials at Syracuse´s Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park are attempting to do five years after sending two pachyderms to a safari park outside Toronto because the upstate zoo was getting crowded. While at the Ontario zoo, one of the elephants gave birth.


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death
elephant Elephants in central highlands are believed to suffer harsh treatment and abuse.

Circus elephant dies of exhaustion

2011-10-24 - Quang Nam, Vietnam.

A 70-year-old elephant died last Tuesday due to hunger and cold weather while it was on the way to perform circus in the central province of Quang Nam. The body of the 4-ton elephant has been destroyed and the place where it died has been sterilized, said Nguyen Van Ngu, chairman of People’s Committee of Thang Binh District. The elephant, named Ho Nun, came from the Don village in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak and was hired by the animal circus troupe Hoang Nam.


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smuggle

Vietnam confiscates 1 ton of elephant tusks

2011-10-23 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

Vietnamese authorities say they have uncovered more than a ton of elephant tusks that smugglers were attempting to illegally take to China. Customs official Ly Tran Tuan says the 221 pieces of tusks were discovered Sunday hidden in rolls of fabric that were being transported on a boat on the Ka Long river bordering the two countries.


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birth

Whipsnade Zoo Baby elephant arrives after 700 day wait

2011-10-20 - Whipsnade, United Kingdom.

After a 700 day pregnancy, the newest addition to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo’s Asian elephant herd was born at 12:15am this Tuesday. Despite this, the new calf (who has yet to be named) is also the smallest elephant ever born at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo weighing in at just 104kg, around 16 stone, at birth. At first keepers were not sure whether he would be able to reach his mother’s milk but he quickly learnt to get on his tip-toes and has had no problem feeding.


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misc

13,800-year-old mastodon kill site in Washington: New window on lives of first Americans

2011-10-20 - Washington, United States.

Other scientists scoffed when Carl Gustafson claimed that Stone Age people were hunting mastodons 14,000 years ago in the Northwest, a millennium before the appearance of the Clovis-style stone tools widely regarded as the signature of the first Americans. Gustafson found mastodon remains including a rib with a foreign piece of bone embedded in it near Sequim, Wash., in 1977. He concluded it was a weapon carved from bone or antler and hurled at the tip of a spear.


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job

Jacksonville Zoo: Mammal Keeper - Elephants

2011-10-12 - Jacksonville, United States.

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is currently seeking a qualified candidate for the position of full time Mammal Keeper with responsibilities focused on the daily management and care of 1.3 African elephants. Desired skills include, but are not limited to, animal husbandry, operant conditioning, environmental enrichment, exhibit maintenance and minor repair. Candidates must possess solid observational and record keeping skills, an excellent safety record, a strong work history, and the ability t...


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facility

Houston Zoo opens new elephant expanded elephant habitat. McNair Asian Elephant Habitat Grows by 1.5 Acres

2011-10-12 - Houston, United States.

An elephant exhibit sets great zoos apart from the ordinary. That is why the Houston zoo is proud to announce the latest improvement to the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat. The end result of two years of planning and construction, the latest addition represents a six-fold expansion of the Habitat since the opening of the 7,000 square foot elephant barn and improved viewing areas in June 2008. The new addition adds 1.5 acres to the elephant’s outside habitats.


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people

Leonardo DiCaprio Speaks for Elephants

2011-10-10 - Washington, United States.

The 36-year-old actor announced yesterday that he´s leading a new initiative, Elephants, Never Forget, to focus on the crisis that elephants face. "The ivory trade fuels conflict and strife," DiCaprio said. "Elephants are killed by poachers so their tusks can be traded for weapons and drugs by international criminal organizations before becoming trinkets and jewelry for consumers. Authorities in 85 countries have seized almost 400 tons of ivory on the black market since the 1989 ivory trad...


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conference

2011 Elephant and Rhino Research and Conservation Symposium

2011-10-10 - Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The Rotterdam Zoo in association with the International Elephant Foundation (IEF) would like to invite you to participate in the 2011 Elephant and Rhino Research and Conservation Symposium scheduled for October 10-14, 2011 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This year IEF welcomes to the elephant symposium our colleagues working with all species of rhinos, both in human care and in the wild. Elephants and rhinos face similar problems in the wild (habitat loss and poaching), and many animal managers, ...


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job

Memphis Zoo: elephant zookeeper

2011-10-06 - Memphis, United States.

The Memphis Zoo has an opening for a Keeper in our Elephant area. This position requires a minimum of two years of experience in pachyderm care, including knowledge of training concepts and philosophies needed to work with pachyderms and a varied collection of hooved animals and birds, and a college degree in zoology, biology or a related field (or the equivalent combination of education and experience). Significant experience with operant conditioning is required.


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job

The Elephant Sanctuary

2011-10-04 - Hohenwald, United States.

Provides day-to-day care for elephants and endorses, practices and promotes the Protected Contact system of elephant management supervised by the Lead Caregiver.


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abstract
Tourists enjoy an elaphant ride in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. In an attempt to protect elephants, a centre has been set up tasked with increasing the number of tame elephants through artificial insemination.

Vietnam Nation"s elephants under threat

2011-10-04 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

With the death of a large number of tame elephants recently concerns have risen regarding the threat of extinction in the absence of measures to safeguard the animals. Dan Nang Long, an elephant keeper from Central Highland Dak Lak Province, had one of his elephants killed and three others injured in a poaching attack. Long said that while he had reported the incident to local police, very little existed in terms of concrete evidence in confirming the crime.


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smuggle
Officers stand guard next to seized ivory tusks

Smuggled ivory seized in Vietnam: media

2011-10-01 - Ha Noi, Vietnam.

Vietnamese police have seized more than 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of ivory believed smuggled from abroad, state-controlled media reported on Friday. Officers arrested three Vietnamese transporting the banned cargo on Thursday in a van through the north-central province of Nghe An, the reports said. Pictures of the haul showed more than two dozen tusks.


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poaching
Elephant butchered by invaders

Elephant crisis situation in Zimbabwe escalates

2011-10-01 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Escalating land invasions in Zimbabwe are taking their toll on the country’s already decimated wildlife and a herd of 70 elephants on the Chiredzi River Conservancy (CRC) in the south eastern lowveld, close to Gona re Zhou National Park, is under serious threat. The nucleus of this remarkable herd originated from Gona re Zhou, (place of the elephant) National Park’s conservation programme initiated in 1991/2 when there was an exceptionally severe drought in the lowveld and their elephants we...


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conservation
Le Van Thao poses with an elephant on his trip to the Central Highlands to photograph the last tamed ones.

Postcards in fight to save elephants

2011-09-30 - Ha Noi, Vietnam.

A recently released postcard book titled Nhung Nguoi Ban Lon (The Giant Friends) features 51 elephants that work with families living in the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) province of Dac Lac. A photograph, biography and the characteristics of each elephant cover a double page colour spread, along with the slogan: "Don´t let elephants become a memory".


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medical
Local residents help the dazed and confused pachyderm back onto his feet, with help from a crane.

Thailand’s oldest elephant rescued after fall

2011-09-30 - Pattaya, Thailand.

Thailand’s most-famous living elephant nearly went to the big pachyderm park in the sky after a veterinarian’s injection prompted a stagger and fall into a muddy pool at the Pattaya Floating Market. Somrak, whose handler claims is a record-shattering 115 years old, was rescued by staff and residents near the market’s elephant camp Sept. 21.


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conference

32nd Annual Elephant Managers Association Conference and Workshop

2011-09-30 - Rochester, NY, United States.

The 32nd Annual Elephant Manager’s Association Conference hosted by the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY, could very well be one of the most important to date. In today’s internet age, elephant management is now a global effort, and this conference will feature presentations on elephant conservation and management partnerships and collaborations in the US and worldwide.


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facility

Laos’ first elephant breeding sanctuary opens

2011-09-29 - Xayabouri, Laos. Ingrid Suter

ElefantAsia has collaborated with the Elephant Conservation Centre to establish Laos’ first elephant breeding sanctuary. The Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) focuses on providing cows with a safe environment to give birth, when their calves while supplying an income for their owners through soft tourism. The ECC hosts a specialised elephant hospital and laboratory, run by ElefantAsia. This much-needed hospital is capable of detailed blood analysis and the provision of full-time care for sick...


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research
Forest Veterinarian N.S. Manoharan taking the measurement of an elephant’s tusk during the second phase of the annual morphometric measurement of the camp elephants at Sethumadai near Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) on Wednesday. Field Director of ATR P. Va

Four camp elephants undergo morphometric test

2011-09-29 - Coimbatore, India. V. S. Palaniappan

The officials of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) on Wednesday conducted the second phase of morphometric measurement exercise for four of the 20 camp elephants. The ATR has an elephant camp at Kozhikamudhi near Top Slip. Camp elephants are subjected to morphometric measurement exercise every year to assess their health condition and to gauge the efficacy of the camp elephant management strategies.


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conflict

Jumbos kill 2 in Golaghat and Karimganj districts

2011-09-29 - Jorhat, India.

A person from the Lakhmijan area near Bokakhat forest beat office in Golaghat district was killed in an elephant attack on Wednesday while a herd of wild elephants killed a man on Tuesday night at Bubrighat Tea Estate under Patharkandi block in Karimganj district. Locals said a herd of wild elephant came out from the nearby Karbi Hills damaged the house of Kanchan Sinha, the deceased person and attacked him. However, the other members of his family managed to escape.


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conflict

Elephants do as they please: Monaragala villagers can only watch

2011-09-28 - Yala, Sri Lanka.

Several villagers including Minipuragama, Buruthagola, Helagama and Pahalagama are facing the threat of wild elephants and people in more than 1000 families are living in constant fear. They pointed out that a herd of about 30 wild elephants from the Yala National Park roam into the villages at dusk and destroy home garden crops, chena cultivations, paddy fields and chase after people.


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conflict

Elephant terror back to haunt Chhattisgarh tribal people

2011-09-27 - Raipur, India.

After giving sleepless nights for a week to the tribal people in forests of Surguja district, Chhattisgarh, a herd of wild elephants returned on Monday to the same pocket, forcing dozens of families to migrate to safe areas. A group of seven wild elephants entered two forest villages, Bakna and Bakdiha, in the wee hours.


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research
Tina Dow stands with two elephants.

Ph.D. student conducting research on African elephants

2011-09-26 - Front Royal, United States. Brooke Boening

Shortly upon completing her undergraduate studies in animal and nutritional sciences, West Virginia University Ph.D. student, Tina Dow, discovered a passion that would take her beyond the ordinary work environment: elephants. When Dow landed an internship at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, R.I., in 2002, she quickly developed a fascination with the park´s African elephants.


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people
A mahout pauses for a smoke. Once used for heavy lifting in the jungle, now most elephants haul tourists.

Last of the elephant riders. In Cambodia, amidst exotic wildlife and temple ruins, hill tribes still tame and work with elephants. But for how long?

2011-09-26 - Banlung, Cambodia.

It´s early in the morning and my motorbike guide is driving me two hours northeast from Ban Lung, the capital of Ratanakiri, toward the Vietnamese border. My quest is to find the last of Cambodia´s elephant riders.These indigenous highlanders have captured, tamed and worked with wild elephants for 2,000 years, but their traditional ways and the elephants at the heart of their culture are quickly disappearing. From an estimated wild population of around 500 elephants in this area in ...


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birth

New elephant calf for San Diego.

2011-09-26 - San Diego, United States.

Early this morning (5:45 A.M.) Umngani the 21 year old African elephant gave birth to her third calf. A male. Mabhulane is now tied with Jackson for the most calves sired. Although their ratios are reversed: seven males and two females for Mabhu, seven females and two males for Jackson. This is the sixth consecutive male elephant born at the park. And the third (out of four) born this year.


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trade
The baby elephant at Gangarama temple

The Hunt For A Stolen Elephant

2011-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Gazala Anver

Several months ago, reliable sources informed The Sunday Leader that several baby elephants had been taken from the wild and kept at temples around the country. Investigations were conducted in April and three baby elephants were traced to Dewram Vehara in Pannipitiya and the Vipashyarama Purana Vihara, Maharagama.


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conservation

Speed limit for trains to protect elephants

2011-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Dhaneshi YATAWARA

Following several rounds of discussion Railway officials together with Wildlife Conservation Authorities will impose speed limits for trains on certain areas on the Northern and Eastern railway track, Wildlife and Agrarian Services Minister S.M. Chandrasena said. "According to the talks we had with Railway officials, the trains need to limit their speed in areas where elephants cross the railway track," Minister Chandrasena told the ´Sunday Observer´. According to the Wildlife Conser...


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death

Three jumbos killed in separate incidents

2011-09-26 - Keonjhar, India.

Forest department employees on Saturday found the body of two adult elephants, one male and one female, from a remote forest in Ghungi village in Banspal block, about 30-km from here. Another elephant was run over by a train in Dhenkanal district. The 20-year-old male elephant was about 10-foot-tall and the 25-year-old female one close to 9 feet. Officials suspected the death of the elephants was caused by electrocution, as there were burn injuries on the bodies of both. There was no confirmed r...


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medical

Elephant death raises Anthrax fear

2011-09-26 - Kochi, India.

The unnatural death of an elephant, suspected of Anthrax, at the Periyar Tiger Reserve a couple of days ago has raised fears of an epidemic outbreak. With Forest Veterinary officials suspecting symptoms of Anthrax in the animal, samples have been sent for detailed tests. A final confirmation will be made only after the results of the tests are out. It was last week that a female elephant was found dead at Vallakkadavu range, opposite to Nellikkampetti in the Thekkady range. The forest officials ...


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poaching
The global demand for ivory - particularly from the Far East - is fuelling a fresh wave of elephant killing. Here an anti-poaching warden carried confiscated tusks.

Shot, face hacked off, tusks stolen... horror of the elephants butchered for their ivory

2011-09-26 - Nairobi, Kenya.

More than 3000 elephants may have been slaughtered in 2011 so far - and that´s just those we know about. In Kenya, Mary Rice from the Environmental Investigation Agency witnesses the bloody reality of the global ivory trade. since January 1, 2011 (worldwide): 11,493kg of ivory have been seized; representing at least 1,149 elephants (based on an average of 10kg per animal);

� an additional 3,997 tusks (no weight recorded) were seized, so that�s at least 1,998 elep...


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conflict

Phuket"s Two-Time Rampaging Elephant Free to Keep Trekking

2011-09-23 - Phuket, Thailand. Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian

A rogue elephant responsible for two terrifying rampages on Phuket in which the legs of tourists were broken could already be back making elephant treks on Phuket. Captain, a 22-year-old male, attacked another elephant on a trek on September 12, leaving Ukrainian honeymooner Tetiana Meia, 26, still recovering today in a Phuket hospital from a compound leg fracture. Swedish tourist Gustav Karlsson, 31, suffered similar breaks when he leapt from the back of Captain in full rampage early last year.


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misc
Michael Gregory from Stoke-on-Trent is looking for information on the mechanical elephant which he had his photo taken on in Cromer in the early 1950

Did it pack its trunk and go to the circus? The hunt for Cromer’s mysterious mechanical elephant

2011-09-22 - Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom. Lucy Clapham

It was larger than a donkey, could carry up to six children at a time and delighted seaside crowds - yet no one can seem to remember the life of Cromer’s mechanical elephant. Do you know any more about the elephant, what happened to it or where it is now? Contact reporter Lucy Clapham.


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relocation

Kenya rounds up elephants to ease trouble with humans

2011-09-22 - Narok, Kenya.

Kenyan rangers on Thursday began relocating 50 rampaging elephants to the renowned Maasai Mara game reserve to stem rising human deaths and property destruction in outlying villages. The first four of the elephants due to be relocated over the next 10 days were shot with tranquilizer darts from a helicopter near Narok town, some 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of Nairobi, a zone notorious for human-wildlife conflict.


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birth
The female calf born to the Asian elephant ASHA

Ueno Zoo"s Asian elephant gives birth at 34

2011-09-21 - Ueno, Japan.

Hoping to become proud parents, the Ueno Zoo loaned its Asian elephant ASHA to Toyohashi Zoo two years ago. The wait was worth it on Sept. 17 at 12:30 a.m., as ASHA gave birth to a female calf, the fourth successful birth in captivity in Japan of an Asian elephant and the first for an elephant belonging to the Ueno Zoo. The calf weighed 90.5 kilograms and was 93 centimeters tall. At 34, ASHA is the oldest elephant in Japan to give birth. Her age is the equivalent of between 40 to 50 years in hum...


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pictures

Sumatran elephants at Way Kambas national park

2011-09-21 - Way Kambas, Indonesia.

A picture made available on 21 September shows Indonesian mahouts take care their Sumatran elephants at the elephant conservation center in Way Kambas national park, Lampung province, Indonesia, 18 September 2011. At least 65 elephants are kept at Way Kambas elephant conservation center. The Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis) is the smallest of the Asian elephants and suffers from from illegal logging and associated habitat loss and fragmentation in Indonesia.


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research

10 crore to check elephant electrocution

2011-09-21 - Keonjhar, India.

In the wake of increasing cases of elephant deaths due to electrocution, the state government has sanctioned Rs 10 crore from the State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (state-CAMPA) fund for upgrading and insulating electric cables in Telkoi forest range of Keonjhar forest division.


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relocation

KWS to move 50 elephants to Maasai Mara

2011-09-20 - Nairobi, Kenya.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) will move about 50 elephants from Narok North to the world famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, about 80 km southwest of Nairobi to mitigate escalating human wildlife conflict in the area, said a statement from KWS on Wednesday. KWS said the 10-day exercise to be officially launched on September 22 will be the first phase of an exercise whose total cost is expected to reach USD328,000. The first phase will cost USD74,000.


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poaching

Elephant Poaching Increasing in Kenya

2011-09-20 - Nairobi, Kenya. Usra Hussain

The Samburu National Reserve located in Kenya has experienced a high rate of elephant poaching this year in comparison to the past 11 years. Although, elephants do not have any natural predators other than lions, elephants are threatened by human beings. African and Asian elephants are hunted for their ivory tusks and illegally traded for money. The conservationists of the Samburu National Reserve have been actively fighting poachers in order to protect the elephants in their reserve.


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poaching

Mozambique: Poachers Kill 12 Elephants in Quirimbas Park

2011-09-20 - Maputo, Mozambique.

Poachers have killed at least 12 elephants in the space of a week in the Quirimbas National Park (PNQ), in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado. The PNQ is a fully protected area covering around 7,500 square kilometres. It consists of the islands of the Quirimbas archipelago, and a large stretch of mainland bush and forest.


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medical

Medical test must for tuskers in games

2011-09-19 - Kathmandu, Nepal.

Fearing further spread of deadly tuberculosis among elephants, the Department of National Park and Wildlife Reserve (DNPWC) has barred government-owned tuskers from taking part in any kind of game where chances of physical contacts with privately-owned elephants without tuberculosis-free certificates are high.


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smuggle

Ivory smuggler arrested at airport

2011-09-19 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

An ivory smuggler attempting to pass through Dubai International Airport has been arrested. The passenger faces a fine or imprisonment, officials said on Thursday. Police did not disclose how the smuggler was caught, where the ivory had come from or its intended destination. The smuggler´s identity was not revealed. Police said the polished ivory had originally been taken from the tusks of an African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana). Items seized included bracelets.


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trade
Elephants carved from illegal Ivory on display at an

Chinese Demand Revives Ivory Trade

2011-09-19 - Hong Kong, China.

A long-dormant threat to Africa´s elephant population is back with a vengeance, thanks to rising demand for ivory from newly affluent Chinese consumers.Reflecting this demand, ivory prices in China have soared to as high as US$7,000 a kilogram in 2011 from US$157 a kilo in 2008, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency, a nongovernmental organization based in London. Estimates from other researchers and NGOs put ivory prices in China as low as US$300 to US$750 a kilo, which neve...


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event

King"s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament In Thailand Raises $100,000 For Conservation

2011-09-19 - Hua Hin, Thailand.

Tell most Americans you spent Sunday watching some large creatures chasing a ball around a field and they will assume you went to an NFL football game. But say that to someone in Thailand and they might assume you attended the King´s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in the town of Hua Hin. The annual event raises money for the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, Thailand, which cares for more than 60 elephants and their "mahouts," the people who drive the lumbering giants.


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misc

Balarama successor will be ready in four years

2011-09-19 - Mysore, India.

A new ‘ambari’ elephant is in the making. The 53-year-old Balarama, which carried golden howdah for 12 consecutive years, is likely to do the job for another three to fours years only. Tusker Gopi, who was brought from Dubare elephant camp this year to participate in the famed jumbo savari, is responding well to the training and has been chosen as Balarama’s successor.


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poaching

Zimbabwe poachers turn to poisoning water holes

2011-09-19 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe´s wildlife authority says poachers have begun poisoning watering holes, killing nine elephants and at least five lions in recent weeks. Spokeswoman Caroline Washaya-Moyo of Zimbabwe´s wildlife department says elephants´ ivory tusks were removed but lions´ heads and skins were left intact.


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course

Elephant Care Workshop

2011-09-19 - Phoenix, United States.

A Practical Workshop on Elephant Footcare and Habitat. Design to support elephant health. Friday, September 23rd, 2011 - Optional Trip to Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo. Reid Park Zoo provides participants to observe African Elephant Footcare.


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people

Mahout faints while riding elephant, 108 emergency officials get him off

2011-09-17 - Memnagar, India.

In a bizarre incident, a man sitting on an elephant was stoned by some children in Memnagar for no known reason. The man fainted on the elephant itself. What, however, followed was a scene that resembled a comedy Bollywood flick. The officials of 108 emergency service had to use two ambulances to get the man off the elephant.


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death

Jumbo calf hit by bus

2011-09-17 - Jorhat, India.

An elephant calf was injured in the Deusur area of Kaziranga National Park after being hit by a bus on NH-37 early on Friday. Forest department officials said the incident took place when a herd of jumbos was crossing the highway. "Although the other jumbos in the herd crossed the road safely, the calf got hit by the bus and was injured," said Burapahar forest range officer I Majid.


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death

Sick elephant put to sleep

2011-09-16 - Chhindwara, India.

An aged elephant was put to sleep by poisoning here today as the animal, suffering from paralysis and other ailments, was very ill, forest department sources said. The elephant had been abandoned by a circus company after it suffered a stroke about two-and-half months ago, sources said.
Since then it was in the care of Forest Officials in the Puama Depot.
But its condition deteriorated, so the official decided to put it out of misery, sources said.


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death

Tusker found dead in Corbett Tiger Reserve

2011-09-16 - Dehra Dun, India.

A tusker was found dead today in Corbett Tiger Reserve here, an official said. The carcass of the adult elephant with its back portion eaten by a tiger was noticed by forest guards in Sarpduli range during patrolling, CTR deputy director C K Kavidayal said. A postmortem will be conducted to ascertain the cause of its death, he said. Another 11-year-old tusker was found dead in a paddy field at Halduchaur area in Nainital district yesterday.


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research

Mammoth blood proteins could be used in major surgery

2011-09-16 - Pittsburgh, United States. Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University

The blood from woolly mammoths is helping scientists develop new blood products for medical procedures such as heart and brain surgery. Many such operations require artificial hypothermia to be induced by drastically reducing the patient´s body temperature.


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smuggle
Ivory products at a store in Guangzhou. On Wednesday 30 elephant tusks of undetermined value were impounded at the port of Mombasa en route Hong Kong. While most countries enforce the ban on ivory, China and Japan have been permitted to buy non-poached i

Elephant tusks impounded at Kenya"s Mombasa port

2011-09-15 - Mombasa, Kenya. ANTHONY KITIMO

Thirty elephant tusks of undetermined value were impounded at the port of Mombasa en route Hong Kong on Wednesday evening. The consignment weighing 274.4 kilograms was intercepted by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials during their normal inspection at the port. According to deputy commissioner in charge of customs in the southern region, Ms Rose Gichira, the consignment was stuffed in a 40-foot container covered with bales of buttons and clothes.


