2009-12-31 - Washington, United States.
A federal judge Wednesday ruled in favor of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum&Bailey Circus in a case brought by animal rights activists who accused the circus of abusing elephants. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan said former Ringling employee Tom Rider and the Animal Protection Institute did not have legal standing to sue the circus, owned by Feld Entertainment Inc. Rider and the animal protection group brought the lawsuit under the Endangered Species Act.
2009-12-27 - St. Louis, Missouri, United States.
Raja turns a whopping 17. The Zoo's bull Asian Elephant will receive special presents at 11 a.m. on his birthday, Sunday, December 27 in River's Edge at the Saint Louis Zoo, weather permitting. Visitors are invited to sing "Happy Birthday" and cheer for Raja who turns 17 this year. Raja, the first Asian elephant born at the Zoo, is the proud papa of babies Maliha, age 3, and Jade, age 2 . Zookeepers and volunteers have constructed giant presents for the party, filled with some of the elephant's ...
2009-12-27 - Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve, South Africa. Louise O’Keeffe
TWO Toowoomba boys have made headlines in South Africa after the elephant they were riding on went on a rampage last Friday. “They then fell off right at the elephant’s feet where it was mauling the ranger with its tusk. They boys were very lucky, but they are quite traumatised by the even. The boy’s father Mick Meintjes spoke to The Chronicle after the story was published in the South African paper Daily Dispatch. The family were from East London in South Africa and moved to Toowoomba thr...
2009-12-27 - Bangalore, India.
The recent poaching of two elephants in the Bannerghatta National Park has prompted the Forest Department to set up two anti-poaching camps in the national park near the inter-State border with Tamil Nadu. This is the first time that the anti-poaching camps are coming up in the area. Two tuskers were found shot dead in the Harohalli range of the Bannerghatta National Park near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border on Saturday. While the tusks of one elephant were removed, those of the other were intac...
2009-12-27 - Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States.
The long-awaited mating of elephants at the Pittsburgh Zoo conservation center in Somerset County now has a timetable: Officials want them to hook up next summer. And they plan to open an elephant sperm bank at the International Conservation Center to aid in breeding, zoo officials said. Barbara Baker, the zoo’s chief executive officer, traveled to Africa with a team to collect semen from bull elephants. She was in town recently to discuss plans for the conservation center in Fairhope. “We ...
2009-12-25 - Greenbrier, United States. Dena Potter
As you walk through the field beside them, it's difficult to tell if that rumble is the sound of their mighty footsteps or your heart thumping in your chest. Then just before you sink into the forest, one of the elephants throws her trunk into the air and trumpets, and you're certain what you're witnessing is nothing short of magical. You're not on an African safari. You're in Arkansas, in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, at a sanctuary for unwanted elephants. And this may be the closest yo...
2009-12-24 - Munich, Germany.
This baby elephant has been reunited with her mum after keepers rescued her from being trampled. Baby elephant Jamuno Toni - who already tips the scales at 17 stones - was in danger of being squashed to death by her three-tonne mum. Keepers were forced to separate the pair after the birth in Hellabrunn Zoo, Munich, Germany, while Jamuno took her first steps and learned how to dodge her mum Panang's massive bulk. Zoo boss Andreas Knieriem said: "New mothers can be clumsy so we needed to make sure...
2009-12-23 - Brookfield, United States.
An elephant died Tuesday at the Brookfield Zoo, making it the second elephant the zoo has lost in the last seven months. Christy, 29, was euthanized as a result of kidney failure, according to a zoo press release. Necropsy findings concluded Christy had a structurally abnormal right kidney, roughly one-tenth the size of a normal kidney, the zoo stated. In 2007, Christy was diagnosed with the enlarged ureter — one of the tubes that carriers urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
2009-12-23 - Munich, Germany.