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relocation

Sri Lanka to donate baby elephant to Philippines" Manila zoo

2011-09-15 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Government spokesman and Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said Thursday that the Cabinet has approved a proposal presented by the Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne to donate the baby elephant from the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage to the Manila zoo. In addition, Sri Lankan Embassy in Philippines has organized a series of events to mark the golden jubilee celebrations to be held in Manila on the 3rd week of September.


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welfare
Paloh in the National Elephant Conservation Centre, Malaysia

Chained elephant Paloh is freed from Malaysian hell zoo thanks to Mirror readers

2011-09-13 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Greig Box-Turnbull

BABY elephant Paloh – who was cruelly chained up in a filthy zoo – was freed yesterday thanks to campaigning Mirror readers. Shocking photographs of two-year-old orphan Paloh shackled and roped in a dirty back yard in a Malaysian zoo sparked outrage. But now Paloh has been taken to a loving sanctuary where she can forage happily for hours every day.


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conflict
An elephant chases a car in Wayanad.

The conflict between elephants and humans has no winners

2011-09-13 - Kochi, India. Jose Kurian

Just two days ago wild elephants went on a rampage after they strayed into human inhabitations in the hamlets adjoining the jungles of Palakkad district. Man-animal conflict is a continuing story in the State’s jungle zones. For thousands of families living either within the jungles or contiguous to them, life has become dangerous. The elephants, for their part, bear the brunt of man’s commercial greed that has blocked their natural corridors.


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medical
A man looks at Pa Hae Po, a wounded 22-year-old male elephant using trunk to support its balance while being treated at the Elephant Hospital in Lampang province, northern Thailand Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. The elephant received an injury on the front lef

Thai elephant steps on land mine in Myanmar

2011-09-13 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Thai veterinarians say a 22-year-old elephant was wounded when he wandered into neighboring Myanmar and stepped on a land mine. Soraida Salwala of the Friends of the Asian Elephant conservation group in northern Thailand says the pachyderm´s left foot was severely hurt in Sunday´s blast in Myanmar´s Kayin state.


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facility

Elephant Center shifts north to Fellsmere from St. Lucie County | Poll

2011-09-07 - Fellsmere, United States. Eric Pfahler

Plans for a National Elephant Center on the Treasure Coast are back, although the location has changed. The group looking to house elephants now plans to locate in Fellsmere instead of western St. Lucie County. After squabbles with St. Lucie County commissioners over restrictions, the organization is expected to apply for permits on Thursday on 225 acres in northern Fellsmere, currently an unused private citrus grove surrounded by farmland near the Brevard County line.


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smuggle
This file illustration photo shows an African elephant at a national park in southern Kenya. Malaysian authorities have seized nearly 700 elephant tusks bound for China, an official said, the latest in a series of hauls indicating Malaysia had become a k

Malaysia seizes nearly 700 elephant tusks

2011-09-06 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Malaysian authorities have seized nearly 700 elephant tusks bound for China, an official said, the latest in a series of hauls indicating Malaysia had become a key ivory transit hub. Inspectors discovered the 695 African elephant tusks, worth three million ringgit ($1 million), on Friday in Klang, Malaysia´s biggest port, customs official Zainul Abidin Taib told AFP on Tuesday.


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film

The eyes of Thailand

2011-09-04 - Bangkok, Thailand.

A new film that highlights the plight of Asian Elephant landmine survivors.


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smuggle

Malaysia exposed as major transit point after seizure of 1,000 elephant tusks

2011-08-26 - PETALING JAYA, Malaysia.

A container of anchovies headed for Malaysia from Africa turned out to be no small fry. Hidden within the strong smelling anchovies were more than 1,000 elephant tusks. The killing of more than 500 elephants for the tusks has now turned the spotlight on Malaysia as a significant transit point for the illegal elephant ivory trade.


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birth

Baby elephant born at Disney"s Animal Kingdom

2011-08-26 - LAKE BUENA VISTA, United States.

The elephant herd at Disney’s Animal Kingdom got just a little larger with the birth of a baby calf. Weighing 311 pounds, the male African elephant was welcomed into the group by his mother Vasha, 10 herd members and a team of animal care professionals assisting with the birth. The 25-year-old mother delivered the herd’s sixth offspring after gaining more than 800 pounds during a 22-month gestation. This latest addition, which has yet to be named, is the second calf for Vasha, who gave birth...


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misc
An elephant trainer gives this elephant a soaking at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

New regulations could end all elephant rides

2011-08-24 - New York, United States. Rachel Raskin-Zrihen

New rules recently adopted by the nation´s animal facility oversight agency may mean the end of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom´s popular elephant encounter attraction. The new policy, approved Monday, prohibits "free contact" handling of elephants in favor of the so-called "protected-contact" elephant management method, according to information from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) website.


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circus

Ny the Saigon circus elephant

2011-08-24 - Saigon, Vietnam. Annie Eagleton

Shortly after returning from Dak Lak to Da Nang, I was alerted to a campaign to retire a circus elephant in Sai Gon. This elephant cow, Ny, had been captured from the wild at age three and was gifted to Sai Gon Circus in District 1, by the City of Ho Chi Minh. (I was recently informed that she was originally a gift from Sony Korea, along with another elephant, in gratitude for licence in Viet Nam. The government, at a loss what to do with them, gave them to the circus.)


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conservation

First ever Sri Lanka National Elephant Survey: Elephant boom in North

2011-08-22 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Dhaneshi YATAWARA

The results of the first ever National Elephant Survey is currently undergoing a close scrutiny at the Statistics Department of the Peradeniya University. The Department of Wildlife Conservation expects to issue an interim report as the initial step and later a complete survey.


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fossil

Perfectly Preserved Woolly Mammoth Baby Found in Russia"s Permafrost

2011-08-19 - Moscow, Russian Federation. Michael Santo

Another, new, near perfectly preserved baby woolly mammoth has been discovered in Russia´s permafrost by a reindeer herder, authorities said on Friday. Local officials said that the carcass of the baby woolly mammoth was as perfectly preserved as Lyuba, a 40,000 year old mammoth calf discovered in the same region four yearse ago. The new, still be be "named" calf was discovered sticking out of the permafrost. Although unconfirmed by authorities, they have sent an expedition to the region, ...


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welfare

Elephant polo cancelled after protest

2011-08-18 - Jaipur, India.

A global campaign by animal right activists has led to cancellation of the day-long prestigious elephant polo tournament scheduled on Sunday and slated to be witnessed by who´s who of the corporate world at the Rajasthan Polo Ground here. The main sponsor of the event - Carlsberg India Pvt. Ltd. - withdrew on Tuesday in view of the growing opposition to the event as animal right activists from across the world had launched a campaign against it.


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death

Elephant calf sacrificed for President’s Prana Pooja

2011-08-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

An elephant calf has died in Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on the 9th. The calf had been born on 16th January to the she elephant called ‘Lasanda.’ However, this elephant mother had been separated from its calf on a request by the President and was offered to Vishnu Temple at Devinuwara.


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death
Millangoda Raja

An elegy to Millangoda Raja

2011-08-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Tharindu Muthukumarana

The world famous Millangoda Raja has passed away, leaving us the sweet memories that we had of the great tusker. Millangoda Raja was known as a tusker, had the longest tusks in the whole of Asia. The beauty of the tusker was such that it was featured in the covers of several books about elephants. The death of Millangoda Raja was a natural death. The teeth of the elephant had worn out and it could only swallow little amounts of food at a time. This sort of old aged death comes to wild elephants,...


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conservation

2011-08-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Wildlife groups in Sri Lanka are threatening to boycott the country´s first national survey of wild elephants after a minister said it would be used to identify animals for use at temples. A dozen privately-run wildlife organisations on Tuesday pulled out their volunteers on the eve of the survey which aims to count the number of animals across all of the formerly war-torn island´s national parks for the first time.


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research

Pittsburgh zoo still waiting for elephant semen

2011-08-08 - Pittsburgh, United States.

Officials at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium say they´re still waiting for South African officials to ship elephant semen to the United States so the zoo can establish North America´s first elephant sperm bank. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (http://bit.ly/qS5twH ) says the zoo has been working on the plan for nearly two years, but they´ve had difficulty getting export and import permits for16 liters of semen being stored in the National Zoo´s BioBank in Pretoria, South...


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conflict
Protesting villagers

Villagers block junction demanding solution to Human-Elephant Conflict

2011-07-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Residents of the area blocked Palagala junction last week, demanding a solution for their Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) issue. About 1,500 villagers gathered at this junction on July 20, protesting the death in the last two months of 7 villagers killed by elephants, according to media reports. Traffic from Kekirawa, Galewela and Mahawa was blocked, causing severe inconvenience to the public. The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) had to assure the villagers that they would relocate the tr...


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film

5 Tons of Elephant Ivory Set on Fire by Kenya’s President (VIDEO)

2011-07-31 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Last Wednesday, Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki set fire to more than five tonnes of elephant ivory to bring attention to the problem of poaching. About 335 ivory tusks and 41,000 trinkets worth about $16,290,000 ( £10 million) were burned. It had been confiscated by officials in Singapore in 2002 and found to be from Zambia and Malawai, says the Guardian.


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event

Thailand: Play ball

2011-07-31 - Hua Hin, Thailand.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament is on Sept. 5-11 in the seaside town of Hua Hin. Returning to its original venue, the annual charity tournament has become one of the country’s largest tourist events. It has raised more than $300,000, primarily for the National Elephant Institute, which provides medical care, sustenance, employment and mahout training for Thailand’s elephant population


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poaching
A poached iMfolozi rhino

China blamed for increase in poaching

2011-07-31 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

The Chinese, political decisions and a growing black market are being blamed for the rise in elephant and rhino poaching. Last week 10 people were arrested for poaching and unlawful possession of elephant tusks and rhino horns that they were suspected of selling to buyers from China.


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smuggle

American art dealer charged with ivory trafficking

2011-07-28 - Philadelphia, United States.

An African art dealer from Philadelphia was arrested on Tuesday 26 July and has been charged with illegally smuggling elephant ivory. Police seized one ton of ivory originating from Africa, making it one of the largest seizures of ivory to be illegally imported to the United States. The suspect, Victor Gordon, stained and dyed the ivory to create the impression that it was old.


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abstract

The dynamics of social networks among female Asian elephants

2011-07-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Corroborating previous studies of this and other Asian elephant populations, we find that the sizes of elephant groups observed in the field on any particular day are typically small and that rates of association are low. In contrast to earlier studies, our longitudinal observations reveal that individuals form larger social units that can be remarkably stable across years while associations among such units change across seasons.


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death

Navam Raja, no more

2011-07-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Tharindu Muthukumarana

The death of this majestic tusker was a tear jerking story for most Sri Lankans. This is not the first time when a death of an elephant became a story much talked about through out Sri Lanka. The tusker passed away on Friday 8, 2011, at about 7 am. Navam Raja was an attractive part of the Navam Prerahera. Raja meaning the king in both Sinhala and Tamil languages became the lead elephant to take part in the Gangarama Navam Perahera.


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death

Caldwell Zoo elephant dies over weekend

2011-07-14 - Tyler, United States.

Caldwell Zoo is saddened to announce that our African Elephant bull “Chico” passed away suddenly Saturday July 9. At the time of his death he was 46 years old and the oldest African bull in North American zoos. Chico had not exhibited any signs of illness prior to his death. A team of pathologists from Texas A&M University along with Caldwell Zoo veterinarians performed a necropsy and at this time the cause of death is undetermined pending further test results.


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relocation

Little Rock Zoo gets 2 new elephants from Ringling

2011-06-08 - Little Rock, United States.

Two retired female circus elephants have arrived at the Little Rock Zoo to keep Ellen company. Full information is on the jump. Jewell is 60. Zina, the one with the hairy legs, is 50. Both are Asian elephants. The elephants came from the Ringling Center for Elephant Conservation and arrived here early this morning following a 20-hour tractor-trailer ride from Sarasota, Fla. They seemed comfortable in their new home when we visited — trumpeting and harrumphing occasionally as they ambled about,...


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research

40-Year Study Finds Elephants and Humans Are Remarkably Alike

2011-06-08 - Amboseli, Kenya.

After four decades of research into the social behavior of pachyderms, biologists have arrived at a remarkable conclusion: they´re really not so different from us. The results of the longest continual study of elephants found that some behaviors many people believe to be unique to humans, like casting flirtatious glances or arguing about directions, are in reality quite common among these species as well -- except they never forget to pack their trunks.


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conflict
A motorbike was also on the receiving end of an elephant

Mysore: Man Crushed To Death In Elephant Rampage

2011-06-08 - Mysore, India.

Two wild elephants have trampled a man to death and killed two cows in a rampage through an Indian city. The animals entered a suburb in Mysore, in the southern Karnataka state, from a nearby forest and soon caused widespread panic and havoc. A 55-year-old man was killed after coming out of his house to see what the commotion was all about.


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conflict
Lauren Bennett of Chandler rides an elephant at Mae Taeng Elephant Park in Thailand. Lauren was seriously injured by an elephant at the park during her family

Elephant attack leaves Chandler girl seriously injured

2011-06-08 - Chandler, United States.

One of the more poignant lessons in forgiveness that Colleen Bennett has received is exemplified on the walls of her daughter´s bedroom. Lauren Bennett sleeps at the family´s Chandler home while surrounded by pictures of elephants. They remain her favorite animals, three months after she was attacked by one in Thailand. The incident left her with a life-threatening liver laceration and severe anguish for a family stuck half the world from home.


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death

Tusker succumbs to injuries caused by Mahouts

2011-06-07 - Kochi, India.

A 42yearold elephant, which was suffering from serious injuries, died at Choondi near Muvattupuzha on Monday. The Forest Department has started looking into the circumstances that led to the death of the animal. Officials said the elephant died near Pariyaram Mahavishnu Temple where it was camped for the past few days. The mahout of the elephant Viswanathan also stayed near the temple. According to forest officials, tusker Nayarambalam Ramankutty, owned by the Nayarambalam NSS Trust, died on Mon...


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zoo

Zoo fighting fines related to elephant keeper"s death

2011-06-07 - Knoxville, United States.

The Knoxville Zoo is fighting the citations and fines imposed upon them by the Tennesssee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) after the death of a worker. In January, elephant keeper Stephanie James was killed when an elephant named Edie pushed her into a steel beam.


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conflict

Elephant holding grounds coming soon

2011-06-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Two ˜holding grounds to relocate problematic elephants will be completed by the end of the year in a bid to resolve the long-standing human-elephant conflict in the country, the Wildlife Department said yesterday. Wildlife Department Director Dr. Chandrawansa Pathiraja told the Daily Mirror that the construction process of two holding grounds in Lunugamwehera and Horowpathana would be launched in the coming weeks.


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zoo
Stephanie James

Knoxville Zoo facing fines related to elephant keeper Stephanie James death

2011-06-07 - Knoxville, United States.

The Knoxville Zoo has been fined more than $12,000 dollars after an inspection by TOSHA following the death of an elephant trainer. Stephanie James was killed in January when Edie, an 8500 pound African elephant, pushed her into a stall. The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) inspected the zoo after the incident, and their findings were released to 10News on Monday.


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death

Dead elephant found in Dak Lak

2011-06-06 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

Dak Lak Province authorities have incinerated the body of a baby elephant found in Yok Don National Park last Wednesday. Nguyen Con, Yok Don park ranger, said they found the decomposed elephant, weighing around 100 kilograms, at the section No. 290. He said it was a newborn elephant but they couldn’t identify the cause of the death.


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conflict

Knysna Elephant attack: handler critical

2011-06-06 - Knysna, South Africa.

A handler at the Knysna Elephant Park is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after being attacked by an elephant over the weekend. Arnold Ndzwanana had to have one of his legs amputated after being tossed in the air and then trampled by the 22-year-old bull, Harry. The park is now investigating what happened in the moments leading up to the incident. In June 2005, Harry trampled another handler to death.


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death

Baby elephant drowns

2011-06-05 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. Gandhya Senanayake & Karunarathna Athukorala

A baby elephant had drowned at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage Saturday evening, officials said. It drowned after the foot of the baby reportedly got trapped in stones in the area which led to the drowning in the Ma-Oya, they said. Senior Assistant Director Renuka Bandaranayke told Daily Mirror Online that the body of baby elephant had been sent to the Veterinary faculty of the Peradeniya University for the postmortem and that they were waiting for the autopsy report. A police and administrati...


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evolution
A model of a wooly mammoth stands at the exhibition

Woolly mammoth may have interbred with elephants

2011-06-04 - Charles Q. Choi, United States.

The woolly mammoth may surprisingly have regularly interbred with a completely different and much larger elephant species, researchers now find. Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) roamed the planet for more than a million years, ranging from Europe to Asia to North America. Nearly all of these giants vanished from Siberia by about 10,000 years ago, although dwarf mammoths survived on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean until 3,700 years ago.


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fossil
A fossil tooth from a suspected newly discovered species of ancient elephant in the Zygolophodon genus.

Fossils of possible new jumbo species found

2011-06-04 - Bangkok, Thailand.

The scientists from the Northeastern Research Institute of Petrified Wood and Mineral Resources of Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University found seven pieces of fossil tooth in Nakhon Ratchasima´s Chalerm Phrakiat district about 10 years ago. "The fossils are different from other ancient elephants found in Egypt, Kenya, Europe and China," said Chavalit Vidthayanon, deputy director of the institute. "This is the first time we have found such a species in Thailand," he said, adding the discove...


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death
Queenie, an Asian elephant, and Liz Dane water-ski at a park in Florida in 1958. Dane’s parents once owned the elephant, who was euthanized Monday at age 58.

Water-skiing Asian elephant dies in Georgia at 58

2011-06-03 - Atlanta, United States. David Beasley

Queenie, a water-skiing Asian elephant who delighted fans in the 1950s, has been euthanized at the Georgia wildlife park where she lived her final years in retirement. "She had a declining quality of life and declining health," said Micha Hogan, public relations director of the Wild Adventures Water and Theme Park in Valdosta, where Queenie had lived out of the spotlight since 2003.


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zoo
Burma has been the only elephant at Auckland Zoo for nearly two years, but is about to get some new company.

New elephants for Auckland zoo approved

2011-05-25 - Auckland, New Zealand.

Auckland Zoo´s beloved elephant Burma is set to get new companions after the council approved a proposal to import two young elephants from Sri Lanka. Two female elephants will be brought over from Sri Lanka at a cost of $3.2 million, but Auckland Council´s strategy and finance chair Penny Webster said there would be zero cost to ratepayers.


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medical

Old NC Zoo Elephant Needs Help Getting Up. 70-Ton Crane Brought In For Assistance

2011-05-19 - Asheboro, United States.

The oldest elephant at the North Carolina Zoo could not get to his feet after his Thursday morning training exercises, zoo officials said. Thirty-seven-year-old C’sar weighs 13,000 pounds, requiring the assistance of more than just a few zoo keepers to stand up.


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birth

Toledo Zoo gets ready for new addition

2011-05-19 - Toledo, United States.

The Toledo Zoo is getting ready for a new addition -- a baby! This one´s going to big, nearly 300 pounds! Louie the elephant is about to get a sibling! Louie´s mother, Renee, is pregnant with her second calf. And her due date is any day now Imagine being pregnant for nearly two years! Mama elephant Renee has been with calf for 22 months!


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fossil

Mastodon skull discovered in Chile

2011-05-18 - Santiago, Chile.

A perfectly preserved skull of a mastodon -- a relative of today´s elephant -- was found here during excavation work at a water treatment plant, one of the scientists involved in the discovery said Tuesday. "This is the remains of a gomphothere (mastodon) skull in optimal condition," paleontologist Rafael Labarca told AFP about the discovery of the animal, which had two to four tusks and died out 10,000 years ago.


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relocation

Wild elephant captured by Wildlife in Kelantan

2011-05-16 - Kota Bahru, Malaysia.

Residents around Kampung Cherang Hangus, Machang, Kelantan (near Kota Bahru) sigh of relief when the wild elephants that roam their village since last week captured by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Wildlife) Kelantan, yesterday. Jeli District Wildlife Officer, Cosmas Ngau said, the 15-year-old male elephant weighing two tons was arrested at about 12.30pm by a team of eight members of the department after a week of monitoring.


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trade
Elephant being transported to a temple

Million Rupees For An Elephant

2011-05-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Gazala Anver

The gentle giants, inextricably linked to the history and culture of our country, have for generations been hunted and sold for their ivory or as symbols of prestige. It has come to such a point now, that there are very few tame elephants left and the price for them is sky high, as near as a million rupees per elephant.


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course

Asian Elephant Health, Reproduction and Breeding Management course 2011.

2011-05-16 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This is an International training course on the Management of the Health, reproduction and breeding of Asian elephants. The course has two components, a stand-alone distance (online-based) course that is designed to provide you with background knowledge in elephant reproduction and health so that you will be able to fully engage with the one-week practical training course in Chiang Mai in Thailand.


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abstract
Alice the elephant was examined Tuesday by Dr. Patricia Hoagland at the Marseilles Veterinary Hospital.

Elephant drops in at Marseilles Vet Hospital

2011-05-11 - Marseille, United States.

On a busy day, a veterinary clinic can seem like a zoo. But Tuesday afternoon at the Marseilles Veterinary Hospital it was more like a circus. Tuesday morning the hospital received a call asking if someone could inspect an elephant that was being transported with eight ponies from Florida to Baraboo, Wis. The elephant needed a health certificate to cross into Wisconsin, hospital technician Melissa Peterson told The Times.


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zoo
The Asian elephants, including the new baby elephant born April 16, 2011, enjoy the new elephant enclosure at the Oklahoma City Zoo in Oklahoma City, Okla., Tuesday, May 10, 2011. Today was the first day the public could view them outdoors. (AP Photo/The

Oklahoma City Zoo announces name of new elephant calf

2011-05-11 - Oklahoma City, United States.

The baby elephant born last month at the Oklahoma City Zoo has been named Malee. Zoo officials announced the name at a ceremony Wednesday in the zoo´s new elephant habitat. Malee (pronounced MAY-lee) was chosen in an online vote. Malee, which is Thai for flower or jasmine, garnered more than 70 percent of the 14,000 votes cast. Zoo officials billed Malee as the zookeepers´ preference out of the three names offered. Other options were Annika and Hanako.


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poaching

Lam Dong: Three charged with selling dead elephant’s ivories

2011-05-11 - Lam Dong , Vietnam.

The Lam Dong Province People’s Procuracy has charged Phan Thi Hoa, director of the Nam Qua Eco-Tourism Co., Ltd., and two other with selling ivories of a dead elephant. Hoa, 52, from Lam Dong is now banned from leaving her residence, while Phan Dac Mau Dai, 33, also from Lam Dong and Nguyen Ngoc Thuan, 36, from Dong Nai Province, will be detained for 2 months for investigation.


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misc

Anxious moment

2011-05-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

There was panic for a moment along the main road in Rajagiriya yesterday morning when an elephant ran amok near the Welikada police station after its caretaker lost control of the elephant. However, the animal was brought under control after some time. According to the caretaker the elephant that was brought to Sri Lanka from Myanmar some time ago was being taken from the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya to the Defence Ministry for a function when it got disturbed and ran amok.


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abstract

Human fatalities from wild elephant attacks - A study of fourteen cases.

2011-05-10 - , United States. Das SK, Chattopadhyay S.

The study attempts to find out the nature of injuries caused by wild elephant attack and the common factors contributing to human-wild elephant conflict so that vulnerable population can be cautioned to avoid conflicts. A distinct seasonal as well as diurnal variation of attack incidences was noted. Attacks were sudden and unprovoked. Killer elephants were wild tuskers in all the cases.


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death

7 year old elephant gives birth to still born

2011-05-10 - Bangalore, India.

A seven year old elephant gave birth to a stillborn born baby elephant on Sunday night in Bannerghatta National Park. Nisarga (the mother elephant) went into labour at around 9.30 pm and give birth to premature 10 month old still born baby elephant. "The normal gestation period for elephants is in between 18 to 22 months, while in this case even the mother was only seven year old, as usually in elephants the right breeding age is from 14 years," Dr R Raju, Executive Director, Bannerghatta Biolog...


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death

Little Rock Zoo Announces Passing of Mary the Elephant

2011-05-06 - Little Rock, United States. Lindsey Fry

The long-lived life of Little Rock Zoo´s Mary the elephant ended peacefully Thursday, May 5, 2011, when the 60-year-old pachyderm was euthanized after her health took a sharp decline in the last few days. During the procedure, Mary was surrounded by the loving Zoo staff that cared for her including several staff members who worked with her for the more than 10 years she lived at the Zoo.


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misc

COFFEE PLANTER ADOPTS ELEPHANT CALVES, HOSTS BUFFET FOR MAHOUTS AT DUBARE CAMP

2011-05-06 - Kushalnagar, India.

It was a day for picnic at the Dubare elephant camp on Wednesday, which is gaining popularity as a major tourist attraction of Kodagu district. The elephants and their care-takers were treated to a feast by philanthropist D. Vinod Shivappa, a well-known coffee planter from Suntikoppa village near here. He also adopted two elephant calves that are star attractions for the visitors at Dubare.


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death

First elephant born in Czech Republic two months ago dies

2011-05-06 - Ostrava, Czech Republic.

The elephant male born in Ostrava Zoo on March 11 as the first in the Czech Republic died during the night, the zoo´s spokeswoman Sarka Kalouskova told CTK today, adding the baby was too weak. The breeding of the Indian elephant was accompanied by problems from the very beginning. It was probably born prematurely, its weight was low and it was not putting weight on at all.


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misc

PMO says no to national body to save elephants

2011-05-06 - New Delhi, India.

The Prime Minister´s Office has shot down a proposal to set up a National Elephant Conservation Authority along the lines of one existing for tigers. The environment ministry had recommended an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act creating a powerful autonomous authority for the pachyderm. The authority was intended to create a network of elephant reserves which could be kept free of mining and other harmful industrial activities.


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smuggle

Smuggled African elephant tusks seized in Vietnam

2011-05-06 - Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Vietnamese customs discovered nearly 600 kilograms of African elephant tusks hidden in a shipping container of rubber from Tanzania, authorities said Friday. The authorities made the haul on Thursday after receiving a tip. "Smuggled elephant tusks were hidden in a very sophisticated way," Vu Hoang Duong, head of customs at the port of Hai Phong, told the German Press Agency dpa. "They cut open tanks for holding rubber, filled them with elephant tusks and soldered them shut again."


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smuggle
Thai customs official displays elephant tusks smuggled into Thailand from Kenya on April 1, 2011. The smuggling goes on: Kenyan authorities seized about a tonne of elephant tusks on Friday.

Tonne of ivory seized in Nairobi

2011-05-06 - Nairobi, Kenya.

An official says Kenyan police have seized about a tonne of illegal ivory destined for Nigeria at the country´s main airport in Nairobi. Joseph Ngisa, the officer in charge of criminal investigations in the country´s airports, said they impounded 84 elephant tusks on concealed in metal containers on Thursday. Ngisa said Friday sniffer dogs led the policemen to the containers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport´s cargo hold. He said no arrests had been made.


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poaching

Poachers target GPS elephants just five miles from Wills & Kate"s safari lodge

2011-05-04 - Nairobi, Kenya. Jason Straziuso

Four out of seven elephants fitted with satellite tracking collars have been killed on the slopes of Mount Kenya in recent months, only a short distance from the safari lodge where Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton. Scottish conservationist Iain Douglas-Hamilton said the animals were fitted with collars over the last year by his charity, Save The Elephants.


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conflict

Wild elephant kills woman in Chitwan

2011-04-26 - Chitwan, Nepal.

A woman was killed in an attack by a wild elephant at Meghauli of west Chitwan on Tuesday. Local resident Bhim Maya Tamang, 45, had gone to collect fodder when she was attacked by the wild elephant at the bank of Rapti River. The elephant had come to the place from Chitwan National Park, local resident Chudamani Chaudhari told Kalika FM. More than 12 other locals had joined Tamang to collect fodder for their cattle however managed to escape unhurt.


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death

Elephant savagely killed in central Vietnam

2011-04-25 - Dalat, Vietnam.

An elephant was found brutally killed in the central highlands resort town of Da Lat Sunday. The 38-year-old male elephant was found tied to a tree, and the tendons of its hind legs were slashed. Its tusks and tail hair, meanwhile, were still in place. According to initial information, the elephant belonging to Tuyen Lam Lake Tourism Complex went missing Saturday night when it was left to graze on a hillside. The elephant´s caretaker was absent from work that day.


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event

Dehivela Zoo organizes video clip contest for visitors

2011-04-22 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Dehiwala National Zoological Gardens has organized a best video clip competition for visitors from April 8 to 22 for the New Year school vacation, Director General Bashwara Senanka Gunaratne told the Daily News. A tame, juvenile elephant will be brought to the zoo from the Pinnawala elephant orphanage on April 22. People will be allowed to view these animals from 3 pm onwards on this day, he explained. Gunaratne requested the public to visit the zoo during their vacation and participate in t...


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misc

Elephant meat for hungry prisoners

2011-04-21 - Harare, Zimbabwe. Wongai Zhangazha

PRISONERS in the country’s overcrowded jails may soon be fed with elephant meat if a proposal by the Justice and Legal Affairs ministry to curb the shortage of protein in prisons is accepted by government. The ministry is proposing the culling of the “over-populated” elephants and supply the meat to prisons where inmates have had meals without meat for years. The country’s prison dietary requirements are said to be far below international standards and what is required by the law. Inmate...


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wild
There are about 600 wild elephants and 500 domesticated elephants remaining in Laos.

Luang Namtha protects wild elephant herd

2011-04-21 - Vientiane, Laos.

A herd of wild elephants in Luang Namtha province in the country´s north is now being protected to ensure they do not disappear, according to a provincial official. Luang Namtha provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office Head Mr Soukson Phonpadith told Vientiane Times yesterday there were great numbers of wild elephants in the province in the past.

“Now only six elephants remain,” he said.

The main causes of the decimation of the elephant population are de...


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death

4-year old elephant electrocuted

2011-04-19 - Coimbatore, India.

A four-year old elephant was found electrocuted in a village near here today. The elephant was found entangled in a snapped electric wire by villagers of Thalimalai near Periyanaickenpalayam, about 25 km from here. On being informed, forest department officials rushed to the spot, recovered the body of the pachyderm and conducted a postmortem, police sources said.


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poaching

Four men arrested in possession of elephant tusks

2011-04-19 - Harrare, Zimbabwe.

Four Harare men were last week arrested at Avondale shopping centre for possession of 15 elephant tusks valued at US$8 500. The four suspected poachers were arrested last week on Thursday following a tip off to the police by the people who suspected the men of possessing weapons. Police spokesperson, Inspector James Sabau said the four, 42-year old George Chatanga, 37-year old Shepherd Naite, 31-year old Farai Dzvairo, all from Chitungwiza, and 47-year old Glen Norah-based Kenneth Sibanda, were ...


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birth

Oklahoma City Zoo elephant goes into labor

2011-04-15 - Oklahoma City, United States.

The pregnant Asian elephant at the Oklahoma City Zoo has gone into labor and is expected to give birth late today or early Saturday. Asha and her calf are both doing well, the zoo´s veterinarian said this morning.


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death

Twycross mourns loss of baby elephant

2011-04-14 - Twycross, United Kingdom.

It is with great sadness that Twycross Zoo has said goodbye to their young Asian elephant, Ganesh Vijay aged 18 months. Ganesh died yesterday due to a heart condition despite all the efforts of the animal and veterinary teams to save his life. Vets from around the country with specialist elephant and equine experience converged at Twycross Zoo in an attempt to keep him alive.


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death

Baby elephant"s death affects zoo staff

2011-04-12 - Johannesburg, South Africa.

The death of Dineo, the first baby elephant born at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria, felt like a death in the family, zoo staff said yesterday. Dineo, born three weeks ago, died in her sleep yesterday morning. An autopsy is being conducted. "We had her under 24-hour surveillance since the day she was born," said Craig Allenby, a manager at the zoo.


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death

Baby elephant"s death affects zoo staff

2011-04-12 - Johannesburg, South Africa.

The death of Dineo, the first baby elephant born at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa in Pretoria, felt like a death in the family, zoo staff said yesterday. Dineo, born three weeks ago, died in her sleep yesterday morning. An autopsy is being conducted. "We had her under 24-hour surveillance since the day she was born," said Craig Allenby, a manager at the zoo.


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abstract

Bambi or Bessie: Are wild animals happier?

2011-04-12 - Honolulu, United States.

We, as emotional beings, place a high value on happiness and joy. Happiness is more than a feeling to us - it’s something we require and strive for. We’re so fixated on happiness that we define the pursuit of it as a right. We seek happiness not only for ourselves and our loved ones, but also for our planet and its creatures.


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misc

Largest online elephant database now includes more than 7000 elephants

2011-04-12 - Surin, Thailand.

The submissions of some 180 elephants from Ban Ta Klang in Surin, Thailand, made the database tip over 7000 elephants. The elephant database now includes 7081 elephants from 1980 location facilities in 110 countries.


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medical

St. Louis Zoo treating elephant Donna for tuberculosis

2011-04-11 - St. Louis, United States.

St. Louis Zoo says it´s a mystery how 40-year-old Asian elephant Donna contracted tuberculosis. No other elephant or keeper has tested positive for the illness. "We assume elephants get TB like any other animal," said the zoo´s director of animal health, Dr. Randy Junge. "An animal or human who has TB blows it out and another animal can pick it up. It takes prolonged contact. But we have a closed herd with no animals coming or going."


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medical

Two elephants injuried in landmine blast

2011-04-05 - Vavuniya, Sri Lanka.

Two elephants have sustained injuries in between the Seelawathura and Mollikulama areas, after being caught to a landmine. The Vavuniya Wild Life office said that the injured animals are being treated for these injuries sustained recently. Officers of the army detachment in the area had informed the wild life office in Vavuniya, after stumbling upon the injured elephants.


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medical
A spokesperson said Duchess was probably the most famous animal at the zoo

Paignton Zoo"s elephant Duchess has glaucoma

2011-04-04 - Paignton, United Kingdom.

Duchess, who weighs four tonnes, has started a course of treatment to prevent the condition from worsening. Glaucoma is a progressive eye condition which if untreated can lead to blindness. The zoo said she would be monitored closely and medication should help control the condition.


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misc
BY THE PANTS OF THE SEAT: Museum of Wellington City and Sea marketing manager Kim Young with a pair of underpants found stuffed as padding in Kamala the elephant

Museum finds a jumbo"s trunks

2011-04-04 - Wellington, New Zealand.

Generations of Wellingtonians who took ride on Kamala the elephant at the zoo probably didn´t know they were sitting on a saddle stuffed with old undies and a 1940s Avondale racebook. Rides on Indian elephant Kamala were a favourite attraction at the zoo from 1953 till 1983. Now those child riders can take a sentimental journey to the Museum of City and Sea on the waterfront to see the fully restored saddle.


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relocation

Govt to do away with jumbo translocation

2011-04-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Disna Mudalige

The Wildlife Conservation Department has decided to do away with elephant translocation with immediate effect considering the negative impact it has caused to both humans and elephants, a spokesperson of the Department told the Daily News yesterday. She said that previous translocation attempts had proved to be unsuccessful. "The elephants had somehow tried to find a route to go back to their previous location. Translocation can affect the behaviour of the elephants. In return they become aggres...


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zoo
Nila Utama, the five-month-old Asian elephant calf which is the latest addition to the Night Safari

Baby takes a big step forward for Night Safari

2011-04-04 - Singapore, Singapore.

The park’s first baby elephant in nine years makes his first public appearance at the April launch of an exhibit on the Asian elephant, whose population in the wild is dwindling fast. It´s estimated that there are now only some 30,000 to 50,000 left in the forests of India, Sri Lanka, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. In Singapore, the latest addition to the Night Safari’s brood of endangered Asian elephants is the first to be born at both the Night Safari and S...


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facility

New Rainforest Experience at Elephant Hills, Kao Sok, Thailand

2011-04-03 - Surat Thani, Thailand.

In January 2011, Elephant Hills Rainforest Camp situated in the centre of Cheow Larn Lake in Khao Sok National Park, was added to the already successful nature tours offered by Elephant Hills Safaris. As well as elephant trekking, the new luxury floating camp on Cheow Larn Lake in Khao Sok National Park is now on offer, a unique rainforest experience.


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people

Elephant keeper fined $1,000 for gambling

2011-04-03 - Jerudong, Brunei Darussalam. Fadley Faisal

A 49-year-old foreigner who works as an elephant keeper in Brunei Darussalam was slapped with a $1,000 fine by the Bandar Seri Begawan Magistrate´s Court for gambling at a house in Kg Jerudong last week. The court was told that the defedant, Sahit Wongsa, was caught gaming with a few other people at a house in Kg Jerudong on March 26, 2011, at about 11.35pm by anti-vice police personnel during a raid.


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relocation
Signs of the times: A history of beatings have scarred Anne - but she will be hoping to see out her years in a more relaxing way now

Anne is safe: Abused elephant moves into her new home at Longleat

2011-04-03 - Longleat, United Kingdom.

A circus elephant filmed being abused by her groom was successfully moved to her new home at Longleat Safari Park this morning. Anne, an elderly performing elephant, was ferried by a specialist team of handlers from her winter quarters in Polebrook, Northamptonshire, to the Wiltshire wildlife attraction. Bobby Roberts Super Circus, the elephant´s former owner, agreed to the handover after a Romanian employee was secretly filmed kicking the arthritic elephant and striking her with a pitchfo...


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wild
Sighting in 2008: Sinhabahu at Ensellwatte Estate . Pix by Project staff at the Estate

Elephants still lurking around in Sinharaja

2011-04-03 - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka. Srilal Miththapala

It is a known fact that wild elephants were found in most parts of Sri Lanka during the early 1900’s. However, with the rapid development of the South and South West regions, they gradually moved towards the Central, South Eastern and North Eastern regions. With the rapid development of the tea plantations, the elephants living in the central hills also moved away into the central East or were decimated in the course of development.


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abstract
Adult elephants line up before starting their race, held for the first time in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak this month

2011-04-03 - Don Village, Vietnam.

An old elephant waits, incomplete, in the shade of a big tamarind tree outside Yok Don National Park. The giant beast’s two tusks have been cut off by its owner to dissuade poachers from killing it. But that didn’t stop them from cutting off the hairy tip of its tail—a single strand can sell for between US$10-15 at tourist shops throughout Dak Lak Province.


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people
Apology: Circus owner Moira Roberts has said sorry for the treatment of Anne the elephant by groom Nicolae Nitu  Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1371751/Owner-apologises-Anne-elephant-moved-Longleat-Safari-Park.html#ixzz1IQeIol9y

Anne the elephant"s owner apologises after cruelly-treated circus animal is moved to safari park

2011-04-02 - Knutsford, United Kingdom.

The owner of Anne the circus elephant yesterday apologised for her mistreatment as a deal was struck to rehome her at Longleat Safari Park. Moira Roberts said she felt responsible for the suffering endured by Britain’s oldest elephant because she hired Nicolae Nitu, the Romanian groom secretly filmed kicking her and stabbing her with a pitchfork.


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poaching

Zimbabwe: Two Poachers Shot Dead

2011-03-30 - Binga, Zimbabwe.

PARKS rangers have shot and killed two poachers in Chizarira National Park in Binga. The rangers recovered three .303 rifles, 76 rounds of ammunition, a pair of elephant tusks and fresh elephant meat in the night operation that saw some of the poachers fleeing. Bodies of the unidentified poachers, suspected to have come from the Sinamuchembo communal lands in Gokwe, have since been taken to a mortuary at Binga Rural District Hospital.


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relocation

Could this be a loving new home for Anne? We"d be thrilled to take her in says Longleat after secret talks

2011-03-30 - Longleat, United Kingdom.

A deal was close last night to rehome Anne the circus elephant within a week.
Her owners Moira and Bobby Roberts have finally agreed to allow the 59-year-old animal to retire to an enclosure at Longleat Safari Park, the Mail can reveal.
It marks a victory for this paper, which brought Anne’s desperate plight to the public’s attention by revealing secret footage of the Asian elephant’s Romanian groom stabbing and beating her.


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research
Baby it’s you: Scientists inspect the carcass of a baby mammoth in the Arctic city of Salekhard

Bringing back the woolly mammoth back to life. The frozen corpse of a baby mammoth from the Siberian steppes has pushed open the doors to the cloning of long-extinct species. But is it right?

2011-03-29 - Osaka, Japan.

Now Japanese scientists believe they may be just four years away from resurrecting something far more impressive – the woolly mammoth. The feat is all down to the discovery of mammoths preserved in the Siberian permafrost and the revolutionary cloning of a mouse – usually portrayed as an elephant’s nemesis. The project to bring back a real life ‘manny’ from Ice Age extinction is being led by researchers at Kinki University in Osaka, Japan.


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people
The Texas-born hunter killed the elephant with a single shot

American Kills Elephant With Bow For A Bet

2011-03-28 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

An American woman has slaughtered an elephant with a bow and arrow... to win a bet. Teressa Groenewald-Hagerman was so proud, she posted pictures on the internet showing her beaming beside her kill in Zimbabwe. The 39-year-old huntress said she crept into a herd of 37 elephants, knelt down, and shot the grand creature from just 12 yards. It staggered 500 yards before it collapsed, then she left it to die overnight. Ms Groenewald-Hagerman is the first woman known to have killed an elephant with a...


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birth

National Zoological Gardens of South Africa: Baby Elephant Born !

2011-03-28 - Pretoria, South Africa.

On Monday 21st March 2011 we became parents to a baby girl. Lerata is her name and she is only seven days old. She is managed by Carol Thobela and Graeme Ogilvie and she doing well. Here she is being fed her hourly bottle of milk which she devours. Sadly she was too short and could not reach her mums teat, so could not feed - thus the desperate decision to pull her only 24 hours after her birth. But the vets are happy and so is the herd, mum is fine and seems to be content with the plans t...


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death
A herd of endangered Sumatran elephants roam in forested area of East Aceh district in Aceh province in 2010. A rare Sumatran elephant has died in Indonesia after blocking a village street for a week, an official said Sunday.

Rare elephant found dead in Indonesia: official

2011-03-28 - Riaou, Indonesia.

A rare Sumatran elephant has died in Indonesia after blocking a village street for a week, an official said Sunday. The female elephant was in a "weak condition" after becoming separated from its herd about a week ago in Bengkalis district, Riau province, conservation agency official Adit Gunawan told AFP. "It was hungry. We gave it food, water and medical attention. We tried our best to nurse it back to health but it wasn´t getting better and died on Saturday evening," he said.


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welfare

British royal wedding to aid elephants in Thailand

2011-03-28 - London, United Kingdom.

Charitable donations requested by Prince William and Kate Middleton instead of wedding gifts will help the London Zoological Society. It works in Thailand with the Elephant Conservation Network to reduce conflict between villagers and the animals in the western province of Kanchanaburi. Network director Belinda Stewart-Cox said Thursday the gift would help ensure "we really make a difference to the lives of these amazing animals and the villagers who accommodate them."


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welfare

The zoo of horrors

2011-03-28 - Kampot, Cambodia.

Kampot province’s Teuk Chhou zoo is a place where no one seems to care about how animals are treated, a place where animals are kept in cramped, roofless shelters and rely largely on food from tourists to survive. The state of the zoo’s two elephants is heartbreaking, as their emaciated necks stretch through the thick bars of their enclosure in an attempt to eat blades of grass, seemingly one of their few sources of nourishment. The skeletal bodies of the two animals are hard to ignore and t...


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welfare
Annie the elephant was filmed being struck with a metal pitchfork, kicked in the face and body and shackled by heavy chains in the winter quarters

UK"s last circus elephant abused on video

2011-03-28 - Polebrook, United Kingdom.

Northamptonshire Police said it was investigating jointly with the RSPCA after images emerged of Annie the Asian elephant being struck with a metal pitchfork on Bobby Roberts Super Circus. Animal Defenders International (ADI) shot the covert video earlier this year amid concerns for the 57-year-old animal´s well-being as part of the Bobby Roberts Super Circus.


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conflict

Elephant rampage in Thai Khao Sok National Park leaves 1 killed & 3 injured

2011-03-27 - Surat Thani, Thailand.

TWO MALE elephants fought over a female on a trekking ride through Khao Sok National Park, north of Phuket, trampling one tourist to death and leaving several others with injuries. A Swiss woman has been killed, and an Australian woman and two other victims are being treated for injuries in Bangkok Hospital Phuket in Phuket City. One person remains in intensive care after the incident, which occurred yesterday, Phuketwan reporters learned at the hospital


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film

"One Lucky Elephant" explores one man"s big love at Cleveland International Film Festival

2011-03-27 - Cleveland, United States.

Lisa Leeman´s documentary traces the relationship between circus owner David Balding and his main attraction, not just in the show but in his life.
Balding raised the 18-year-old only to realize when she turned 16 that he´d made a mistake. She needs to be with other elephants, even if it means being apart from her human companion.


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book

"Packy & Me" review: Veterinarian Matthew Maberry and the baby elephant who made history

2011-03-27 - Portland, United States.

Packy made his entrance at what´s known today as the Oregon Zoo the first elephant born in the United States in more than 40 years. Matthew Maberry was in the elephant barn that morning and he recalls every detail in "Packy & Me: The Incredible Tale of Doc Maberry and the Baby Elephant Who Made History." Maberry, 93, wrote the memoir with his wife, Patricia, and Michelle Trappen, a former reporter for The Oregonian.


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zoo

Zoo panel rules death of elephant keeper accidental

2011-03-25 - Knoxville, United States.

The Jan. 14 death of Stephanie James, the Knoxville Zoo keeper who died after being pushed by female elephant Edie, was accidental, a review panel has found. The zoo also announced Thursday that Edie and its other female elephant, Jana, will be permanently cared for by keepers in what´s called ´protected contact.´ That means keepers will work with the pachyderms with bars or barriers between them.


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relocation

Maude doing well in Miami

2011-03-25 - Miami, United States.

An update from the Central Florida Zoo & botanical Gardens: Maude, the Central Florida Zoo’s Asian elephant that moved to Zoo Miami, is adjusting well to her new elephant herd, the zoo reports. She has joined two other Asian elephants, Nellie and Dahlip. Central Florida Zoo hoofstock keepers Bernie Bartosch and Dani Lent remained in Miami for several days after Maude’s arrival to help her adjust to her new environment.


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fossil

Archaeologists found a fossil elephant tooth in early March in the northern province of Thai Nguyen, Vietnam.

2011-03-25 - Thai Nguyen, Vietnam.

The fossil tooth is believed to be the tooth of an Asian elephant, with an age of 30,000-50,000 years. “This is the first time a fossil tooth of this species of elephant has been discovered in Thai Nguyen,” said Dr. Trinh Nang Chung, who led the archaeological survey. The tooth was founded in Than Sa River in Vo Nhai district, the section running through the Da Nguom, a famous archaeological site in Thai Nguyen. The tooth was unearthed at the depth of 3m, in a hole dug by gold miners. Gold m...