It'll be a merry Christmas indeed at Munich, Germany's Hellabrunn Zoo: After a two-year gestation period, Asian elephant Panang gave birth to a healthy female calf Monday. The calf, named Jamuna Toni, weighed nearly 250 pounds at birth. For obvious (read: adorable) reasons, Jamuna Toni has quickly become a favorite among staff at the zoo -- she's shown here with keeper Robert Ostermeier, who didn't even get mad when her wandering trunk found its way to a place that, frankly, it didn't belong. (H...
2009-12-22 - Pune, India. Vivek Sabnis
Circus may soon phase out elephants after an order from Central Zoo Authority. The popular Rambo circus will probably not have its most famous elephant trick this season. And this is because the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is contemplating to move all elephants from the zoo and circuses to wildlife parks and sanctuaries.
2009-12-18 - Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Jennifer Brooks
When Kiba the elephant died, the rest of her herd mourned — human and elephant alike. The Nashville Zoo was forced to euthanize the 26-year-old African elephant on Thursday. Kiba suffered from a degenerative joint injury that was crippling her with pain. Afterward, her human caretakers said their goodbyes, then opened the doors to the rest of her herd, 25-year-old Sukari and 27-year-old Hadari. "It was pretty beautiful," said Connie Philipp, the zoo's director of animal collections, reduced to...
2009-12-17 - Kochi, India. theanand
2009-12-16 - Dak Lak, Vietnam. Cong Hoan – Translated by Kim Khanh
A tourism and culture week themed “Legend of the Central Highlands Elephant” will be held in Buon Ma Thuot City in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak from December 16-20. Activities will also be held in the city’s districts of Krong and Buon Don (Don Village).
2009-12-16 - Tampa, United States. SARAH HOYE
For 140 years, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has let kids be kids and adults be kids, too. Also making his debut today was Barack, a baby Asian elephant born Jan. 19. To mark the 200th birthday of circus entertainer extraordinaire P.T. Barnum, organizers promise the making of their biggest, over-the-top show to date when it roars into town Jan. 6 with Barnum's FUNundrum, a celebration inspired by the greatest showman who ever lived.
2009-12-16 - Franklin, New Zealand.
Franklin District Council has officially welcomed a jumbo-sized citizen to the district. Jumbo the elephant was 'sworn in' as a Franklin citizen by Franklin District Mayor Mark Ball at a special citizenship ceremony today at her new home at Franklin Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary. Jumbo (also known as Mila) has recently been gifted to Franklin Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary on her retirement from the circus. The sanctuary provides a home and rehabilitation for at-risk exotic and native species.
2009-12-16 - Riau, Indonesia.
Herds of Sumatran elephants have been closing in on villages in Riau following flooding in their natural habitat. Many of them enter residential areas and destroy palm and rice fields, Syahimin, a top official at the local Natural Resources Conservation Center, told Antara state news agency in Pekanbaru on Wednesday.
2009-12-16 - Hanoi , Vietnam.
Vietnam plans to build an elephant hospital as part of a new reservation for the animals in the country's central highlands, a government official said Wednesday. Y Rit Buon Ya, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the province of Dak Lak, said the project would be developed between 2010-14.
2009-12-15 - Edmonton, Canada. Elise Stolte
Woolly mammoths and ancient horses disappeared from North America thousands of years later than originally thought, casting doubt on common theories of a sudden mass extinction, says a researcher from the University of Alberta. Duane Froese and a team of international researchers have been studying the dramatic changes in climate conditions at the end of the Pleistocene era about 13,000 years ago using evidence gathered at a dig on the Yukon River in northern Alaska.
2009-12-14 - New Delhi, India.
The government has not taken any decision to free all captive elephants to wild, the Rajya Sabha was told today. However, a decision to rehabilitate captive elephants only from zoos to the wild has been taken, Minister of State for Finance Namo Narain Meena, who is currently holding the charge of Environment Ministry, said in a written reply.