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fossil

Archeologists Say They"ve Found Mammoth Bones in Monterey County

2011-03-25 - Monterey, United States.

Mark Hylkema, Archaeologist with California State Parks, told Central Coast News his team found the remains of a juvenile Columbian mammoth in Monterey County. "We´re hoping to find out more and to get a chance to view and learn more about what they do discover once they´re done excavating," said Annie Holdren, Pacific Grove Museum Curator. The archeologist asked us not to reveal the city or exact location of the discovery.


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abstract

Elephants unlikely relocated from Kamla Nehru Zoological Park

2011-03-21 - Hyderabad, India.

The five elephants in Nehru Zoological Park may not be relocated to a sanctuary. Highly-placed sources said that Nehru Zoological Park was one among the zoos, which had written to Central Zoo Authority (CZA) requesting an inspection before the relocation is carried out. Awaiting an inspection, the authorities are confident that it is offering an appropriate environment for this largest mammal.


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misc

Rent an elephant for Rs.75,000 a day this season

2011-03-20 - Kochi, India.

Elephant owners in the state have increased the daily rentals of their elephants as temples in the state have ushered into this year’s festival season. They, however, justify the hike in rentals citing a variety of factors including the steep rise in the price of essential commodities and decreasing number of captive elephants.


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facility

Sri Lanka Wildlife Ministry builds a new interim elephant orphanage

2011-03-19 - , Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Ministry of Wildlife says that a new interim elephant orphanage is being constructed in the North Central Province. The new orphanage for wild elephants is in Ulankulama along the A-12 highway from Puttalam to Trincomalee. The Ulankulama orphanage is also expected to be a tourist attraction probably from July this year, says Minister Chandrasena.


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event

Elephant Festival 2011 in Jaipur

2011-03-19 - Jaipur, India.

The unique annual Elephant Festival in Jaipur is all set to return in 2011. Celebrated along with Holi in Jaipur, Elephant Festival is one of the most popular festival in Rajasthan. As the name suggets the prime attraction of the festival are Elephants. The festival takes place at the Chaugan ground in Jaipur where Elephants participate in varieties of events to entertain the crowd.


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birth
Menika with the baby elephant

Another birth at Pinnawala

2011-03-18 - Rambukkana, Sri Lanka. Oswald Godakumbura

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage yesterday recorded the 59th birth. Menika gave birth to her third baby and it is in good health, sources from the Orphanage told the Daily News. She gave birth in 2001 and 2005 and they have been named Migara and Mihiri. The number of jumbos at the orphanage rose to 91 with the birth of the latest entry. Nine elephants were born at the orphanage this month alone and they would be christened by the orphanage later this month, sources told the Daily News.


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death

Elephant Ashok"s grieving mate attracts crowds to Kamla Nehru Zoo

2011-03-17 - AHMEDABAD, India.

Ashok and Roopa were one of the main attractions in the city zoo and after Ashoks sudden death on Monday, Roopa, the 22-year-old elephant who had spent 20 years of her life with him, stands alone today, calm and silent.


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medical
A Vanderbilt study has shown that elephants can transmit tuberculosis to humans.

Elephants can transmit TB to humans

2011-03-16 - Nashville, United States. Craig Boerner

Circus workers, zookeepers and others having direct or indirect contact with elephants are on alert because of a study definitively showing that elephants can transmit tuberculosis to humans, the result of a cooperative investigation between the Tennessee Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.


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smuggle

CEO sentenced for smuggling elephant ivory into US

2011-03-16 - Washington, United States.

A judge sentenced Pascal Vieillard, CEO of A-440 Pianos Inc., to 3 years probation for illegally smuggling elephant ivory into the US, while the Georgia-based company has been fined $17,500. Vieillard had earlier pleaded guilty to importing pianos with ivory parts.


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birth
Chai undergoes an artificial insemination procedure.

Zoo artificially inseminates elephant, hopes baby is on the way

2011-03-16 - Seattle, United States.

The Woodland Park Zoo is hoping it will be able to ring in 2013 with a brand new baby elephant after artificially inseminating its 32-year-old Asian elephant, Chai, over the weekend. "Chai is very healthy and in excellent condition for pregnancy," Bruce Upchurch, curator of behavioral managment and elephants, said in a Woodland Park Zoo press release. "Our fingers are crossed that she has conceived."


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fossil

Scientists unearth woolly mammoth fossil in Sherman

2011-03-16 - Sherman, United States.

It may be hard to imagine woolly mammoths roaming through North Texas, but scientists from Dallas have unearthed the proof. Someone found a bone in a creek wall in Sherman a few months ago. When archaeologists started digging last week, they found more intriguing remains.


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research

Older elephants know the best anti-lion moves

2011-03-16 - Chobe, Botswana.

Even a single male can overpower a young elephant. Between 1994 and 1997, Dereck Joubert found that the lions of Botswana’s Chobe National Park were getting better and better at hunting elephants. He wrote: “In one notable case, a single male lion ran at nearly full speed into the side of a 6-year-old male calf with sufficient force to collapse the elephant on its side.”


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poaching

Explorers look to save elephants, end ivory trade

2011-03-14 - Washington, United States.

Two American explorers are heading to Africa today to begin an important expedition that could prove vital to the fight against the illegal ivory trade. Their five week long journey, dubbed the Elephant Ivory Project, may help to save herds of those creatures, which have come increasingly under attack from poachers in recent years.


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abstract

Elephant-to-Human Transmission of Tuberculosis, 2009.

2011-03-13 - Hohenwald, United States. Murphree R, Warkentin JV, Dunn JR, Schaffner W, Jones TF.

In 2009, the Tennessee Department of Health received reports of 5 tuberculin skin test (TST) conversions among employees of an elephant refuge and isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from a resident elephant. To determine the extent of the outbreak and identify risk factors for TST conversion, we conducted a cohort study and onsite assessment. Risk for conversion was increased for elephant caregivers and administrative employees working in the barn housing the M. tuberculosis-infected elepha...


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medical

Elephant Liz tied to 2009 TB outbreak at the elephant sanctuary in Tennessee

2011-03-13 - Hohenwald, United States.

A tuberculosis outbreak among workers at a Tennessee elephant sanctuary in 2009 is being blamed on one of the pachyderms, even though some of the employees didn´t have close contact with the animal. TB spread to eight employees, though three of them didn´t work directly with the elephant. The eight employees tested positive on a skin test and received treatment,


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event
Elephants are fed with banana trees, sugarcane and fruit during a feeding ceremony on the grounds at the Maesa elephant camp in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand Sunday, March 13, 2005. The ceremony was held to mark the country

National Thai Elephant Day

2011-03-13 - , Thailand.

In May 1998, the Cabinet approved the designation of March 13 as Thai Elephants Day to raise and sustain public awareness of the importance of elephants. Elephant are recognzied as the national animal of Thailand. National Elephant Day is an occasion when people show their love for elephants and many of the elephant parks hold special events where visitors can look after the animals and help with the feeding.


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conservation

Bandipur elephant census

2011-03-12 - Bangalore, India.

The Bandipur National Park landscape harbours one of the highest densities of elephants in Asia and as per the latest census reports, there are not less than 6,000 to 10,000 elephants that roam free in these jungles.


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job

Nashville Zoo: elephant keeper

2011-03-12 - Nashville, United States.

Full Time Elephant Keeper - The Elephant Department is accepting resumes for a full time with benefits elephant keeper position. At least one year of free contact elephant experience is required. This position includes: Daily handling, training and care of 0.4 African elephants in a free contact environment, detailed daily cleaning and maintenance of holding areas and exhibit, record keeping, public speaking, veterinary assistance, team and individual problem solving and decision making.


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event

Elephant race at Vietnam coffee festival

2011-03-11 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

an elephant race and dug-out canoe race were organized by the Dak Lak Tourism JS Company, with the participation of 20 elephants and 20 dug-out canoes. In the qualifying round, four teams, each comprising 5 elephants aged 23 to 45, raced each other and the first five qualified for the final. Each elephant was ridden by two handlers who prodded the animals to run as fast as they could.


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smuggle

African elephants victims of Thai trafficking

2011-03-11 - Bangkok, Thailand.

The more than 1,600 tusks seized since the beginning of 2009 by Thai customs indicate that more than 800 elephants were slaughtered to feed a murky and voracious international market. "Thailand is still ranked number one" in the ivory traffic rankings, said Chris Shepherd, deputy manager for Southeast Asia at wildlife protection group Traffic.


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abstract

Elephants know when they need a helping trunk in a cooperative task.

2011-03-09 - Atlanta, United States. Plotnik JM, Lair R, Suphachoksahakun W, de Waal FB.

This paradigm explores the cognition underlying coordination toward a shared goal. What do animals know or learn about the benefits of cooperation? Can they learn critical elements of a partner´s role in cooperation? Whereas observations in nature suggest such understanding in nonhuman primates, experimental results have been mixed, and little evidence exists with regards to nonprimates. Here, we show that elephants can learn to coordinate with a partner in a task requiring two individuals...


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facility

Elephant Exhibit At OKC Zoo Reopens This Week

2011-03-08 - Oklahoma City, United States.

After a year and a half of construction, the elephants at the Oklahoma City Zoo finally have a new home. The new elephant habitat covers more than nine and a half acres at the zoo. The $13 million, state-of-the-art exhibit includes three outdoor yards, pools, a waterfall, shade structures and a more than 15,000 square foot barn.


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people

Elephant Sanctuary looks past suit, moves ahead

2011-03-07 - Hohenwald, United States.

The sanctuary has fired back with a counterclaim that Buckley created a hostile working environment, with mistreatment of workers. It also alleges that she failed to implement infection control measures, which the sanctuary and regulators agreed to, that preceded several elephant caregivers´ testing positive for tuberculosis.


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job

Miami Zoo: temporary elephant keeper

2011-03-02 - Miami, United States.

Zoo Miami is accepting applications for a full time, temporary elephant keeper. We are seeking an energetic, team oriented, and outgoing person to join our staff. Experience with elephants and a working knowledge of operant conditioning is desired. This is a substitute position with the potential to be permanent. Minimum requirements are a college degree in Animal Science or related field and one year of professional animal care experience in an AZA accredited facility, as well as the ability to...


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death
Rocco the elephant about to give some primary school students a ride at the Sabah Zoological and Botanical Gardens. - Filepic

Borneo Pygmy elephant Rocco suddenly sickens and dies

2011-02-26 - KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia.

An endangered Borneo Pygmy elephant, Rocco, has died in captivity at the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park here. Rocco, reportedly about 27 years old, died at 3.30am on Monday, hardly 24-hours after it showed signs of weakness that was treated with emergency intravenous and subcutaneous fluid therapy.


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job

The Maryland Zoo: Elephants operations manager

2011-02-24 - Baltimore, United States.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is looking for a qualified individual to join our team as the Elephant Operations Manager. Under the general supervision of the General Curator/Elephant Manager and Assistant Curator, the Elephant Operations Manager is directly responsible for the development, maintenance, and daily execution of the elephant program so that it meets or exceeds AZA standards for elephant care and management.


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conflict

Keeper survives attack by elephant

2011-02-24 - Dvur Kralove, Czech Republic.

An elephant attacked one of its keepers at Dvur Kralove Zoo on Friday morning. The incident happened during a routine visit to the elephants’ enclosure when the animals were being fed. Another keeper was in the enclosure at the time and helped get the injured man out. He was airlifted to hospital and doctors report that he escaped with severe bruises and is suffering from shock. It is not clear why the elephant attacked him. The last time an elephant attacked a keeper was in 2001 when the inci...


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relocation

Cleveland zoo to welcome Nebraska elephant

2011-02-23 - Cleveland, United States.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo says its current herd of three elephants this spring will welcome Shenga, a female African elephant from the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha. That zoo had two elephants but the other died in October, leaving Shenga alone. Cleveland also will receive one more elephant for a total of five that will inhabit the zoo´s new African Elephant Crossing when it opens May 5.


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birth
Jumbo joy: Veda, a 12-year-old elephant, gave birth to the calf around  5.30 pm in the forest outside the park limits.

Tiger cub, elephant calf born at National Park

2011-02-23 - Bangalore, India.

A tiger cub and a baby elephant were born at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) yesterday. Veda, a 12-year-old elephant, gave birth to the calf around 5.30 pm in the forest outside the park limits. The forest guards informed the BBP officers, who are expected to bring back the mother and calf to the BBP today.


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job

Portland Zoo, Oregon: Animal keeper - elephants

2011-02-22 - Portland, United States.

The Oregon Zoo is pleased to announce an available position working as a member of the professional animal care team for our Elephant facility. We are headed for an exciting time in our elephant program with the expansion of our current elephant facilities from 2.5 acres to 6 acres and the development of an off-site elephant facility.


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job

Memphis Zoo: Memphis Zoo

2011-02-18 - Memphis, United States.

Working under the general direction of the Director of Animal Programs, responsible for the management and well being of the large mammal collection and associated exhibits in accordance with the Zoo’s goals of conservation, education, research, and exhibition


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event

2011 Elephant Festival in Laos

2011-02-18 - Paklay, Laos.

For its 5th edition, the Lao Elephant Festival will take place on: 18th, 19th & 20th February 2011. Paklay District, Sayaboury province


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death

Curtain falls on Sambo

2011-02-16 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Sambo, the aggressive bull elephant that rampaged through a Kampong Speu village in December, tragically died on Monday during a routine veterinary procedure at Phnom Tamao Zoo in Takeo province, said forestry officials and NGO representatives. “I’m absolutely devastated by this loss … I was directly involved in all of it,” Nick Marx, wildlife rescue director at Wildlife Alliance, said today. “The Forestry Administration wanted to sedate him so that the chains around his legs could be...


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birth

Elephantstay Thailand: Its a boy!

2011-02-15 - Ayutthaya, Thailand. Ewa Narkiewicz

Galaget decided to drop her bundle so her little boy could be called Valentine! A big strapping boy with long tail and excellent structure, this is Galaget´s third baby and with same father Junboon as Angpow so they are officially related. As usual mother and baby are doing extremely well!


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conflict
Edie, an African elephant at the Knoxville Zoo, eats a frasier fir on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. Elephant keeper Stephanie James was killed after she was struck by the elephant on January 14, 2011.

Report: Elephant’s fatal attack on Knoxville Zoo handler was ‘intentional’

2011-02-15 - Knoxville, United States.

The elephant that killed its handler at the Knoxville Zoo last month apparently committed an “intentional” attack without provocation, according to a state report released today. Zoo officials say that’s a conclusion without any proof. “Intentional is a word that I don’t know how you can say,” said Jim Vlna, the zoo’s director. “They don’t know the mind of an elephant.”


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accident

Firefighters rescue trapped elephant

2011-02-12 - Kent, United Kingdom.

Firefighters faced a jumbo problem when they were called to rescue and elephant at Howletts Wild Animal Park. One of the Park’s elephants collapsed in its bedroom and needed help getting to its feet. Umna, a 13-year-old African Elephant, was trapped on her side at the park in Bekesbourne Lane, Bekesbourne, after becoming ill with colic.


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poaching

Poachers strike in Andhiyur, kill jumbo for tusks

2011-02-11 - Coimbatore, India.

After the killing of Veerappan, who is said have gunned down at least 100 elephants, there was a brief lull in poaching activities in the jungles that stretch from Sathyamangalam to Erode. That changed in 2007 when two tuskers were shot dead in Sathyamangalam forests. Since then, poachers have killed seven elephants.


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conservation
Tame elephants are used to give rides in Lak District, Central Highland Province of Dak Lak. The province wants funding to conserve the elephants which face high mortality and low fertility

Tame elephants in Vietnam face extinction

2011-02-11 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

Central Highland Dak Lak Province´s famed tame elephants may become extinct in the next 20-25 years unless conservation project receive Goverment funding, experts said. The population of existing tame elephants is being overexploited for tourism and is under threat from poachers. Elephants are also not being encouraged to breed, according to a study on tamed elephants in the province by Central Highlands University, which showed that the number of tamed elephants in the province had declin...


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birth

First elephant to be born in Turkey

2011-02-11 - Izmir, Turkey.

´Begümcan´ and ´Winner´, an Indian race elephant ‘couple’, had their first baby in Turkey, still unnamed. The baby elephant is also the first to be born in Turkey. The 110-kg-weighed baby elephant was delivered at İzmir Wild Life Park in western Turkey. The number of the Park’s elephants has risen to 3 with the coming of the newborn, whose name is to be determined with an İzmir-residents participated survey.


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smuggle

China"s ivory demand skyrockets

2011-02-10 - Beijing, China.

CHINA is driving demand for smuggled ivory from Africa, leading to a surge in the killing of endangered elephants. An international ivory trafficking operation saw a Beijing-based smuggler offering undercover reporters three pairs of recently-arrived tusks with a price tag of $64,000. Asked if he could supply more, he replied, "Don´t worry about that. If we can do a deal today, then next time I have some good ivory, I´ll call you." He said his uncle works in West Africa and uses cont...


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birth
Newborn male calf, Dierenpark Emmen, Feburary 2011.

Emmen Zoo Birth

2011-02-10 - Emmen, Netherlands.

The Emmen Zoo in the Netherlands celebrated the birth of a male calf on February 6, the second to be born in the outdoor exhibit with the herd. The calf was the fourth for the thirty year old Burmese cow Htoo Yin Aye. It was sired by the zoo’s breeding bull Radza. The forty four year old male arrived at Emmen in 2003 from Latvia. Since his arrival, he has sired twelve calves. The new calf brought the zoo’s herd size to thirteen, seven of which are males.


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death

Chester Zoo’s oldest elephant Sheba has died

2011-02-10 - Chester, United Kingdom.

THE matriarch of Chester Zoo’s Asian elephant herd, Sheba, has died after a short illness. Sheba, 56, has been at the zoo for 46 years and was the zoo’s oldest elephant. Affectionately known as Madam Sheba by the team who looked after her, she had been at the zoo longer than any other elephant. Sheba had been ill for a short time and despite the best efforts of the keeping team and zoo’s veterinarians the decision was taken to euthanise her. She died on Wednesday afternoon.


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relocation

Karnataka female calf in exchange for Tirunallar temple elephant

2011-02-10 - Karaikal, India.

The famous Lord Saneeswara temple at Tirunallar in Karaikal district has got a female elephant calf from Karnataka in exchange for its fierce male elephant.The male elephant ´Ganesan´,gifted as a calf by a Tiruchi-based textiles baron in 2003, started behaving abnormally a few months back and remained restless, temple officials said.


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wild

Jumbos stranded due to floods

2011-02-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

More than 72 wild elephants have been detected marooned in the flood affected areas in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, Director General of Wildlife Conservation Department, Chandrawansa Pathiraja said. He added that 70 out of them were stranded in Manik Farm and Settikulam areas in Vavuniya. Two elephant calves have been detected in Singhapura area in Welikanda, and measures have already been taken to rescue those two, the Director General said.


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relocation

Ensure safety of Indian elephants in German Zoo

2011-02-09 - New Delhi, India.

The Delhi High Court Wednesday asked the central government and the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to ensure ´conducive´ atmosphere for a pair of elephants to be sent to Germany from Karnataka, as part of an exchange programme in which two pairs of cheetahs would be brought to India. ´Ensure that the elephants live in a conducive atmosphere in Germany,´ said a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra.


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conflict

2 trampled to death by elephants in Chittoor

2011-02-09 - Chittoor, India.

Two persons were trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants on Andhra-Karnataka border on Tuesday. Forty others suffered injuries in the attack by the rampaging tuskers.


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trade

NGO survey finds Japanese Internet auction sites awash in ivory listings

2011-02-09 - Tokyo, Japan.

A survey of Japanese Internet auction sites has revealed an average of more than 20 new and potentially illegal listings for ivory products per day. The auction site survey -- conducted by the Japanese branch of the non-government organization Traffic, which monitors the international animal trade also revealed that many of the listings do not mention a country of origin or other vital information, suggesting some of the items may be connected to the illegal trade in animals and animal products.


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misc

Chasing The Largest Elephant in Angola, 1954

2011-02-08 - Washington, United States.

Almost half a century back, in 1954, in the remotes and dense jungles of Angola, Jose (Joseph) Fenykovi first saw the track of largest animal ever recorded in human history. It was an unbelievably big elephant track by the muddy shore of a lake. Joseph Fenykovi, Hungarian-born resident of Spain, was an engineer and big game hunter. Every Year, Fenykovi and his wife would abandon Europe and take off for their 1,000-acre ranch in Angola to start their big-game sport spanning for three months.


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job

ELEPHANT KEEPER - Whipsnade Zoo

2011-02-08 - Whipsnade, United Kingdom.

If you are currently an Elephant Keeper and would like to join ZSL’s world class Elephant team, please apply by sending a full CV including a covering letter detailing your suitability for the above position to: Human Resources Department, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Whipsnade, Nr Dunstable. Beds LU6 2LF or email WZHR@zsl.org


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medical

Taronga Zoo elephant diagnosed with TB

2011-02-05 - Sydney, Australia.

One of the stars of Sydney´s Taronga Zoo, an 18-year-old Asian elephant, has been diagnosed with Tuberculosis. The Asian elephant, named Pak Boon, has been diagnosed with the illness which keepers believe she bought with her when she came from Thailand four years ago. She was tested for the bug when she came to Australia, but tests at the time came up negative. Pak Boon gave birth three months ago to a female calf, Tuka.


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conservation
Tamed elephants are exhausted serving tourists, the living space for wild elephants is shrinking while the elephant preservation project is still on papers only.

Vietnam: Don Village’s elephants in danger

2011-02-03 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

The number of elephants in Don Village, Dak Lak province, famous for hunting and taming wild elephants, is going down. According to research, only 0.6 percent of tamed elephants have been reproductive in the last 30 years. Recently, the rate is nearly zero percent because male and female elephants don’t have favorable environment to meet and copulate since they are managed by different people. Moreover, they are overexploited for tourism purposes.


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welfare

Kudos to Kristin Davis for her work with elephants

2011-02-02 - Los Angeles, United States.

Sex and the City star Kristin Davis will receive the Wyler Award from the Humane Society of the United States for her work in helping orphaned African elephants that are hunted for their ivory tusks. She´ll receive the tribute on March 19 in Los Angeles at the organization´s 25th anniversary Genesis Awards.


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job

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom: elephant trainer

2011-02-02 - Vallejo, United States. AZA

Responsible for helping to train Elephants in a free contact program. Have involvement in training programs; care of Elephants, presentations in Elephant show, and other various duties as assigned. Qualified candidates should submit a resume to the Human Resources Office at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom


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relocation

Central Florida Zoo says goodbye to "Maude"

2011-02-01 - Central Florida, United States.

The Central Florida & Botanical Gardens announces it will be transferring Maude, the Asian elephant to Zoo Miami within the next month. Maude will share a home at Zoo Miami with two other Asian elephants and will become part of this elephant herd. "We have an obligation to all of our animals, and especially to Maude, to select what is in her best interest," says Joe Montisano, CEO of Zoo. "After an extensive process and analysis of our options, we are confident this is best for her at this time....


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circus

Circus: 4 elephants stranded in Morocco

2011-02-01 - Casablanca, Morocco.

Four circus elephants are locked for months in Morocco by a European administrative imbroglio prevented their return to France and their trainer, out of resources and hope, fear of being forced to euthanize them, "he said today . "We´re going to have to put them to sleep. I have no other options. It is taken hostage by the EU, " said Josef Gartner circus performer in a telephone interview.


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birth

Excitement over twin elephant calf at Howletts

2011-01-31 - Kent, United Kingdom.

A baby elephant whose twin died has been causing excitement at the Kent wild animal park where he was born. The as-yet-unnamed male was born to mother Masa following a 22-month pregnancy at Howletts, near Canterbury. The African elephant calf came into the world on January 25 but his twin did not survive. Ecstatic officials are still heralding the survival of its sibling and mother as a major success.


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people

Three more mahouts interdicted

2011-01-30 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka.

Three more mahouts of the Pinnawela Elephant Sanctuary who were investigated regarding the death of an elephant who died under tragic circumstances, allegedly due to injuries caused by its caretakers’ spear were interdicted. Several mahouts, an Animal Protection Officer was suspended while the Assistant Director of the Orphanage was transferred following the death of the elephant at the orphanage, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage Director S. Gunaratne said.
A total number of nine personnel ...


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research

Woolly mammoth, a visitor from the Ice Age

2011-01-21 - Dale McFeatters , South Korea.

Curiosity is an overpowering motivation. Perhaps that best explains a plan by Japanese, Russian and U.S. scientists to clone a woolly mammoth, a large Ice Age mammal that was largely extinct 10,000 years ago. News accounts of the venture suggest that the scientists are doing this basically to see if they can and they´ll worry about what to do with a mammoth once they have one


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fossil
Mark K. Baldwin, director of education at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, holds a cast of the original Randolph Mammoth tusk while Kristin Baldwin holds an original tooth of the mammoth. Both specimens, along with the original tusks of the mammoth, wi

Randolph Mammoth To Go On Display In Jamestown

2011-01-21 - Jamestown, United States.

A fossil which brought thousands of visitors to Randolph nearly eight decades ago could bring a whole new generation of interested guests to Jamestown during the next several weeks.
For the first time since it was un-earthed from the Randolph Fish Hatchery in 1934, the fossilized re-mains of the “Randolph Mammoth” will be on display beginning Saturday, Jan. 22 at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown.
The fossil — which is part of the museums “Fossils!” exhibit w...


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conflict

Nearly Rs 300 m allocated

2011-01-21 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Chamikara Weerasinghe

The Government has allocated nearly Rs 300 million to put up elephant fences in areas where the human-elephant conflict is deemed severe, Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena said yesterday. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has reportedly instructed Minister Chandrasena to fully activate the safety and protection systems in all National Parks.


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death
n this photo provided by Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Taj, an Asian elephant is shown on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 in Vallejo. Calif. Taj passed away on Monday, Jan. 17, 2011, after her quality of life had declined significantly. She was 71 years old

North America"s oldest Asian elephant, Taj, dies at N. California theme park at 71

2011-01-21 - Vallejo, United States.

North America´s oldest Asian elephant has died at a Northern California theme park at the age of 71. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom on Tuesday announced the death of Taj, who had lived at the Vallejo park for 33 years. The elephant was one of Discovery Kingdom´s most popular attractions. Her tricks included stacking logs and playing tug-of-war with guests. The park retired her three years ago.


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death

Mahout’s spear brings death to elephant

2011-01-17 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka. Karunaratne Atukorala

An elephant at the Pinnawela elephant orphanage died under tragic circumstances, allegedly due to injuries caused by its caretakers’ spear, an official said today. Two mahouts and an Animal Protection Officer at the Orphanage were suspended from service following the death of the elephant at the orphanage, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage Director S. Gunaratne said


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conflict
Elephant curator Jim Naelitz (left), his brother Todd Naelitz and keeper Stephanie James allow Avery Burgess, daughter of News Sentinel photographer Amy Smotherman Burgess, to pet Edie, an African elephant at the Knoxville Zoo. James died from injuries i

Knoxville Zoo worker Stephanie James dies after elephant pushes her into stall

2011-01-16 - Knoxville, United States.

Stephanie James loved animals - whether it was the horses she used to take care of as a child, her dog she rescued from being euthanized or the elephants that she cared for daily at the Knoxville Zoo. "That was her life," her father, Ron James, said by telephone Friday evening. "It was just her goal in life to take care of animals and be around them."


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misc
Elephant keeper Stephanie James gives donated Christmas trees to Jana and Edie, female African elephants at the Knoxville Zoo on Jan. 7, 2011. James died Friday evening as a result of internal injuries incurred when one of the animals she was working wit

Elephant in fatal accident will not be punished

2011-01-15 - Knoxville, United States. Amy McRary

The Knoxville Zoo African elephant that fatally injured one of her keepers will not be punished as multiple agencies begin to investigate what zoo officials call a tragic accident. Elephant keeper Stephanie Elaine James, 33, died from internal injuries she suffered Friday afternoon when a zoo elephant named Edie pushed her into the heavy metal bars of a stall inside the pachyderms’ barn.


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event

Bike for Elephants in Thailand

2011-01-15 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th of January 2011 we invite you to join our ‘Bike for Elephants’ tour in Northern Thailand. Two days of adventure and fun biking through the Mae Tang valley, in Chiang Mai province. This event will raise much needed funds for the Elephant Nature Park and create awareness about the plight of Thai elephants.


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death

Tame elephant dies after stabbing

2011-01-08 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

A tame elephant that was stabbed dozens of times by poachers two months ago has died, Le Thi Thanh Ha, director of the Ban Don Eco-tourism Company, said on Thursday. Poachers inflicted 217 cuts to the Pak Cu elephant´s hind legs and tail. Ha said the male elephant had long and valuable tusks. The eco-tourism company spent VND50 million (US$2,500) trying to treat the elephant´s injuries.


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medical
Credit: From the Greenville Zoo. Ladybird

Dentist Called In After Greenville Zoo Elephant Loses Part Of Tusk

2011-01-04 - Greenville, South Carolina, United States.

A Greenville Zoo elephant, Lady Bird, 40, lost part of her right tusk last week, according to zoo officials. In a release, they say the tusk was discovered by zoo staff in the elephant barn when they let her out for exhibit. While they say it is not uncommon for elephants to break off their tusks, Lady Bird had a large crack in what was left of her tusk that concerned staff. “If the pulp canal, the vital portion of the tooth that runs down the center of the tusk, is open via the crack, then th...


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wild

Forest rangers capture wild elephant calf in Jalpaiguri

2011-01-02 - Jalpaiguri, India.

Forest Rangers of Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary captured a two-year-old male elephant calf from the vicinity of Madarihat village in West Bengal´s Jalpaiguri District. The elephant calf was residing in and around the village located near the sanctuary for the last 13 days. The elephant calf had got detached from its herd few days back and later the herd probably refused its re-entry.


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wild

Rare Video of Wild Cambodian Elephant Released by Wildlife Conservation Society

2011-01-02 - New York, United States. Matthew McDermott

There are only an estimated 116 wild Asian elephants in Cambodia´s Seima Protection Area, and until now most of the photographic evidence of them has be taken by camera traps. New footage released by the Wildlife Conservation Society changes that. The short video, a screengrab of which is above (here´s the original footage), taken back in August by Allan Michaud shows a male elephant feeding on grass.


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birth

Female elephant born at Rostov Zoo

2010-12-27 - Rostov-na-Donu, Russian Federation.

Is the present new-year than miracle newly born elephant calf - Sint´s cow-elephant presented in the outgoing year to zoo. On the night on December 22 was born [samochka]. First-born Sints (so they call cow-elephant- mom) saw zoologists early in the morning. This remarkable event the specialists of zoo " hid” several days from the curious eyes for superstitious reasons. [Malyshka] was born by weight about 70 kg. now it [okrepla], she grew prettier. Like all little-ones, it is active and ...


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birth

African Elephant Born at San Diego Zoo Safari Park

2010-12-27 - San Diego, California, United States. Imperial Valley News

In the dark, early hours of Monday morning, an African elephant calf was born at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. No human was there to witness it, but when the elephant staff arrived, about 6 a.m., they noticed the tiny, new member of the African elephant herd. Keepers called the mother, Litsemba, into an upper yard for a visual check of her and the new calf. "The baby was born out on the main exhibit in the presence of all the other moms and calves, but we wanted to make sure today that he reall...


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medical

Epidemic alert sounded as bacterial disease fells 6 elephants in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

2010-12-27 - Bangalore, India.

Death of six elephants in 15 days due to bacterial disease haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS) or Pasturellosis, has shocked forest officials and experts as they fear it may become an epidemic affecting about 5,630 elephants residing in a 9,751-sq km area.


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misc

Life after death for this elephant

2010-12-26 - Sanjay Gandhi National Park, India.

After drowning in Gadchiroli in 2007, Vimala has become the first pachyderm to be resurrected by taxidermists at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. On Saturday, Dr Santosh Gaikwad, placed a pair of eyes on a model of Vimala, an 80 year-old elephant, who died in a drowning accident in Gadchiroli in 2007. This making the country´s first taxidermy model of an elephant.


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research

Sri Lanka to conduct population census on wild elephants

2010-12-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife has decided to conduct an island wide survey to take census on wild elephants. The Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife, S.M. Chandrasena says that he has directed the officials of the Department to conduct the survey in August next year.


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trade

Despite ban, elephants still tradable cattle in Haryana

2010-12-25 - Haryana, India.

Despite a ban on elephant trading, jumbos can be bought and sold in Haryana thanks to loopholes in the state´s Village Cattle Fair Act (1970). The act, amended twice, continues to have elephants on its list of tradable animals at rural cattle fairs. The state act violates the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) that puts elephants in the protected category and bars their domestication.


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misc
The elephant calf with its mother.

Elephant calf reunited with mother after ditch rescue

2010-12-24 - Assam, India.

The thirty-hour ordeal of an Asian elephant calf trapped in a trench on a tea estate in eastern Assam ended on a happy note as rescuers successfully reunited it with its mother. Two captive elephants were deployed to keep the mother away from the rescue site as Assam Forest Department officials and an IFAW-WTI team helped the calf out of the trench.


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misc

Legendary elephant continues to attract visitors years after death

2010-12-24 - Karachi, Pakistan. Qadeer Tanoli

Even after her death, Anarkali — a female elephant which entertained almost three generations in Karachi — continue to attract visitors at the Karachi Zoological Garden, though in a very different way. Due to their love for the elephant-deity, Ganesh, visitors from the Hindu community have now learnt how to trick the two staffers guarding the skull of Anarkali at the Karachi Zoo to offer sacrifices to it.


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people

Elephant handler wins circus lawsuit. Man awarded settlement after being falsely told his beloved pachyderm was lost

2010-12-23 - , United States.

A New Zealand elephant handler won a wrongful dismissal claim Wednesday against a circus that falsely told him it had lost his beloved animal and his services were no longer required. The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) found that Tony Ratcliffe, who had looked after Jumbo the elephant for 30 years, agreed to sell the animal to the Australian-based Loritz Bros. Circus in 2008 and act as its carer.


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poaching

Kenya wildlife rangers kill three elephant poachers

2010-12-23 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Three suspected poachers were shot dead in Kenya in the past week in two incidents for killing five elephants, Kenyan wildlife authorities said on Monday. Kenya Wildlife Service said its rangers shot dead two poachers in the southeast of the country, arrested another, and recovered two assault rifles and seven elephant tusks.


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abstract

Genomic DNA Sequences from Mastodon and Woolly Mammoth Reveal Deep Speciation of Forest and Savanna Elephants

2010-12-23 - Boston, United States. Nadin Rohland, David Reich, Swapan Mallick, Matthias Meyer, Richard E. Green3, Nicholas J. Georgiadis, Alfred L. Roca, Michael Hofreiter, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School

To elucidate the history of living and extinct elephantids, we generated 39,763 bp of aligned nuclear DNA sequence across 375 loci for African savanna elephant, African forest elephant, Asian elephant, the extinct American mastodon, and the woolly mammoth. Our data establish that the Asian elephant is the closest living relative of the extinct mammoth in the nuclear genome, extending previous findings from mitochondrial DNA analyses


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research
Arctic mammoths may have nursed longer than elephants because the long winter nights made it more important for infants to stay near their mothers to avoid predators, researcher Jessica Metcalfe suggested. These mammoth models are displayed at the Neande

Mammoth"s nursing habits may have sped demise

2010-12-22 - Old Crow, United States.

Baby woolly mammoths in the Yukon were nourished exclusively on their mother´s milk for two years, much longer than elephants nurse their young, a new study has found. The dependency on nursing may have hastened the extinction of the giant tusked mammals 10,000 years ago, suggested Jessica Metcalfe, the University of Western Ontario researcher who led the study published in December in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology


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evolution
Forest elephants in Africa have now been confirmed as a new species of elephant and have been distinguished from the larger savanna elephant in Africa.

"African elephant" actually two separate species

2010-12-22 - Washington, United States.

Everyone is taught that there are two species of elephants — the African and the Asian — but new research is suggesting this isn´t the whole truth. The "African elephant" is actually two species, as evolutionarily different as lions and tigers are from one another.


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film
Now for sale at CircusTimeVideo.com

Elephantastic! A Century of Pachydermic Pageantry

2010-12-12 - Baraboo, Wisconsin, United States. Timothy Tegge

Clocking in at just under two full hours, this magnificent collection of all things pachyderm contains 28 different elephant acts (some partial and many complete), in addition to several additional accompanying vignettes filmed on various shows around the world. It can be purchased soon at http://www.circustimevideo.com/


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conflict

Sri Lanka to deploy Civil Defense Force to curb man-elephant conflict

2010-12-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Minister of Wildlife and Peasants Services S.M. Chandrasena says that 5,000 personnel of Civil Defense Force will be deployed to prevent man-elephant conflicts. The Civil Defense Force personnel will assist the Wildlife officials to protect the elephant population as well as the crops of the farmers.


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conflict

Killer elephant tramples one more in Bangalore

2010-12-11 - Bangalore, India.

A rogue tusker, which had killed six people in the last six months, was finally captured on Thursday in Tiptur, near Honavalli in Tumkur. The tusker on Thursday morning trampled 28-year-old Yogesh to death in Honavalli near KR Katte. According to the deputy conservator of forests, Tumkur wildlife division, UP Singh, the elephant came from Arsikere about five months back and was camping here. Yogesh had gone to attend nature’s call, when he was trampled by the tusker.


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smuggle

2010-12-11 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Two Singaporean nationals were arrested late Friday as they allegedly tried to smuggle raw elephant ivory out of Kenya, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service. The suspects were arrested with 92 kilograms of illegal raw ivory at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport while trying to board a midnight flight to Bangkok, Thailand. The K9 unit of the Kenya Wildlife Service made the bust, according to Paul Udoto, a spokesman for the KWS.


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medical

Sri Lankan vets better

2010-12-09 - Kandy, Thailand. Asela KURULUWANSA and Indika POLKOTUWA

Sri Lankan Veterinary Scientists are far ahead of their counterparts in other Asian countries such as India, Thailand and Myanmar, said Peradeniya University Veterinary Science Senior Lecturer Ashoka Dangolla addressing the media at Kandy Sinhala Traders´ Front auditorium Monday. he said that only two percent of elephants in Sri Lanka die when being transferred from one forest to another, whereas in other Asian countries the corresponding figure is about 10 percent.


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conflict

Elephants killed six in Chhattisgarh in 2010

2010-12-08 - Raipur, India.

Wild elephants trampled six people to death in Chhattisgarh´s Surguja district this year, Forest Minister Vikram Usendi said Wednesday. ´As many as six people were killed and 527 houses destroyed by elephants this year,´ the minister said in a written reply to Congress legislator Premsai Singh Tekam. Usendi said the government paid Rs.1 million as compensation to each family which lost a member in the elephant attacks. Over Rs.5 million was paid to people whose houses were brou...


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relocation
This little fellow who lost its way and nearly starved to death was lucky to have been rescued. It will find a new home at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphange.

Elephant calf that strayed ends in Pinnawela

2010-12-08 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

A baby elephant that had roamed away from its herd was found lying exhausted in a paddy field in Kidachchiur. The calf was handed over to the Vavuniya Range Forest Conservation Office by the Sri Lanka Army and some locals. Range Forest Officer W J K Herath said the calf had been starving for several days and that it would be handed over to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage after medical treatment.


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conflict

Elephant stomps owner to death

2010-12-07 - Kampong Speu, Cambodia.

An elephant named Sambo stomped its 54-year-old owner to death and fled into the jungle in Kampong Speu province’s Mon village, prompting the owner’s family to intervene with authorties to catch the angry beast and remove it to a zoo. Se Phoeun was killed on Friday when his elephant went on a rampage, trampling him to death and destroying neighbours’ crops


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people

Nepal"s elephant drivers strike over pay

2010-12-06 - Kathmandu, Nepal.

Elephant drivers in Nepal´s top wildlife park held a four-hour strike on Monday and threatened to stop working altogether in a protest over pay and conditions. The drivers, or mahouts, are employed by the hotel industry to take tourists on elephant-back safaris in the Chitwan national park, home to Nepal´s largest populations of rhinos and tigers as well as many rare bird and deer species.


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relocation
The tusker is gently guided by kumkis (trained elephants used for tamingwild elephants) after it was tranquillised; The frightened tusker engages in a duel with a kumki; Thetusker is guided into a lorry that later released it into the forest.

Jumbo solidarity

2010-12-06 - Bhavani Sagar, India.

Sunday 2.45 a.m. at Bhavani Sagar, the captured tusker got off the truck and headed straight for its habitat, bringing joy to Forest Department officials, who had toiled for 72 hours. The jumbo had caused considerable tension when it entered a human habitat, and remained there for three days. The release of the over 25-year-old marked the end of a 20-hour-operation, perhaps Tamil Nadu´s first.


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blog
Terror unleashed: The elephant runs amok in Thrissur.

Elephants on the edge

2010-12-06 - Thrissur, India.

In 2003, the Kerala Government introduced the Captive Elephant (Management & Maintenance) Rule, known as Rule 2003, whereby microchips and registration for captive elephants were made compulsory. To a large extent it resulted in reducing their illegal transportation. According to the 2009 census, there are about 695 elephants in Kerala, of which 196 are in Thrissur, a place known for elephant craze where caparisoned elephants are paraded in every function.


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relocation

Baby African elephants to join Seoul Zoo family

2010-12-05 - Seoul , South Korea. Robert Lee

Seoul’s zoo is expecting to receive two baby African elephants next year, the only ones in the country, according to zoo officials Sunday. Seoul Grand Park Zoo said they are in the process of obtaining baby African elephants, of both sexes, costing the city 280 million won ($246, 900). “Through an agency we are hoping to receive two elephants, from an African country, that are weaning and have good personalities,” according to park officials.


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medical

An elephant"s beauty treatment

2010-12-03 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.

Five-year-old Kannan, the resident elephant at a Hindu temple near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala has been looking a bit long in the tooth. With its tusks too long to be able to eat, it is time for a visit from Vinayan, the elephant beautician. Vinayan was an elephant driver by profession but took to cutting and shaping elephants tusks that earned him the nickname of the "elephant beautician"


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abstract
The carcass of an elephant killed by poachers for its tusks

Kenyan rangers gun down elephant poachers

2010-11-27 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan wildlife rangers shot dead two poachers suspected of killing two elephants in one of the country´s top national parks, a park official said Friday. The pair, a Kenyan and a Tanzanian, were gunned down Thursday near the Amboseli National Park in the south of the country as they prepared to shoot a herd of elephants.


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evolution
The largest land mam mals ever, Indri cotherium (shown in pale blue) and Deino the rium, early re la tives of ele phants (dark blue), would have dwarfed to day

Dinos out of way, mammals ballooned to record sizes

2010-11-27 - Washington, United States.

The di no saurs’ de mise 65 mil lion years ago paved the way for mam mals to even tu ally grow over a thou sand fold in size, hit ting rec ords for heft some 34 mil lion years ago, a new study sug gests. “Size im pacts all as pects of bi ol o gy, from re pro duc tion to ex tinc tion,” said Uni vers ity of New Mex i co bi ol o gist Fe lisa Smith, who led the re search. “Un der stand ing the con straints op er at ing on size is cru cial to un der stand ing how ecosys tems work.”


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medical

Elephant undergoes rare dental surgery in Kerela

2010-11-27 - Thrissur, India.

Twenty-seven-year-old Devidasan had been enduring acute pain from a deep cavity in his tusk for the past five years. With the aim to alleviate the pain and repair and restore the beauty of Devidasan’s tusk, his owner, Forest Veterinary Officer Dr. V. Sunil Kumar, got in touch with Dr. C. V. Pradeep, conservative dentist and endodontist of Kannur.


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research
NEW UNDERSTANDING ... Dr Marthe Kiley-Worthington spends time with some of the elephants at the scenic Knysna Elephant Park.

Elephant care a jumbo task

2010-11-26 - Knysna, South Africa.

THE international Eco- Etho Research and Education Centre has joined the Knysna Elephant Park’s African elephant research unit to launch a new academy that will study animal welfare and psychology. The major aim of the academy’s courses will be to develop world- recognised qualifications for those professionally involved with large mammals, in order to ensure that animals under any form of human jurisdiction do not suffer and that, in particular, co-operative contact, handling and teaching a...


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medical

Jumbo dies in re-location bid

2010-11-24 - Galgamuwa, Sri Lanka. Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe

An elephant being transported by the Wildlife Department died of suffocation in the Galgamuwa area, officials said. The elephant, a tusker was being taken in a lorry when its leg broke through the bottom of the lorry and the elephant had struggled. Later attempts were made to release the elephant midway, but the attempt failed and the elephant had died.


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conservation

Setting up of National Elephant Conservation Authority

2010-11-22 - New Delhi, India. Press Information Bureau Government of India

The Ministry is considering for setting up of the National Elephant Conservation Authority. The details are yet to be finalized. The population of wild elephants in the country as per the census done in the year 2007-08 is in the range of 27,669 to 27,719 as compared to a 26,413 estimated in previous census done in the year 2002. The population of elephant in the country is increasing not declining. This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests (independent char...


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abstract
Dovima with Elephants was taken in 1955 and fetched $1.15 million US.

Avedon auction reaps $7.5M

2010-11-20 - Paris, France.

An auction of prints by fashion photographer Richard Avedon has netted more than $7.5 million US. Billed as the largest auction ever of Avedon works, 65 photos were put on the block. Avedon´s most famous picture may be Dovima with elephants, a 224-centimetre by 152-centimetre print that adorned the entrance to his New York City studio for more than two decades. It sold for $1.15 million US. The sales in Paris will benefit his eponymous foundation, which is seeking to establish an endowment...


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abstract
An artist

Bulldozer Driver Makes Fossil Discovery of the Century

2010-11-20 - Smowmass, United States. Loren Grush

An accidental discovery by a bulldozer driver has led to what may be the find of the century: an ice-age burial ground that could rival the famed La Brea tar pits. After two weeks of excavating ancient fossils at the Ziegler Reservoir near Snowmass Village, Colorado, scientists from the Denver Museum of Natural Science returned home Wednesday with their unearthed treasures in tow -- a wide array of fossils, insects and plant life that they say give a stunningly realistic view of what life was li...


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research
Visitors get their first look at Samudra, the elephant calf born at the Oregon Zoo in 2008. Zoo managers hope to continue to grow the herd.

Oregon Zoo and others across North America plan a three-year elephant-welfare study

2010-11-19 - Portland, United States. Katy Muldoon

"Using Science to Understand Elephant Welfare" will involve all 290 Asian and African elephants housed in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Zoos with pachyderms were not required to participate, but all signed on.


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job

Grant"s Farm: Elephant Keeper

2010-11-15 - St. Louis, United States. AZA

Works as part of a team to provide daily elephant care including but not limited to diet preparation and feeding, barn and yard cleaning, foot and skin care and training of 1.1 African elephants within a Protected Contact management system. Must be team oriented with strong communication skills (written and oral). Observes elephants for changes in behavior and any sign of injury or illness. Assists in maintaining enrichment programs Participates in on-going research involving elephant care and h...