2009-12-13 - Phrae, Thailand. Subin Kheunkaew
When elephant meat becomes available at a small village in Phrae province, fanciers of the rare meal are quick to buy up the treat. ''On a day that elephant meat is available in the village, it is eagerly snapped up and sells out in no time,'' said Uncle Pao, 73, from Wiang Thong village in Sung Men district where elephant meat costs 100 baht a kilogramme. Nobody wants to buy other kinds of meat.
2009-12-13 - Minakuchi, Japan.
Almost complete skeleton of Stegodon aurorae (Taga specimen) was found in Taga town, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. On the basis of the skeletal restration of the specimen, this paper presents morphological features of Stegodon aurorae. The restored skeleton is 193cm in shoulder height; 458cm in body length. The dorsal convex curvature in anterior thoracic vertebrae is rather strong, while straightened in posterior thoracic and lumber vertebrae
2009-12-13 - Siliguri, India.
A herd of 20 wild elephants damaged a tea garden in the Dooars region here on Saturday. The jumbos were first sighted by tealeaf pluckers on Saturday morning. The elephants came in from the nearby forest. They were roaming around in the tea garden and also uprooted plants. They were chased from the other side as they came in here, said Niranjan Roy, a resident.
2009-12-13 - Shanghai, China.
CHINA and Laos have signed an agreement to jointly build a cross-border nature reserve to better protect Asian elephants and other rare animals, an official said yesterday. Tang Zhongming, deputy director of the state-level Xishuangbanna Natural Reserve Administration, said the reserve covers 31,300 hectares of forests in China and another 23,400 hectares in Laos.
2009-12-10 - Si Satchanalai, Thailand. KATHERINE CONNOR
I sold my house and used some of the money to buy a round-the-world ticket. At first all went to plan. It was a dream holiday, and by the time I arrived in Thailand, I was in good spirits. Then one day I decided to join some other tourists I'd met on a visit to an elephant conservation centre in northern Thailand. Within a month of our sanctuary opening we had four elephants, Sumai, Pang Tong and two others who had been abused by their owners which we had managed to buy.
2009-12-10 - Edmonton, Canada.
Lucy the Elephant has dropped 400 pounds after just one month of being placed on a new fitness regime. Valley Zoo officials said her weight loss is equivalent to the size of an adult black bear. But she isn't done yet. Zookeepers are hoping Lucy can shed a 1,000 pounds overall to help improve her health and ease her symptoms of arthritis. The zoo is also adding more sand and rubber mats to make it easier for the elephant to walk around the sanctuary.
2009-12-10 - St. Louis, United States. Diane Toroian Keaggy
Asian elephant Jade at the St. Louis Zoo has experienced a recurrence of the potentially deadly virus that struck last February. Her symptoms have subsided already, but Jade continues to receive intravenous antiviral medication and 24-hour care. The rest of the zoo's herd remains healthy. "We're in foreign territory," said mammal curator Martha Fischer. "We didn't expect a relapse because none of the other survivors (of this virus) have had notable relapses.
2009-12-10 - Cape Town, South Africa.
The public has just over two weeks in which to submit comments on how captive elephants should be treated. This follows the publication late last month of the department of environmental affair's Draft Minimum Standards For the Management Of Captive Elephants, issued in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act.
2009-12-09 - Mumbai, India. Lata Mishra and Mitali Parekh
After years of campaigning by animal rights organisations, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) passed an order last month making it mandatory for circuses and zoos across the country to free their elephants and relocate them in sanctuaries, camps and reserves. However, authorities at the Byculla zoo - which received a notice to this effect last week - are worried the shift will be too traumatic for their two elephants.
2009-12-09 - San Diego, United States.
See film when San Diego Zoo veterinarians, assisted by more than 30 staff members, surgically removed malfunctioning portions of Jewel's teeth. The procedure should result in weight gain and better health for the ailing elephant who was confiscated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture this summer.
2009-12-08 - Bardia National Park, Nepal.