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relocation

Elephant Shenga Sad, Will Move After Friend Maliaka"s Death

2010-11-15 - Omaha, United States.

Her friend Maliaka dead, Shenga will now head to a new home. The female African elephant will move to a new zoo early next year, according to a news release from the Henry Doorly Zoo: "The decision to move Shenga comes after the death of Maliaka, a 47-year-old elderly female elephant who lived with her."


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abstract
George the elephant now weighs 60 stone

Jumbo Ultrasound Shows Zoo"s Baby Elephant

2010-11-15 - Whipsnade, United Kingdom.

An incredible ultrasound image of a baby elephant in utero has been released by ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. The picture shows George at three months - 19 months before his birth in May this year. Incredibly his trunk is already visible. The Zoo used 3D ultrasound scanners to monitor the health and well-being of mum and baby. Now six months old, George weighs around 60 stone and is part of the herd of Asian elephants at the Zoo in Dunstable. His keepers say he loves to play in the seven-acre paddock with ...


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course

First European Elephant Management School

2010-11-15 - Hamburg, Germany.

Elephant Management School in Hamburg, is holding its held annual course in
November. The First European Elephant Management School is a practical orientated course on different elephant management tactics. Free contact as well as protected contact management techniques and procedures will be trained.


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facility

Fire kills 26 animals at Karlsruhe Zoo, elephants saved by director and keepers

2010-11-13 - Karlsruhe, Germany.

The elephants and hippos at Karlsruhe Zoo were rescued in dramatic circumstances on Friday night after a fire which had already killed a number of animals threatened to spread to their enclosure. Fire broke out in the petting area of the zoo, killing all 26 animals kept there, including sheep, African dwarf goats, alpacas, Shetland ponies and Sardinian dwarf donkeys. It would seem only the doves which were housed there could escape.


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job

Wildlife Safari Internship

2010-11-11 - Winston, United States. AZA

The Wildlife Safari offers an exciting, hands-on, and unique internship program. These three-month, non-paid internships occur in one of four departments; Cheetah, Carnivore, Ungulate and Elephant departments. The Wildlife Safari offers an experience much like that of doing field conservation due to our large mixed species exhibits with 600 acres for the animals to roam. Wildlife Safari is also known for it’s top cheetah breed program with 163 cheetah births.


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relocation
Willy, a 13,000-pound African bull elephant, will soon be the monarch of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will welcome its first bull elephant; Willy weighs in at 13,000 pounds

2010-11-10 - Cleveland, Ohio, United States. James Ewinger

Today´s word is "biggest" -- as in the biggest land mammal in the world, the biggest animal the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has ever housed, and an exhibit that is expected to be the biggest draw since the RainForest opened nearly 20 years ago. The new African Elephant Crossing, set to open May 5, is also expected to attract zoo managers from around North America because of its innovations. But the biggest news right now is the arrival of Willy, a 31-year-old African bull elephant who stands ...


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facility

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo gets new elephant home

2010-11-07 - Cleveland, United States.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is winding down construction on its African elephant crossing project. Although the sparks are still flying, the finishing touches are still being made to the facility and its grounds. “We’ve quadrupled the amount of space that we originally had for elephants. So it’s an increase in the amount of space, but also we’ve made that space so much better for the elephants by improving its quality,” said Amanda Majewski with the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.


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relocation

Bhola gets new home at Agra rescue centre

2010-11-07 - Agra, India.

A 38-year-old elephant that was “lodged” at Loni police station here since last week was transferred to a rescue centre in Agra, where it will have a natural environment and also a companion. Last month, the mahout of the elephant, Bhola, reportedly tried to walk the elephant into Uttar Pradesh, without proper documents.


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conflict

Wild elephant tramples 3 to death in Haridwar

2010-11-06 - Haridwar, India.

In Haridwar, a woman and her two grandchildren were trampled to death by a wild elephant last night on National Highway at Moteechur near Rajaji National Park. According to Director of Rajaji National Park S S Rasaily the incident took place outside Motichur range of the national park last evening when five members of a family were attacked by the wild elephant. He told our Dehradun correspondent that a man and his one daughter managed to run away from the spot whereas three members of his famil...


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research
Countdown:An elephant and its calf in Bandipur National Park near Mysore.

Will they number more than 5,000?

2010-11-06 - Bangalore, India.

The Karnataka State Forest Department is gearing up for a two-day elephant census that will be conducted across most of the State´s national parks and sanctuaries on May 15 and 16. The census will be simultaneously carried out in the three other southern States — Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.


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abstract

Orissa: Elephant Shankar"s home return! villagers under fear

2010-11-05 - Angul, India. Sangram Ranjan Nath

When Shankar arrived at Tikarpada Sakakosia wildlife forest, the villagers protested him. Shankar is now a well discussed elephant not only at Angul but also in Keonjhar area. Shankar a pet elephant who was enged for drive away the other wild elephant, and eco truism project at Telkoi Keonjhar district.


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abstract
Rob Conachie

Life at The Zoo for Rob

2010-11-04 - Whipsnade, United Kingdom.

A FARMER’S son from South Somerset, who is now an elephant keeper at Whipsnade Zoo, will star in an upcoming documentary that goes behind-the-scenes at the UK’s largest zoo. Rob Conachie, 27, will feature in The Zoo, a three-part documentary series that shows the goings-on of the Zoological Society of London – beginning at 8pm on Tuesday, November 9, on ITV1.


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facility
Asian elephant, Billy, in his new exhibit

L.A. Zoo"s bull Elephant Billy Explores New Habitat

2010-11-04 - Los Angeles, United States. Jason Jacobs, Los Angeles Zoo PR

On the morning of Thursday, November 4, 2010, the Los Angeles Zoo moved 25-year-old Asian elephant Billy into a completed section of the new six-acre Elephants of Asia exhibit, scheduled to open December 16. Zoo staff used pumpkins to create a trail for Billy to follow into his new home. After cautiously stepping into the new habitat, Billy began eating the pumpkins along with some of the landscaping. Billy then showered himself underneath the new waterfall and dug into the river sand which surr...


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fossil
Christie Duckett, an office administrator for the Snowmass Water and Sanitation District, holds a 50-pound mastodon tusk that was unearthed last Thursday at the Ziegler Reservoir site.

Three mastodons, one mammoth, found so far at Snowmass site

2010-11-03 - Snowmass, United States. Brent Gardner-Smith

Plant material and soil sent for radiocarbon dating; big dig at reservoir begins today. For now, think “Snowmass mastodon” as much as “Snowmass mammoth.”
Dr. Steven Holen, curator of archaeology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, has determined that five tusks found last Thursday in the Ziegler Reservoir are from mastodons. “We have an absolute minimum of three mastodons,” Holen said Monday by phone before excitedly rushing back to the archaeological dig, which is set...


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smuggle

Elephant smuggling gang busted in India

2010-11-03 - Guwahati, India.

Police in northeast India said Wednesday they had busted an elephant smuggling racket which is suspected of selling nearly 100 animals across the country and to Nepal. Two elephants, a mother and a calf, were seized when a police team swooped on a truck travelling across the state border from Assam to West Bengal at the weekend.


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birth

Tarongas Third Elephant Calf Born On Anniversary Of Herds Arrival

2010-11-02 - Sydney, Australia. Taronga Conservation Society Australia Press release

Taronga third Asian Elephant calf was born at 1.12 am last night. The calf is Taronga’s first female and it is the fifth calf born to the Australian Conservation Management Plan for these endangered elephants. The calf was born in the paddock four years to the day of the arrival of the herd from Thailand in 2006.


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job

Oregon Zoo: Elephant Curator

2010-10-30 - Portland, United States.

We are headed for an exciting time in our elephant program with the expansion of our current elephant facilities from 2.5 acres to 6 acres and the development of an off-site elephant facility. We are seeking an Elephant Curator to manage the elephant collection.


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relocation
Tina and Jewel spent years with a Texas circus trainer who was cited by the U.S. Agriculture Department for inadequate veterinary care. When the San Diego Zoo acquired them 14 months ago, they had to be nursed back to health

L.A. Zoo to get new elephants to go with new exhibit

2010-10-30 - Los Angeles, United States. Carla Hall and Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times

Two females will be on indefinite loan from the San Diego Zoo, bringing the Griffith Park facility´s number of pachyderms to three. Tina and Jewel are female Asian elephants of un certain age who between them have endured foot problems and dental surgery. They will be on indefinite loan from the San Diego Zoo, both zoos announced Friday.


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zoo
Ms. Alfama tosses a treat into Tembo

The Size of an Elephant’s Foot Print

2010-10-27 - San Diego Zoo, United States. Sarah, Real World Team

We talked to the Senior Elephant Keeper Ron Ringer, who gave us a breif explanation of the Center. Then Anne Alfama, the Lead Keeper of Elephant Odyssey, gave a basic rundown of both the Center and the Odyssey. She emphasized that the Elephant Care Center is a state of the art elephant care facility, built with Keeper input.


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zoo
In this photo taken on December 11, 2009, an elephant was performing in a wild animal park in Xishuangbanna, the southernmost prefecture of Yunnan Province

Zoos to Ban Animal Performances

2010-10-27 - Bejing, China.

Zoos and parks across China will be banned from putting up shows of animal performances for extra profits, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said in a notice Tuesday. The notice explains while China´s zoo industry has experienced rapid development, a few profit-driven zoos were found improperly caring for the animals or even involved in gross neglect in some cases.


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death

Baby elephant killed with spears, sticks on camera

2010-10-27 - Jagiroad, India.

A day after the elephant was officially declared a Heritage Animal, entitling it to the same sort of protection as the tiger, a video has captured villagers in Assam beating a baby elephant to death. The three-year-old calf had was injured and had been abandoned by his herd. Villagers are seen in the video riding on the injured calf, while policemen watch.


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conflict
The damage done to Rupika’s house

Field days for wild elephants in Kekirawa

2010-10-27 - Kekirawa, Sri Lanka. Karunaratne Dissanayake

The prowling of wild elephants in villages and paddy fields in the Kekirawa area has increased after the harvesting season. However cultivation in the Maha season has not been possible owing to a severe drought.


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misc

Elephant goes from washing cars to making wine

2010-10-26 - Winston, United States.

With the help of a local winery, the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore. made a little history this weekend. One of the elephants made famous for its Elephant Car Wash traded in bucket and sponge for a glass of Pinot. George the elephant from Wildlife Safari stomped grapes for wine this past weekend in Winston, Ore. – marking the first time in North America where an elephant has been used to stomp grapes for wine.


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death

Twist of fate

2010-10-26 - Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.

A wild elephant that had been saved from drowning in the sea off Sampur in Trincomalee a few months ago by the Sri Lanka Navy and released to the jungle was found dead last night in a well in Jayanthipura in Trincomalee. Few months ago the elephant had been caught in a current and swept farther into the deep sea when the Navy spotted it. The jumbo had been roaming in the Sampur and Trincomalee areas and was being monitored by the Wildlife Conservation officials.


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relocation

Rogue tusker to get commando training

2010-10-26 - Bhubaneswar, India.

After serving a term in confinement, tusker Nandan has a public service on hand. The forest department plans to use the 24-year-old tusker as a kumki (trained commando elephant) to tame wild elephants so that they do not destroy lives and property. On Monday, Nandan was transported to the elephant-training centre at the Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary, 60 km from Bhubaneswar, from Nandankanan Zoo, on the outskirts of the Orissa capital, where he spent ten years in chains after unintentionally killin...


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smuggle

Ivory trader trapped by Maneka

2010-10-26 - New Delhi, India.

Rajbhar Harmohinder Singh will forever rue the moment when he agreed to meet a ´foreign lady´ to try and sell her an ivory necklace. His dreams of the Rs 8.05 lakh illegal sale were horribly shattered when the man found out that his customer was none other than former environment minister, Maneka Gandhi. He was immediately put behind bars, sources said.


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zoo

Smelly the elephant problem solved by Southern Water

2010-10-25 - Kent, United Kingdom.

A jumbo-sized problem kicking up a stink at Howletts zoo has been solved by Southern Water. The park’s 14 elephants – who let nature take its course every two hours – had been causing a headache for owners because their enclosure wasn’t connected to the public sewer system. It meant having to hire tankers to come in and suck up daily waste water left by their toilet habits and take it to a nearby treatment works.


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book

A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata

2010-10-25 - Tây Nguyên, Vietnam.

It’s 1975, and Y’Tin Eban, a thirteen year old Rhade boy living in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam, is the youngest elephant keeper ever in his village. He plans someday to open the first elephant-training school in Vietnam. He has promised his elephant, Lady, that he will care for her all her life and mash up bananas for her when she’s old and has lost her teeth. Y’Tin has lots of ideas, lots of plans.


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poaching

Elephant survives second poacher attack

2010-10-25 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.

A tamed elephant with beautiful tusks found last week with hundreds of cuts on his body has been in critical condition, Buon Don District officials said. The tusker was found in a forest near the Ban Don Eco-tourism Company´s office in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Thieves attacked the three-tonne elephant, named Pac Ku, with the intention of killing him and removing his 70cm tusks, local people say.


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medical

Biggest Animal Hospital to be Built

2010-10-25 - Lampung, Indonesia.

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said the central government will soon build the biggest animal hospital in South East Asia. The construction will begin in 2011 at the Way Kambas National Park, Lampung. "The architectural design has been completed and the hospital, intended for wild and domestic animals, can soon be realized,” said Zulkifli after launching the program "Plant One Billion Trees" in Lampung yesterday.


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event
A video footage by Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) shows Myanmar

Myanmar shows new "lucky" elephant

2010-10-23 - Naypyidaw, Myanmar.

MYANMAR state media yesterday hailed the discovery of a fifth white elephant, considered a symbol of good fortune, ahead of elections dismissed by critics as a charade to legitimise military rule. The female pachyderm named Nandawady was sprinkled with holy water in a ceremony that coincided with Thursday´s unveiling of the country´s new flag.


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people

Elephant in fatal attack on Australian

2010-10-23 - Maun, Botswana. Sarah Whyte

AUSTRALIAN elephant expert Nathan Jamieson´s conservation work with the animals he devoted his life to has ended in tragedy in Africa. The 32-year-old, who had been working in Botswana since resigning from the Taronga and Dubbo zoos in March, was killed when an elephant he was tending struck him suddenly with its trunk.


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research

National Zoo Is Part of Elephant Study Awarded Prestigious Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services

2010-10-22 - Washington, United States.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s endocrinology laboratory is set to play a vital role in what will be the most comprehensive and collaborative study on elephant welfare in zoos—a project funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services with the Honolulu Zoo serving as principal investigator.


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conflict

Man gored by elephant sues game lodge

2010-10-22 - Pretoria, South Africa.

A man gored by an elephant is suing a North West game lodge for R300 000, according to court papers. In papers lodged in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria this week, Andrew Falcon is demanding R300 000 from Three Cities Management Ltd, Madikwe River Lodge (Pty) Ltd and Madikwe River Lodge Management Ltd. He alleged that the lodge´s emergency medical procedures were so poor that he had to wait almost five hours before he could be evacuated for medical attention.


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conservation

Elephant declared national heritage animal

2010-10-22 - New Delhi, India.

The environment ministry on Friday declared the elephant a national heritage animal in order to step up measures for its protection. The ministry Friday issued a notification in this regard after the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) approved the proposal in its meeting held on Oct 13. The Elephant Task Force Aug 31 in its report had recommended the special status to elephants, saying the move will help in protecting the jumbos.


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abstract

Elephant attack inspires book by Mt. Juliet native

2010-10-22 - Mt. Juliet, United States.

A Mt. Juliet native who survived an elephant attack in China is returning to Middle Tennessee to tell his story about survival and to sign copies of his book, Elephant Juice: Miracles Happen, this weekend. Jeremy McGill, 33, who now lives in Henderson, Tenn., was teaching English in China in January 2008 when he was given a vacation stipend and time off to travel the country.


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job

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom: Elephant Trainer

2010-10-21 - Vallejo, United States.

REPORTS TO: Elephant Supervisos. STATUS: Full-Time Hourly. JOB SUMMARY: Responsible for helping to train Elephants in a free contact program. Have involvement in training programs; care of Elephants, presentations in Elephant show, and other various duties as assigned.


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poaching

Poachers shoot and mutilate elephant

2010-10-21 - Kui Buri National Park , Thailand.

Poachers have shot dead a male elephant and hacked its face to dig out its tusks. Kui Buri National Park chief Boonlue Poonnil said yesterday that forest rangers saw two men slashing something in deep jungle in Sam Roi Yot district on Wednesday night. The men fled after spotting the rangers.Authorities investigating the scene found the carcass of a male elephant aged from five to 10 years.


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trade

Ailing jumbo Jaimala may return to Lucknow city zoo

2010-10-21 - Lucknow, India.

Jaimala could be on its way back to Lucknow zoo. Reason: the elephant has perhaps not been able to acclimatise to the wild environs of Katarniaghat. Its inability to survive in the wild and learn performing the tasks meant for jumbos has led Katarniaghat officials to consider sending Jaimala back to its old habitat, Lucknow zoo.


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abstract

Elephant Corridor at Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary to Enlarge with Addition of Khanakpur Forest Area

2010-10-19 - , India.

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary which is a popular elephant corridor will further be enlarged with the addition of Khanakpur Forest to its area.
Currently Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, a popular elephant reserve is spread over Belgaum, Karwar, Dharwad and Haveri districts of Karnataka. The addition of Khanakpur Forest adds further 64,643 hectares of forest area which consist of about 161 villages.


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fossil
This is thought to be part of a mastodon bone found in a Williamson County backyard.

Bones unearthed in Franklin yard may be those of mastodon

2010-10-19 - Franklin, United States.

Past the driveways and decorative mailboxes of a quiet Franklin cul de sac, the ancient bones of what´s likely a mastodon and the tools of prehistoric America are seeing sunlight for the first time in thousands of years. Since last week, a team of archaeologists and Middle Tennessee State University students has hewn a trench about 10 feet deep into the cool clay of a suburban Williamson County backyard, bringing out bags of bone fragments and stones once used perhaps as axes or other impl...


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event
Saluting tradition:Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa making a floral offering to the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari carried by elephant Balarama during the Vijayadashami procession in Mysore on Sunday.

Grand end to 400th Mysore Dasara

2010-10-18 - Mysore, India.

The 400th year of Mysore Dasara celebrations drew to a close with the famous Jumboo Savari and Torchlight Parade witnessed by a large crowd here on Sunday. Showcasing the cultural diversity of the State, the grand Vijayadashami procession marked the culmination of 10 days of festivities. With 132 cultural troupes from across the State, including 32 thematic tableaux, participating, the procession was the lengthiest in recent years. It covered a distance of about 4 km before terminating at Bannim...


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smuggle

Ivory bust in Macao

2010-10-18 - Macau, Macau.

The Customs Service (SA) of Macao has announced their biggest ivory smuggling bust since 1999, involving an officially estimated value of 10 million patacas ($1.25m), the Macao Post Daily reported Monday. The ivory seized in the operation Sunday weighs about 1 ton. The case was also the first in Macao since 2003, when customs official confiscated 170 kilograms of ivory found on a boat.


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poaching
HomePolitics and policy POLITICS AND POLICY  Elephant poachers go hi-tech to stay ahead of rangers SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTEMAILRATING  Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) rangers display elephant tusks and rhino horns intercepted at the Jomo Kenyatta International

Elephant poachers go hi-tech to stay ahead of rangers

2010-10-18 - Nairobi, Kenya.

The trends of poaching in Kenya over the last three years are illustrated by a steep graph that defies gravity. The number of elephant deaths in that period has grown five times. The seizure of ivory and rhino horns coming from Kenya and eastern Africa region is at a record high, even before the year ends. Data from various sources show that while 47 elephants died in 2007 due to poaching, the number rose to 145 in 2008 and to 216 in 2009. This year, 28,000 tonnes of ivory have been seized.


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relocation

Elephants Asha and Chandra return to Oklahoma City Zoo

2010-10-18 - Oklahoma City, United States.

Asian elephants Asha and Chandra have returned to the Oklahoma City Zoo after more than 2 years in Tulsa. The sisters returned Monday to Oklahoma City after riding in a special climate-controlled truck. "They´re back in town," Oklahoma City Zoo spokeswoman Tara Henson said. "They´re doing great."


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welfare

Thailand rescues nearly 100 elephants from floods

2010-10-18 - Bangkok, Thailand.

Thailand evacuated dozens of elephants from a popular tourist attraction Monday after they were threatened by floods that submerged homes and paralyzed transportation in parts of the country. The rescue operation in Ayutthaya province, north of the capital, had 92 of the endangered beasts moved from a site known as Elephant Village, said manager Ittiporn Kaolamai.


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conflict

Omatjete relieved of marauding elephants

2010-10-16 - Omatjete, Namibia.

Game rangers this week herded out four elephants that have been causing sleepless nights for villagers in the Omatjete communal area. Conflict between elephants and communities along the Ugab River continues, but authorities caution that the area is a natural grazing ground for elephants. The latest incidents concerning threats by elephants occurred at the villages of Otjikakaneno and Okongue along the river. Otjikakaneno village is located between the borders of Erongo and Kunene regions.


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job

Oregon Zoo: Elephant Curator

2010-10-15 - Portland, United States.

We are headed for an exciting time in our elephant program with the expansion of our current elephant facilities from 2.5 acres to 6 acres and the development of an off-site elephant facility. We are seeking an Elephant Curator manage the elephant collection.


 Read more  

conflict

Conservationist killed by an elephant in Kariba

2010-10-15 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force has announced the death of South African businessman, Don Hornsby an avid conservationist after an attack by an elephant at Matusadona in Kariba. In a statement released today Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said ; It is with deep regret that we announce that South African businessman, Don Hornsby was killed by an elephant in Kariba on October 13th 2010.


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people
The tomb of the king of elephant hunting, N’Thu Knul, in Buon Don Village in Daklak

Elephant hunter cemetery in Dak Lak

2010-10-13 - Daklak, Vietnam.

For a taste of central highlands history, tourists to Daklak Province should visit the tomb of the king of elephant hunters in Buon Don Village. There are 40 elephant hunters buried in the unique graveyard that has about 40 tombs. The hunters entombed there killed at least 25 to 30 elephants each. To be buried in the cemetery was a tribute to their huntsmanship. The oldest tomb belongs to N’Thu Knul, who was a powerful tribal chief born in 1828. He is worshipped as founder of the art of hunti...


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blog

Pouches, pockets and sacs in the heads, necks and chests of mammals, part II: elephants have a pouch in the throat... or do they?

2010-10-12 - Portsmouth, United Kingdom. Darren Naish

Many people have reported elephants (both Asian and African) to reach into the mouth with the trunk and withdraw water. The elephants then spray this water over themselves (particularly their ears) to keep cool. The quantity of water produced in these instances is apparently quite large: J. Emerson Tennent, writing in his 1861 Sketches of the Natural History of Ceylon, referred to "gallons of water" being withdrawn.


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research

Talking elephant Kosik introduced overseas: Reuters

2010-10-12 - Yongin, South Korea.

Korea´s very own talking elephant is starting to gain attention abroad. His fame has now brought foreign researchers to Korea, including German biologist Daniel Mietchen of the University of Jena and elephant vocal sound expert Angela Stoeger-Horwarth of the University of Vienna, who visited Korea to study Kosik last week.


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medical

Cause of death for Louisville Zoo elephant

2010-10-12 - Louisville, United States.