This is the World Elephant Polo Championships, hosted in Nepal. A pitch of jumbo proportions was set up at the Bardia National Park. Teams from all over the globe came to take part in this special tournament including Scotland, the United Arab Emirates and Austria. After a week of competition, host nation Nepal claimed the first prize against Thailand.
2009-12-07 - Kendujhar, India.
It was no isolated incident, when an elephant attacked Pipilia village in Ghatagaon and killed a 30-year old youth on Friday. Kandarpa Mohanta, a small trader and resident of nearby Toranipokhari village, came face to face with an elephant while going to the market on his cycle. It was the fifth incident in the past six months in the area.
2009-12-07 - Kendrapada, India.
The sighting of elephants in human habitats is not a new phenomenon, especially to people living in villages bordering the forests. But the problem comes when these tuskers descend in herds, rampaging through farmlands and destroying crops, thereby robbing the only sustenance of the peasants in these villages.
2009-12-07 - Raipur, India.
About a dozen cops on duty at a police station in Chhattisgarh ran for cover when they found a herd of wild jumbos roaming in the complex, authorities said Monday. We are always prepared for any Maoist attack but we never thought of facing jumbos. We ran for cover when eight wild elephants entered the police station premises late Saturday, Assistant sub-inspector Krishna Singh told IANS.
2009-12-07 - Nairobi, Kenya. WOLFGANG H. THOME
Information received indicates that in recent weeks over one and a half tons of ivory has been confiscated and recovered from poachers, smugglers and individuals found with it, across Eastern Africa in a concerted effort of the respective wildlife authorities, police and other security organs and customs.
2009-12-07 - Tulsa, United States. SARA PLUMMER
The plan to breed Tulsa Zoo's male elephant Sneezy with the two female elephants from the Oklahoma City Zoo is proving fruitful. Asha, the 14-year-old female, is in the first trimester of pregnancy, which for elephants is about seven months along, said Assistant Curator Mike Connolly. Elephant pregnancies last for about 22 months, and Asha is due in the spring of 2011. "It's early in her pregnancy," Connolly said. "It should be a healthy pregnancy. She's young and she's in good shape."
2009-12-07 - Surin, Thailand.
On November 19th, 2009, the night before the start of the annual Surin Elephant Round-up (20-22), Award-winning environmentalist Sangduen (Lek) Chailert and Surin Project Manager Jeff Smith met with Wichian Chawalit, the appointed governor of Surin, and Thongchai Mungcharoenporn, the Chief Executive of the Surin Provincial Administration Organization, to discuss their plans to bring elephants back to Surin.
2009-12-07 - Dhanusha, Nepal.
Four including three of a family died in elephant attack in Chisapani, the northern region of Dhanusha on Monday. The elephant, that is believed to have entered Dhanusha from Sindhuli, has killed Bir Bahadur Bhujel, 60, his wife Kanchhi Maya, 45, their seven-year old granddaughter Gauri and Urmila Devi Mahato, 45, of Godar village.
2009-12-06 - Copenhagen, Denmark. David Owen
you can appreciate it at the Norman Foster-designed elephant house, where I arrive after a 20-minute bus ride and a 10-minute stroll past wolves and polar bears. The building undulates with the terrain and is the colour of Africa, topped off with two curved glass cupolas that make me think of the Eden Project. It smells strongly of – what else? – elephant. It is overlooked by the old Elefanthus, home to the zoo’s pachyderms between 1914 and 2008, which surmounts a neighbouring hill ...
2009-12-06 - Kafue National Park, Zambia.
Two fully grown African bush Elephants in Itezhi-tezhi District have died after being electrocuted. The incident happened when the two adult male Elephants got in contact with a live 33Kilovolts (KV) ZESCO main power line. The power line which was hanging low following a heavy down pour caused the electrocution of the mammals.The live wire is the main power supply line from Choma power station to Itzhi-tezhi district. Zambia Wild (ZAWA) Public Relations Officer Wilfred Moonga said this in a stat...