A post-mortem exam has concluded a 3-year-old African elephant that died at the Louisville Zoo earlier this year had a common complication of colic. The zoo, in a release Tuesday, said Scotty, the first elephant born in the facility´s 41-year history, died in early May after contracting endotoxemia, which happens when bacteria leaks from the intestinal tract into the bloodstream.


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job

Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation: Elephant Care Internship

2010-10-11 - Central Florida, United States.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus® and the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation® are pleased to announce a unique learning opportunity in elephant care. The next intern session is scheduled to begin on February 28,2011and will conclude on May 20, 2011.


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fossil
Galina Karzganova, left, and Jenn Cooper inspect the mammouth

42,000-year-old baby woolly mammoth arrives at Liberty Science Center for month-long exhibit

2010-10-11 - Jersey City, United States.

You may never be too old to learn, but a new exhibit at the Liberty Science Center proves you’re never too old to enlighten either. Lyuba, a 42,000-year old baby woolly mammoth discovered in Siberia in 1997, arrived at the interactive science museum in Jersey City on Friday for a temporary stay which opens to the public on Oct. 16.


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relocation
Elephant keeper Emily Brewer (left) works with Rosie while colleague Chuck Reid and Juno practice Wednesday at the Jackson Zoo. The two female African elephants will be transported by 18-wheeler to their new home at the Nashville Zoo next month. Zoo offi

Packing their trunks for a move to Nashville

2010-10-11 - Jackson, United States.

When hungry, Rosie and Juno could each make quick work of an oak tree branch, bamboo stalks, a pitchfork handle, peanut butter sandwiches and a 55-gallon tank of frozen popsicles. When the light is right, both are the color of cappuccino, including their ears, which resemble maps of Africa so massive they could double as pup tents.


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death

Elephants die again in park

2010-10-11 - Guwahati, India.

The carcasses of two female elephants were recovered from two separate places near Kaziranga today, barely five days after two elephants calves died of suspected poisoning at Diffloo tea estate near Kaziranga National Park. Preliminary investigations suggest that both the elephants, one of them pregnant, died of suspected poisoning.


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conservation

The Cameroon Elephant Project: Saving Earth’s Largest Land Mammal

2010-10-11 - Mount Cameroon, Cameroon.

The North Carolina Zoo’s commitment to wildlilfe extends far beyond its gates. One of the Zoo’s most important conservation research projects operates in the western African nation of Cameroon. There, Zoo Chief Veterinarian Dr. Michael Loomis works with several NGO and government partners to study elephants and elephant habitat. The Zoo joined forces with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 1996 to study elephants in northern Cameroon.


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conflict

Elephant runs amok, flungs substitute mahout

2010-10-11 - Madurai, India.

A substitute mahout was injured after he was flung by a domesticated elephant which ran amok on a road in the city today, causing panic. Kannan, assigned to take care of the 26-year old elephant in place of its mahout Ashok Kumar, had attempted to feed it when it lifted him with its trunk and flung him, police said adding he suffered a fracture and has been hospitalised. The female elephant, brought here for a private function, then turned violent, broke free from its chains and started running ...


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pictures

Ebay: Berlin postcard. Baby elephant Kalifa at zoo, ca. 1930

2010-10-09 - Berlin, Germany.

Berlin postcard. Baby Indian elephant ("Kalifa") at the Zoologischer Garten (Berlin zoo). According to the card, Kalifa was born on September 20, 1928. Not posted. Corners rather worn, some small marks on the message side, otherwise in fair to good condition.


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facility

Oklahoma City Zoo elephant exhibit will be one of nation"s biggest

2010-10-08 - Oklahoma City, United States.

Asian elephants Asha and Chandra will return to their home at Oklahoma City Zoo in the coming weeks, and they´ll find a homestead that´s very different from their old stomping grounds. They´ll have 3½ acres of land instead of fourth of an acre. Theyir barn will be 10 times bigger.


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conflict

Chhattisgarh villagers migrate as elephants run amok

2010-10-08 - Raipur, India.

Dozens of families have migrated from a forested village in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district after a herd of wild elephants ran amok, killing a child and destroying several houses, officials said Friday. “Some 25 families of Panekatel village have moved to safer areas for a brief period after wild jumbos sneaked into their village Thursday night and trampled a three-year-old girl, Manisha, to death and demolished several houses,” an official at the forest headquarters here told IANS. Paneka...


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people
Carol Buckley pets Frieda, an Asian elephant, at the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald in this 2007 photo.

Co-founder Carol Buckley sues The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald

2010-10-08 - Hohenwald, United States.

A co-founder of a renowned habitat for sick and endangered elephants claims she was forced out and is suing the safe haven and two of its Nashville board members. Carol Buckley, a founder of The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, is suing for retaliatory termination, breach of contract and visitation rights for her elephant, Tarra, among other things. Buckley also claims she had her name and art used without her permission, according to a Davidson County Chancery Court lawsuit. She is suing the sa...


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relocation

Sabu the elephant arrives at PAWS compound

2010-10-08 - San Andreas, United States. Cynthia Hubert

Big news from the Performing Animal Welfare Society: Sabu, a seven-ton Asian bull elephant, has arrived at the organization´s ARK 2000 compound. A retiree from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, he is the largest captive elephant in North America, said Pat Derby, PAWS president. Sabu joins his brother Nicholas, who came to ARK 2000 five years ago. "Sabu is a big, big boy, and so beautiful," Derby said of the 28-year-old elephant.


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facility
Burma at Auckland Zoo.

Auckland City puts up $13m for elephants in the bush

2010-10-08 - Auckland, New Zealand.

The Auckland City Council´s arts, culture and recreation committee has approved a $13 million proposal to bring in a herd of up to 10 Asian elephants, and make the elephant enclosure six times its present size. The zoo´s life science manager, Kevin Buley, said moving any elephant was a big undertaking, but the zoo needed to provide companionship for its only remaining elephant Burma after the death of Kashin last year.


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people

Elephants" Friend Carol Buckley Wants Her Job Back

2010-10-08 - Nashville, United States. LIZ POTOCSNAK

A founder of the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee claims the sanctuary squeezed her out for objecting to illegal payments and its slow response to tuberculosis. Carol Buckley, whom Time magazine called a "Hero For The Planet" for her work at the refuge, says the sanctuary is still using her name and biography collect donations.


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death
Photo: Stefan Aspegren

Wildlife Safari loses one of its most popular animals

2010-10-07 - Winston, United States.

It is a heart wrenching day for the staff at Wildlife Safari in Winston. Tiki the Elephant, world famous for her paintings and working as a living Elephant Car Wash, has died. Tiki died early this morning, after park officials say she had been sick for several days. Even though she was the smallest one there, she was the matriarch. She had been at the park for over 35 years, and the staff doesn´t know how the other two elephants, George and Alice, are going to fare without her.


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poaching

Vietnam charges four with cutting off elephant tails, tusks

2010-10-06 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

Four men in Vietnam´s Central Highlands have been charged with cutting off the tusks and tails of captive elephants at tourist sites, a police official said Tuesday. The men allegedly shocked the elephants unconscious with a car battery, then sawed off their tusks and tails to sell for ornamental and medicinal purposes.


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blog
The Tom Packs Elephants circa 1951 with Mac MacDonald.

ShowMe Elephants: Tom Packs Elephants

2010-10-06 - St. Louis, United States. Ryan Easley

The Tom Packs Elephants were considered the best trained elephant act of its time. Trained by elephant master Mac MacDonald, they represented the epitome of class and skill throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s. Originally trained as a group of five elephants for the Tom Packs Circus, four of the animals represent part of a larger group imported together in 1948.


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birth
Tupelo was off to nursing about four hours after birth.

Baylor"s a big brother! Houston Zoo welcomes another baby elephant, meet Tupelo

2010-10-05 - Houston, United States. Caroline Gallay

The Houston Zoo welcomed its second baby Asian elephant in less than five months on Sunday evening. Baby Tupelo joins Baylor at the zoo´s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat, where the newborn is bonding with her mother, Tess. The baby weighed in at 273 pounds and is a half sister of Baylor, who was born May 4 to mom Shanti and bull elephant Thailand. Thailand is also the new baby elephant´s dad.


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people

Former elephant trainer at Benson’s remembers

2010-10-05 - Hudson, United States. ALBERT McKEON

Bret Bronson practically shared a home with elephants. But he hardly recognizes that home away from home now, 15 years after he and his pachyderms said goodbye to the 165-acre tract that was once Benson’s Wild Animal Farm. The town of Hudson has converted the once-popular destination spot into a lush recreational reserve, with the hopes of again drawing the masses.


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event

Beauty, elephant draw crowd as wildlife park celebrates World Animal Day

2010-10-04 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

The Lok Kawi Wildlife Park did not miss out on the World Animal Day 2010 celebrations as it held a special open day which featured the newly rescued baby Bornean Elephant named Huminodun, and Unduk Ngadau 2010 Crystel Eve Huminodun William Majimbun.


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death
Elephant keeper Roger Brogan with Cuddles and Yum Yum in a file picture. Photo: Brendan Esposito

Australia"s oldest African elephant dies

2010-10-04 - Dubbo, NSW, Australia.

Australia´s oldest living African elephant has died, with both staff and animals at Taronga Western Plains Zoo now in mourning. Yum Yum was also the matriarch and longest serving resident of the park, in Dubbo, central NSW. She was put down after suffering a digestive-related illness, aged about 41.


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relocation
Gabi the elephant

Israel sends elephant to Turkey

2010-10-04 - Jerusalem, Israel.

Jerusalem´s Biblical Zoo made last preparations over the weekend to ship Gabi the elephant on a long journey to his new home in Turkey. Accompanied by his caretaker, 5-year-old Gabi will be placed inside a large crate and will then be shipped by sea to Turkey´s Gaziantep Zoo. Ammar Abidat, head of the Biblical Zoo´s elephant department, said Gabi was a handful as a young elephant, but has since been trained and is now well-behaved.


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conference

Elephant breeding topic of conference held at zoo

2010-10-03 - Pittsburgh, United States. Emily Gibb, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A playful squabble between 2-year-olds rolling in the dirt turns rough, so mom steps in because one is sitting on the other´s head. Such antics are a normal occurrence in the elephant yard at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, but this time they were in the international spotlight as the zoo hosts the 31st annual Elephant Managers Association conference this weekend. The EMA is a group of elephant professionals, veterinarians, researchers and enthusiasts, said EMA president Andrew Smith, w...


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misc

Elephant News on Facebook!

2010-10-03 - Kolmarden, Sweden.

The Elephant News, being 10 years old and dating back to 2000, has now over 5000 articles, which you can search through. Recently it also got its own facebook page, where you are invited to join (below on this page). If you have a website, you can also place a newsticker on your own site, displaying the 10 latest news!


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job

Senior Keeper/Keeper - Elephant Section, Twycross Zoo

2010-10-02 - Twycross, United Kingdom.

Our current herd consists of 1.4 Asian elephants, including a young bull born in 2009 as a result of AI. We continue to support AI and research projects. We currently have a vacancy for a new Keeper to become the 5th person in our elephant team. We have a close contact approach to elephant management and train them to obey commands in a calm and consistent manner, enabling healthcare maintenance to be carried out.


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misc

Most of the elephants participating in procession are over 50 years old. Time to develop second line of jumbos for Dasara

2010-10-02 - Mysore, India.

Akin to politics, most of the elephants used in the Dasara procession are well above 50 years, considered an ideal age for retirement, according to veterinarians. The forest department, however, does not seem to be serious about preparing the second line of elephants to take over the mantle. Instead, what they have been doing is getting elephants to attend Dasara festival, for the last 10 years, devoid of any change and much thought.


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event

Second batch of elephants arrives in city of palaces

2010-10-02 - Mysore, India.

Six jumbos-Srirama, Kanthi, Vikrama, Kavitha, Mary and Harsha were given a ceremonial welcome by the forest officials on their arrival. These elephants would be part of the first batch of jumbos led by howdah elephant Balarama to take part in the Vijayadashami procession, to be held as the grand finale of the nine-day Dasara festivities. In all, the 12 elephants would camp in Palace premises for the next 20 days till the Dasara celebrations come to an end.


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smuggle

2010-10-01 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

Five people have been arrested on charges they ran the largest rare animal-parts trafficking ring ever uncovered in Hanoi, a police official said Wednesday.
The suspects allegedly bought and processed rare animal remains, including tiger and elephant bones, for use in traditional medicine. Police arrested the five suspects on Tuesday, said Colonel Nguyen Van Nong, Head of Hanoi Police´s department for economic crime investigation.


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conference

31st Annual Elephant Managers Association Conference and Workshop

2010-09-30 - Pittsburgh, United States.

The 31st Annual Elephant Manager’s Association Conference hosted by the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, could very well be one of the most important to date. In today’s internet age, elephant management is now a global effort, and this conference will feature presentations on elephant conservation and management partnerships and collaborations in the US and worldwide.


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facility

New Bedford zoo unveils expansion plan

2010-09-26 - New Bedford, United States.

New Bedford´s Buttonwood Park Zoo wants to expand, bring in new animals and become more self sufficient. Zoo management says their $12 million draft master plan unveiled this week would add four acres, making room for a third elephant, and exhibits featuring tigers, monkeys and red pandas. Director William Langbauer tells The Standard Times that expansion could boost attendance by 33 percent a year, and help make the zoo two-thirds self-sufficient.


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medical

Woodland Park elephant, Watoto, loses tusk

2010-09-26 - Seattle, United States.

A 41-year-old African elephant lost her tusk at the Woodland Park Zoo Tuesday after getting excited when keepers were moving hay feeders. Watoto got her tusk stuck in a nearby restraint device and was able to dislodge it, but about 10 minutes later, the tusk fell out. Gigi Allianic, a spokeswoman for the zoo, said the elephant is doing fine and is expected to recover normally.


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research
The National Zoo has performed a series of artificial insemination attempts to impregnate Shanthi the elephant.

National Zoo Artificially Inseminates Asian Elephant

2010-09-26 - Washington, United States. OurAmazingPlanet Staff

In an attempt to further conservation efforts for the Asian elephant, veterinarians at the Smithsonian National Zoo have performed a series of artificial insemination procedures on Shanthi, a 34-year old Asian elephant. A successful pregnancy would be an important milestone in the zoo´s commitment to Asian elephant conservation, zoo officials said in a statement.


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people
Dr Kate Evans at work

Saving the elephants of Botswana

2010-09-26 - Okavango, Botswana. Leah Hyslop

Dr Kate Evans, founder of the charity Elephants in Africa, has been living in a tent in Botswana’s Okavango delta since 2002. She tells Telegraph Expat why she can’t imagine doing anything else. After studying zoology at Swansea University, and gaining experience volunteering on various projects throughout southern Africa, she ended up in Botswana’s Okavango delta.


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relocation
Joyce, an African elephant, is shown at Brookfield Zoo in August 2009 after she arrived from a Six Flags park. Joyce, who has been alone at Brookfield since the zoo

No elephants in Chicago. Brookfield Zoo sends away its last specimen, but says it"s temporary

2010-09-26 - Chicago, United States.

For the first time since 1889, there are no elephants in either Chicago zoo. On Wednesday, Brookfield Zoo shipped its lone female, Joyce, to a Six Flags park in New Jersey. Joyce, a 27-year-old African elephant, was lent by Six Flags to Brookfield a year ago as a companion to Christy, a 28-year-old female elephant at the zoo. But Joyce was left alone when Christy became ill and died last December.


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conflict

Man & Animal Conflict In Northeast India: Thread Barrier Keep Elephants Away

2010-09-25 - Nagaon , India. Shib Shankar Chatterjee

What does it take to stop a herd of hungry jumbos each (around) 03-metres tall and middling over 04- tons in weight off paddy fields? Apparently, it´s a thread as thick as a fishing line and not nearly as strong. Villagers of Chapanala village area under Nagaon district of Eastern Indian State, Assam are finding out that their economy is literally hanging by a thread woven around their paddy fields to keep elephants away.


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relocation

One More White Elephant Captured in Arakan

2010-09-24 - Maungdaw, Myanmar. Takaloo

Another rare white elephant was captured on Thursday in the remote jungle of northwestern Maungdaw Township in Burma´s Arakan State, said a forestry official. "The white elephant is 18 years old and her height is 7 feet and 1 inch. After a five-day joint operation by forestry, army, and Nasaka forces, the elephant was finally caught at 11:55 am in the jungle nearby Yan Aung Pyin Village under Kyein Chaung in northern Maungdaw," the official said.


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death

Five elephants killed as train hits them

2010-09-23 - Jalpaiguri, India.

At least five elephants were killed and three others were injured on Wednesday when a speeding goods train hit the animals when they were crossing railway tracks near Binnaguri in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.


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conflict

Hungry elephant attacks mahout, kills him

2010-09-23 - Coimbatore, India.

A furious circus elephant flung down her 55-year-old mahout, killing him on the spot at Krishnapuram near Udumalpet in Tirupur district late Tuesday night. Immediately, the police was called and Ghani was rushed to the Udumalpet Government hospital around 1.30pm. "He was declared brought dead´ by the hospital," said Madathukulam inspector K Kanagaraj.


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smuggle

Elephant smuggling

2010-09-22 - Dibrujan, India.

Two elephants which were being smuggled to Myanmar were recovered from Jairampur town in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday night. One of the elephant which belonged to Jerela Moran was stolen on Saturday night from Dibrujan forest under Pengeri PS of Tinsukia district. The two thieves (both mahouts) were also caught by the villagers.


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fossil
Illustration by Sergiodiarosa, 2009, of what a Cuvieronius might look like in the flesh.  Read more: http://acn.liveauctioneers.com/index.php/features/people/3178-new-mexico-researchers-to-reassemble-fossil-find#ixzz10Gw9cjkr

New Mexico researchers to reassemble fossil find

2010-09-22 - Las Cruces, United States.

The skull of a mastodon-like animal has been unearthed in a mining pit in southern New Mexico. It crumbled after researchers tried to excavate it from the site near Mesquite, and it will now have to be painstakingly reassembled. "We have a big job of putting it together again,´´ said New Mexico State University biologist and Paleozoic museum curator Peter Houde.


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smuggle
Elephants endangered: a shop owner displays carved ivory items at his antique shop in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Ivory trade could make Vietnam"s elephants extinct within a decade. Country"s wild Asian elephant population further endangered as rich get a taste for home-produced ivory

2010-09-21 - Hanoi, Vietnam.

Huong´s dank shop provides some brief respite from the waves of horn-blaring luxury SUVs bullying pedestrians on the pavements of Hanoi. But more crucially, it offers a final resting place, of sorts, for some of Vietnam´s wild elephants. Huong is the beaming owner of Artcen Company, an "import-export" outfit specialising in crafted ivory products.


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conflict
`Chathapuram Babu,

Tusker tamed by owner

2010-09-21 - Chathapuram, India.

Tension prevailed for more than three hours in the Chathapuram-Kalpathy-Shekaripuram areas of the town on Tuesday as the elephant `Chathapuram Babu´ ran amok. The Tusker that was taken by its two Mahouts to collect palm leafs became wild and tried to attack them and ran amok. The elephant ran through the streets of Chathapuram, Kalpathy and Sekharapuram in the town creating scare among the people in the area.


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fossil

Elephant fossils discovered in Hubei

2010-09-21 - Hubei, China. Zhang Qian

Fossils of large teeth were found at Li Jiahe Village, Xuan´en County of Hubei Province, according to Hubei Daily. After primary certification, researchers believe the fossil belonged to an elephant that lived about 50,000 years ago. The fossils are being stored at Xuan´en Museum at present. The local culture station, which first received this news, found that the fossil was white color. The fragments of the fossils were noticeably lighter than the surrounding rocks when they were pi...


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misc

elephant calf named in Pilikula Nisargadhama Zoo

2010-09-20 - Vamanjoor, India. Stanley Pinto

The elephant calf born to `Durga´ at Dr Shivaram Karanth Biological Park at Pilikula Nisargadhama here has been christened as `Radha´. The calf has been adopted by K G Shenoy, proprietor of Oasis Pharmacy, Dubai.


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conflict

Elephants invade farming activities at Debiso

2010-09-20 - Debiso, Ghana.

Farming activities at Debiso, the district capital of Bia in the Western Region have been severely hampered this season following the invasion of the area by elephants from the La Cote d´Ivoire boarder. Large trucks of cocoa and food crop farms have been destroyed by the elephants. Economic and other social activities at Debiso have virtually come to a standstill because of fear of the animals.


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conflict

Wild elephants damage crops in Kerala

2010-09-20 - Thrissur, India.

A herd of wild elephants destroyed plantain and rubber crop at nearby Marottichal under the Pattikad forest range. Pattikad forest range officer, K Jayapraksh told PTI here today that the damage was yet to be assessed. It was suspected that wild elephants from Palappilly, Chimmini and Peechi forest areas might have entered the fields yesterday and destroyed the crops, he said. The locals, who saw the wild elephants destroying the crops, said that there were more than 10 elephants in the herd.


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misc

Ebay: 1910 Female Elephant Trainer on Elephant RPPC

2010-09-19 - Ebay, United States.

This is an early real photo postcard showing a Female Elephant Trainer on a Elephant. Circa 1910. It is in excellent condition.


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facility

Home Improvements for Bull Elephant Kruger

2010-09-19 - Port Lympne, United Kingdom.

Exciting changes are underway at the Bull elephant house at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent. The house is home to Kruger, the park´s 26 year old bull African elephant. His indoor quarters are being improved and expanded in a large scale project stretching across several weeks.


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death

Jumbo deaths spell need for fast action

2010-09-17 - Shangani, Zimbabwe. Isdore Guvamombe

The fire was moving at an estimated speed of 50km per hour and mysteriously cornered and engulfed 20 elephant bulls. One of the elephants died on the spot, while National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority were forced to kill 19 others after observing that they had been burnt beyond treatable levels.


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wild
Clever trick: This elephant has learnt how to balance on his hind legs to reach food in manages the Old Mondoro Bush camp in Zambia

Extraordinary moment a wild elephant balances on two legs to reach tasty treat from tree branch

2010-09-16 - Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia.

Teetering on two legs, this elephant showed he aims high when it comes to getting a good meal. The animal wasn´t daunted when faced with pulling some tasty pods from the branches of a particularly tall tree. Instead of simply shaking the tree trunk and catching his meal when it fell, he stretched himself to his full height to elegantly pluck it from the branches. It is thought this elephant, a 40-year-old male, is the only one of his herd who has learnt the extraordinary stunt.


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film

Elephant Necrophilia documented, but romantic viewers of the film think its greeving and resuscitate behaviour...

2010-09-16 - Okovango, Botswana.

At the end of the film you can easily see the erected penis.


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fossil

ETSU paleontologist finds Ice Age mammoth skeleton in VA

2010-09-15 - Johnson City, United States.

A mammoth skeleton is among the finds the director of East Tennessee State University´s paleontology center unearthed during a summer of Ice Age excavations in Saltville, Virginia. ETSU´s Blaine Schubert said the find represents the best potential evidence that the giant bears, which were up to 5 1/2 feet at the shoulder when on all fours, scavenged on mammoths.


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medical
Pangboon

Elephant has foot blown up by landmine

2010-09-15 - Lampang, Thailand.

An eight-month-old elephant injured by a landmine is receiving treatment at an elephant hospital in Northern Thailand. The male calf, Pangboon, stepped on a landmine in Myanmar on Monday. It has been following its logging elephant mother to work in the forest along the Thai-Burmese border. With its right front foot shredded, Pangboon is the 14th landmine casualty to be treated at Thailand´s Friends of the Asian Elephants Hospital in Lampang this year.


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poaching

Three elephants killed every year

2010-09-15 - Kampala, Uganda. Gerald Tenywa

POACHERS kill three elephants in Uganda every year, John Makombo, the acting head of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), has said. “Poaching has never been stopped anywhere in the world, but it can be controlled. That is one of the reasons UWA exists,” Makombo said. According to Makombo, the population of elephants, currently estimated at 5,000, has been increasing over the years due to UWA’s strong anti-poaching drives.


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misc
Joanna Peschen and 11-month-old Elijah interact with one of the elephants from Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve.

Elephant walks offered at Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve

2010-09-15 - Kwelera, South Africa. Andrew Stone

A “WALKING-with-elephants” experience to enable visitors to get “close and personal” with pachyderms in their natural environment is being offered at an East Coast game park. Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve owner Graham Stanton said the walks, which varied in time and length, would be held in conjunction with elephant-back safaris and elephant interaction.


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misc
HOPE ELEPHANTS: Chandra, left, and Asha peer from their enclosure, Friday, June 6, 2008, at the Oklahoma City Zoo in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City elephant has one more shot at pregnancy

2010-09-15 - Oklahoma City, United States.

Keepers at the Oklahoma City and Tulsa zoos hope Chandra will get pregnant like her sister, Asha, before the two move back to Oklahoma City this fall. After 2 years of trying, Chandra isn´t pregnant. It´s not that the Asian elephant isn´t healthy or able to conceive. She´s just not that interested in her suitor, Sneezy. "She´s being kind of a stinker," said Jennifer D´Agostino, director of veterinary services for the Oklahoma City Zoo. "She´s not really ...


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people

Zoo Sued in Elephant Death

2010-09-14 - Moscow, Russian Federation.

A Moscow woman is suing the Moscow Zoo for 4 million rubles ($130,000) after her adult daughter was stomped to death by a rampaging elephant in 2007, Interfax reported Monday. The daughter, Olga Grishina, 43, a single mother of three, worked in animal transportation at the zoo. Her mother, Tatyana Novikova, 70, said the zoo refused to compensate her for the death, claiming that it could not be held responsible for the actions of an animal. She accused the zoo of repeatedly violating wild animal ...


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smuggle
2008 in Windhoek, during the first legal auction of elephant tusks in nearly a decade--exclusively for Chinese and Japanese buyers.

Hong Kong’s Largest Ivory Seizure in a Decade

2010-09-14 - Hong Kong, China. Sonya Bryskine

More than 1.55 tonnes of elephant ivory tusks were seized in Hong Kong last week, worth $HK10.85 million ($US1.4 million), making it the largest shipment in a decade. Hong Kong customs intercepted the load containing 384 tusks, which were packed in two containers declared as dried anchovies. The ivory is believed to have entered Hong Kong via Malaysia, the Citizen reported.


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event
Grand reception: The elephants at the Mysore palace.

From forest to Mysore city

2010-09-13 - Mysore, India. R.KRISHNA KUMAR

This is that time of the year when elephants are in the limelight in Mysore. Elephants have been brought from the jungle camps to Mysore, to participate in the Dasara festivities to be held from October 8 to 17. Leading them is the elephant Balarama who will carry the 750 kg golden howdah on the day of the Vijayadashmi procession which is also called Jamboo Savari.


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conservation

Taiwan donates funds for elephant conservation in Thailand

2010-09-13 - Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

Taiwan donated US$10,000 to a Thai wildlife conservation group Monday as part of its efforts to help protect elephants and their natural habitat in the southwestern. It marked the third consecutive year that Taiwan has given funding to the Elephant Conservation Network (ECN) , which works to secure the future of elepha


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people

The San Diego People Project: Ann Alfama

2010-09-12 - San Diego, United States.

Today, I headed over to the zoo to meet with Ann Alfama, a lead keeper who takes care of the elephants and polar bears, and who´s also been known to feed the lions. Alfama grew up in Minnesota with dreams of becoming a veterinarian, but eventually had a change of heart, deciding that she didn´t only want to care for sick animals. Alfama earned a degree in exotic animal training and management and the rest was history.


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medical
Barak gets cozy with his mother, Bonnie, one of four elephants at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at Arco Arena this weekend that one veterinarian, using a new Sacramento ordinance, says should limit their stunts because of arthritis.

Second vet clears Ringling Bros. elephants for action

2010-09-12 - Sacramento, United States.

Two days after the city sent a letter to Ringling Bros. officials declaring four elephants unfit under a new city ordinance to perform in a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus show at Arco Arena, it followed up with a second letter Saturday, clearing the elephants to perform. One elephant is to be limited in its performances.


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conflict

Elephant "arrested" for murder

2010-09-12 - Dhamtari, India.

In Chhattisgarh, the police of Dhamtari district have arrested an elephant for killing a man. The elephant had been brought from Allahabad to a park for joyrides. Locals at the park started teasing the elephant and climbed on to its trunk. In spite of repeated warnings given by the elephant´s handler, the locals did not stop. Finally, in a rage the elephant flung a man in the air with his trunk.


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relocation

Rangers rescue two Borneo Pygmy elephants

2010-09-12 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Wildlife rangers rescued two endangered Borneo Pygmy elephants which had wandered into a plantation area in the east coast of Tawau. After tracking their movements through footprints for nearly a week, Sabah Wildlife Department rangers led by chief veterinarian Dr Sen Nathan spotted the jumbos near the Felda Umas plantation about 70km from Tawau town on the first day of Hari Raya.


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event

2 Tuskers leave for Mysore Dasara show.

2010-09-10 - Madikeri, India.

Two elephants from Kodagu Dubare elephant training centre, Harsha and Vikrama, are included in the team of elephants going to Mysore for the Heritage (Banni Mantapa) procession on Vijaya dashami next. They would leave soon to be in Mysore, the Range Forest officer Chinnappa informed. The two tuskers have already taken part in the Jumbo procession on Dasara Day in the last 15 years.


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fossil

42,000-Year-Old Baby Mammoth Coming to Jersey City This Fall

2010-09-10 - Jersey City, United States.

When the Field Museum’s traveling exhibition Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age comes to the Liberty Science Center next month, it will bring with it the celebrated 42,000-year-old baby woolly mammoth Lyuba. Lyuba, considered to be the best preserved and most complete mammoth ever, was discovered in northern Siberia three years ago by a reindeer herder, and named after his wife


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fossil
Many villagers came to watch the excavation of the ancient ivory fossil at Zhang Changying Village, Mengcheng County of Anhui Province on the afternoon of Sept 8.

3-meter-long ancient ivory fossil discovered in Anhui

2010-09-10 - Anhui, China.

A 3.34-meter-long ancient ivory fossil were found at Zhang Changying Village, Mengcheng County of Anhui Province on the afternoon of Sept 8. After primary certification, researchers believe the ivory fossil belonged to an ancient elephant that lived about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. The fossil was buried 5 meters under the ground, and the thickest part of it reaches 22 centimeters. And judging from the ivory, it could be an adult elephant.


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smuggle

Hong Kong seizes 1.5 tonnes of smuggled ivory

2010-09-10 - Hong Kong, China.

Hong Kong customs officers had seized over one and a half tonnes of smuggled elephant ivory worth $HK10.9 million ($A1.41 million) shipped from Tanzania, they said Friday. The 384 ivory tusks, weighing a total of 1.55 tonnes, were found Thursday inside two containers labelled as "dried anchovies" at the Tsing Yi container terminal, the Ports and Maritime Command said in a statement.


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birth

Baby elephant arrives at Melbourne Zoo

2010-09-10 - Melbourne, Australia.

Melbourne Zoo´s baby elephant brood is growing, with a half-brother for Mali arriving after a difficult and dangerous four-day labour. Kulab´s massive 142-kilogram baby was born on Friday morning after a 22-month pregnancy, but zoo staff were desperately worried for both mother and offspring in the later stages of labour.


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misc
The Jumbo statue in St. Thomas has been given a thorough restoration. But it never hurts to look for any spots the painters might have missed.

Jumbo the elephant leaves a big legend in southern Ontario. Circus hero died here, but the details are up for debate

2010-09-08 - St. Thomas, Canada.

Jumbo is much bigger and stronger than the 46 plow horses competing at the International Plowing Match here next week, but he’s ineligible. That’s because Jumbo is an African elephant—a dead African elephant. He died here 125 years ago on Sept. 15. Still, Jumbo will be a star at the 98th annual plowing match, which takes place Sept. 21-25 and attracts competitors from England, the United States and across Canada.


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conservation

Zim conducts elephant survey in Zambezi Valley

2010-09-07 - Harare, Zimbabwe. Isdore Guvamombe

ZIMBABWE which by 2009 had a teeming elephant population of about 100 000 against a holding capacity of 56 000 has embarked on an expensive aerial large mammals body count in the Zambezi Valley to determine population status and living trends for large mammals.


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people
Robert Atkinson, Head of Wildlife for the United Kingdom

The Elephant Sanctuary in TN getting new CEO. Robert Atkinson to join Hohenwald center

2010-09-07 - Hohenwald, United States.

Robert Atkinson, Head of Wildlife for the United Kingdom´s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was has been named CEO of The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald. It’s the nation’s largest natural habitat refuge developed specifically for endangered Asian and African elephants, the group says.


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death

Elephant calf found dead, foresters suspect poisoning

2010-09-07 - Siliguri, India.

Foresters of the Kurseong division on Friday recovered the carcass of a four-year-old male elephant calf from Simulbari Tea Estate near Sukna, near Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. Officials suspect the elephant died on Thursday night due to poisoning. The carcass was found on a spot where Guatemala grass had been planted to make the land suitable for tea plantation. Primary investigation suggested that the garden authorities had sprinkled pesticide on the grass, which the elephant might have consu...


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evolution
The last of the woolly mammoths originated in North America.

DNA Shows That Last Woolly Mammoths Had North American Roots

2010-09-07 - Hamilton, Canada.

In a surprising reversal of conventional wisdom, a DNA-based study has revealed that the last of the woolly mammoths—which lived between 40,000 and 4,000 years ago—had roots that were exclusively North American. The research, which appears in the September issue of Current Biology, is expected to cause some controversy within the paleontological community.


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fossil
Spanish researchers found the fossil remains of fauna of glacial climate in 72 Iberian sites, mostly in the north of the peninsula.

Woolly Mammoth, Woolly Rhinoceros and Reindeer Lived on Iberian Peninsula 150,000 Years Ago, Findings Show

2010-09-07 - Madrid, Spain.

A team made up of members of the University of Oviedo (UO) and the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) have gathered together all findings of the woolly mammoth, the woolly rhinoceros and the reindeer in the Iberian Peninsula to show that, although in small numbers, these big mammals -- prehistoric indicators of cold climates -- already lived in this territory some 150,000 years ago.


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people
Amy. Riddle

Bob Norris: The Marlboro Man, The Cowboy, the Elephant, the Corporate Raider, and the Cold War

2010-09-07 - Colorado Springs, United States. KIMBERLY FIELD

If a Hollywood casting agent sent over the quintessential rancher, you’d get Bob Norris, the original owner of the Oldachs’ home. He’s possibly better known as the Marlboro Man — but that is the least interesting role Norris has played in his 81 years. Take the story of Amy, for starters. Amy is an orphaned ele-phant who he raised and taught to waltz and play a piano. She stole his heart when an elephant trainer showed up at Bob’s T-Cross Ranch in 1988 looking to rent stalls for six ba...


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smuggle

Congo police arrest 3 men carrying 6 suitcases full of elephant ivory

2010-09-07 - Kinshasa, Congo.

Police in southeastern Congo say they have arrested three men carrying six suitcases full of elephant tusks. Anti-smuggling commission co-ordinator Placide Magungu said Tuesday the three Chinese nationals were caught at Lumumbashi´s airport while trying to fly to Nairobi, Kenya. He says the men said they bought the ivory from antique dealers.


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poaching
The carcass of an elephant in the Semliki reserve

Elephants killed in Semliki wildlife reserve

2010-09-06 - Toro-Semliki, Uganda. Gerald Tenywa

TWO elephants have been killed in Toro-Semliki wildlife reserve in western Uganda by poachers who crossed over from the Congo. Sources said one of the poachers was intercepted with elephant ivory and was being held by the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces. The sources added that the elephants were butchered on Wednesday and the carcasses were discovered the following day.


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relocation

Four Bali Parks Hope To Draw Tourists With Imported Elephants

2010-09-06 - Denpasar, Indonesia.

After last year’s failed attempt to ship in Komodo dragons, Bali now is looking at getting elephants from Sumatra to attract more tourists. Four conservation institutions in Bali on Tuesday requested 59 elephants from Way Kambas National Park in Lampung: 10 for the Elephant Safari Park in Taro, Gianyar district; 14 for Bali Zoo Park, also in Gianyar; 15 for Kasian in Badung; and 20 for Bakas Zoo in Klungkung district.


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death

Orissa Forest Officials seize dead body of elephant

2010-09-06 - Cuttack, India.

The Forest Officials have seized dead body of an elephant near Arati Steel Plant of Athgarh on Monday. The reason of death not known. As per the information the local peoples found a dead body of elephant near Arati Steel Plant. They informed the forest officials. The forest officials seized the dead body of the elephant and sent for postmortem.


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poaching

Orissa lost 20 pc of its elephant population in 25 yrs: WSO

2010-09-06 - Bhubaneswar, India.

Orissa, famous since the times of King Ashoka for its magnificent elephant population, will soon lose that exalted status in view of large-scale killing by the poachers and increasing death of pachyderms from electrocution.
According to official figures, during the last 19 years 231 elephants were killed by poachers, 166 died due to accidents and 173 died of natural causes.


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relocation

Plock Zoo in Poland gets elephants again

2010-09-06 - Plock, Poland. Peter Stolk, Netherlands

In Plock Zoo in Poland, arrived the two young bulls Letsongmon and Myo Set Kaung from Emmen Zoo in Netherlands. Both bulls are captive born in Emmen.


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conflict
School children walk past two bull elephants greeting each other behind an electric fence

SRI LANKA: Returning IDPs face jumbo squatters

2010-09-06 - Mahaweva, Sri Lanka.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province face a big problem - elephants which have taken a liking to abandoned homesteads.Since the decades-long civil war ended in May 2009, thousands of residents who fled the area in the 1980s and 1990s have been returning to their homes only to find that the jumbos, which had lived in the area previously, were now wreaking havoc in farmers’ fields.


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medical

Injured Elephant tranquilised, being treated

2010-09-04 - Udhagamandalam, India.

After being thwarted for three days by two tuskers in their efforts to treat an injured jumbo, forest officials today succeeded in tranquilising the animal which was moving around Mudumalai Tiger Reserve area. The 20-year old elephant, with serious injuries to the leg, was roaming in Sigur range in MTR, under protection of the two tuskers, for the last three days and the veterinarian and medical team could not go near it, forest officials said. However, the veterinarian managed to shoot the tran...


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birth

Elephant gives birth to calf in Gorumara National Park in West Bengal

2010-09-04 - Jalpaiguri, India. Tarak Sarkar

An elephant under the care of the Gorumara National Park near West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district gave birth to a female calf. The calf was born on Friday under the supervision of the sanctuary’s veterinarian. The forest rangers and game wardens at the Gorumara National Park are delighted to watch the gentle mother Amon and the tiny cute calf. Range (South) Officer of the Gorumara National Park Bimal Debnath said both the mother and its offspring are healthy.


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job

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore: Elephant Operations Manager

2010-09-03 - Baltimore, United States.

The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is looking for a qualified individual to join our team as the Elephant Operations Manager. Under the general supervision of the General Curator/Elephant Manager and Assistant Curator, the Elephant Operations Manager is directly responsible for the development, maintenance, and daily execution of the elephant program so that it meets or exceeds AZA standards for elephant care and management.


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death

Teen tuskar shot dead

2010-09-03 - Bangalore, India.

A 13-year-old tusker was killed on Friday following crop raids by a herd of elephants. The tusker was shot at by villagers in Periyapattan range. "Villagers killed the elephant in a rage after the herd raided the crops. We are compensating all crop raid cases. Yet there is so much anger among people," principal chief conservator of forests, B K Singh said.


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conflict

Angola/Kwanza Norte; Elephants destroy crops in Cambondo

2010-09-03 - Golungo Alto, Angola.

A herd of elephants on Wednesday destroyed several hectares of crops in Cambondo commune, north central Kwanza Norte province, local administrator, Domingos Barros, told Angop today. Mr Barros stated that the beasts had previously destroyed 126 plantations of banana, manioc and palm trees, depleting 300 families of their nourishing source and worsening food security in the region.


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abstract

Elephant found dead at Assam tea estate

2010-09-03 - Nagaon, India.

A male elephant has been found dead at the courtyard of a house inside Kalidan tea estate near Nagaon in Assam. It´s unusual for an elephant to die in such circumstances unless electrocuted. Workers at the tea estate insist the elephant died of natural causes. 255 elephants have died in Assam as a result of conflicts with humans between 1990 and 2003. Most of them were poisoned or electrocuted.


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research
An elephant in the African savanna sniffs out the Acacia trees.

Ants defeat elephants to save Acacia tree. Giraffes, gazelles and other savanna mammals seem oblivious to ant swarms

2010-09-02 - Gainesville, United States. Jeanna Bryner

Palmer and his colleague Jacob Goheen, of the University of Wyoming, were conducting research in the central highlands of Kenya, where elephants have destroyed much of the tree cover. There, the A. drepanolobium trees appeared to be unscathed by the hungry giants. That tree in particular has a cozy relationship with ants, which live on its branches full time. "The ants protect the tree in exchange for both housing that the tree produces in the form of bulbous hollow thorns, as well as food in th...


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misc

Largest online elephant database now includes more than 6000 elephants spanning 1200 years.

2010-09-01 - Kolmården, Sweden. Dan Koehl

The elephant database now includes 6009 elephants (including 549 breeding cows and 210 breeding bulls), from 1780 location facilities in 108 countries.


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welfare

Two more elephants lose tails in human seeking for luck

2010-09-01 - Dalat, Vietnam.

Rascals cut tails of two elephants, which are serving at the Prenn Waterfall Tourist Area in the Highland city of Dalat on August 31. Hunting elephants for tail hair has boomed in Daklak Province, which is famous for elephant taming, because people believe that luck will come to those who wear elephant-tail-hair-made jewelry.


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death

Zimbabwe bush fires kill 10 people, 10 elephants

2010-09-01 - Harare, Zimbabwe.

Widespread summer bush fires in Zimbabwe killed 10 people and 10 elephants recently, police said Wednesday. -Within the past two weeks, we have about six people who have perished during veld fires. Ten elephants were burnt to death at Derbyshire Ranch in Shangani in Matabeleland South Province,- police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka said. An environmental agency said the fires, most of them started deliberately, had also destroyed almost a million hectares of land.


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facility
Some animals have been relocated to make room for a new elephant exhibit.

Wanted: More Big Animals. The National Zoo is running dangerously low on "charismatic megafauna"

2010-09-01 - Washington, United States. Emily Leaman

Years of renovations and new exhibits at the National Zoo have taken their toll on the institution’s most important residents: the crowd-pleasing animals known as “charismatic megafauna.” Zoos have learned that to attract visitors, they need to offer 6 to 12 species of charismatic megafauna, the iconic large animals that range from pandas and tigers to elephants and great apes. After relocating its rhinos, giraffe, Nile hippopotamus, and a few pygmy hippos to other zoos, the National Zoo i...


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facility
Shipment of 42-foot long sections of pipe being delivered to the Oklahoma City Zoo to be used as fencing in the new 11 acre elephant exhibit in Oklahoma City Tuesday, August 31, 2010. Devon Energy has donated 400 pieces of pipe to the Zoo.

Devon Energy"s recycled pipes offer elephant-sized reward for zoo

2010-09-01 - Oklahoma City, United States.

Devon Energy is donating more than 3 miles of recycled oil pipes to the Oklahoma City Zoo. The pipes will be used to build a fence at the zoo´s new elephant habitat. A shipment of pipes was delivered Tuesday. Devon Energy has delivered a little more than half of the used drill and steam pipes, which are worth about $115,000.


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conflict

Hungry elephant slings woman across field

2010-08-31 - Jena, Germany.

A woman in the eastern German city of Jena was flung across a field by a hungry elephant looking for a snack in her purse, according to the police on Monday. The 42-year-old woman had the unpleasant run-in with the rambunctious pachyderm after taking her 10-year-old daughter to the grounds of a visiting circus.


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conservation

Elephant to be declared national heritage animal: Jairam

2010-08-31 - New Delhi, India.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday said the elephant would soon be declared a national heritage animal in order to step up measures for its protection. We will soon declare elephant as a national heritage animal as they have been part of our heritage since ages. We need to give same degree of importance to elephant as is given to tiger in order to protect the big animal, said Ramesh.


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conference

5th International Conference on Mammoths and their relatives.

2010-08-30 - Le Puy-en-Velay , France. Dr Frédéric Lacombat

250 scientists from all over the world will present new and unpublished results on many topics such as : evolution, the environment, associated fauna, absolute dating, ancient DNA. This scientific symposium will be accompanied, in the summer, with an important exhibition, intend a wide public, associating fossils and life-sized models of some of these pachyderms. Pr Yves Coppens (Collège de France) and Dr Frédéric Lacombat are the chairmen of the Scientific Commitee.


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smuggle

Kenya seizes two tonnes of elephant ivory: officials

2010-08-27 - Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenyan authorities have seized two tonnes of raw elephant ivory and five rhino horns bound for Malaysia at the country´s main airport, wildlife officials said Monday. Officials said the ivory, from an estimated 150 elephants, had likely been collected over a period of two decades and represented "the largest elephant ivory recovery in Kenya in the recent past".


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death

Elephant found dead in Darjeeling

2010-08-27 - Siliguri, India.

A four-year-old tusker was found dead in a tea garden in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district Friday, forest officials said. The elephant’s body was found in Simulbari tea garden in Siliguri sub division. Preliminary investigation revealed that the elephant died of poisoning after possibly having eaten plants treated with fertlisers. However, a final conclusion could be drawn only after the viscera report arrived, said a forest official.


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abstract

116 elephant tusks seized in Congo after crash

2010-08-27 - Kinshasa, Congo.

Police in northeastern Congo have seized 116 elephant tusks and arrested two men following a truck crash. Col. Sylvain Tshikez said Wednesday that the ivory was found inside jerry cans that tumbled off a truck involved in a crash. The discovery took place near the town of Kisangani in the northeastern Orientale province following the accident. The owner of the vehicle was seriously injured but was also expected to face charges.


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misc

Baby elephant at San Diego Zoo"s Safari Park gets a name

2010-08-27 - Escondido, United States.

A male African elephant born at the former San Diego Zoo´s Wild Animal Park three months ago will be called Emanti, which means "water" in the language of Swaziland, zoo officials announced Thursday. The calf was born May 12 at the newly renamed San Diego Zoo Safari Park located in southeast Escondido. More than 1,000 name suggestions were submitted via the zoo´s website. Of those, three finalists were chosen for a public vote.


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smuggle
Elephants such as this one in the Tsavo West National Park in southern Kenya are threatened by poachers

Kenya jails Chinese national for ivory possession

2010-08-26 - Nairobi, Kenya. David McKenzie

Kenya authorities have sentenced a Chinese national to 18 months in prison for possession of illegal ivory, the country´s wildlife service said. The man was seized on Tuesday with hand luggage, containing 10 ivory chopsticks and two bangles, according to the service. The trade in ivory both raw and finished is illegal in Kenya. The man pleaded guilty to possession of wildlife trophies.
It appeared the man was taking the finished products home for his personal use and is not an ivory...


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event

Annual Esala Great Parade kicks off in Sri Lanka

2010-08-25 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

An elephant stands in front of Sri Lanka´s Temple of the Tooth (Dal