2009-12-06 - Val d'Oise, France.
These photos are also by photographer F. DeHurtevent and are posted on the French circus site "aucirque.com". The Casselly Family presented this interesting variation of the classic courier routine using both elephants and horses as part of the Val d'Oise Circus Festival. You can find the Casselly courier act on Youtube by searching the title Cavalos Elefantes. It is the entire 7 minute act.
2009-12-06 - , Indonesia. John M. Glionna
The compact 37-year-old Syamsuardi manages the Flying Squad, a herd of tame elephants that patrols the more-than-80,000-hectare Tesso Nilo National Park. Syamsuardi’s team is the brainchild of the World Wildlife Fund, which borrowed the idea from India. The goal: persuade the errant elephants to return to their sanctuary, where lethal run-ins with humans are less likely.
2009-12-05 - Amsterdam, Netherlands. Ron Callari
"Twelephants" is a unique campaign that seeks to provide a safe haven for 100,000 elephants in the Elephant Corridor of Africa. In an interview recently conducted with Femke Hulsenbek, Pifworld's program officer, she noted that "Twelephants is one of the most ambitious projects on the Pifworld platform...established to raise awareness for the Elephant Corridor, enabling elephants in Botswana to roam freely across the border to Zambia."
2009-12-05 - Bridgeport, United States. JAMES HYNES
The saddest animal story in the book is that of Jumbo, the giant elephant Barnum purchased from a London zoo (to the outrage of the British public) and displayed at his circus, making millions. Even after Jumbo was killed in a collision with a train, Barnum managed to milk more money out of him, displaying both the elephant’s skin, stretched over a wooden frame, and his skeleton, as a “double Jumbo” exhibit.
2009-12-04 - Melbourne, Australia. CAROLYN WEBB
In 20 YEARS as a vet, Michael Lynch has delivered baby cows, giraffes, bison, zebras, gorillas and meerkats. All being well, he is about to assist at his first elephant birth - also Melbourne Zoo's first - and says it will top them all.
2009-12-04 - Cheshire, United Kingdom. LIZ HULL
Leading circus elephants along the street, driving to work in a horse and cart or sending a message via carrier pigeon are duties which have long since disappeared from modern day policing. But as these photographs show they were all in a day's work for bobbies on the beat during the last century. The bygone images, which date back to 1904, give a fascinating insight into the duties of police officers at a time when political correctness and health and safety had yet to make an impact on ...
2009-12-04 - Kottor, India. R. Ayyappan
There are plans to transfer a nine-year-old she elephant called Sreelakshmi from far north of the State in Neeleshwaram to the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre here in Kottur. If this happens, the Forest Department would make history. The elephant will be the first one to be seized by the Department from a private owner in the State.
2009-12-04 - Toronto, Canada.
What killed the matriarch of the Toronto Zoos dwindling elephant herd? Toronto Zoo officials said yesterday even after the post-mortem on Tara the elephant, they still dont know what killed the 41-year-old pachyderm. Eric Cole, animal care supervisor of the zoos African savannah pavilion, said the post-mortem didnt find anything obvious to indicate cause of death. They did find some gallstones but those are to be expected at Taras age, he said.
2009-12-04 - Tuakau, New Zealand.
Jumbo, New Zealand's only African elephant, has retired from the circus and is starting a new life at Franklin Zoo in Tuakau. She has settled into to her new facility which has given her space to explore, toys to play with and wallows so she can enjoy being an elephant.
2009-12-03 - Denver, United States.
A former concession stand at the Denver Zoo was razed by a front-end loader before a cheering crowd on Wednesday to make way for the new Asian Tropics exhibit. The weather was anything but tropical, as a light dusting of snow covered the 10-acre plot on the southern edge of the zoo where the new $50-million exhibit will soon stand. The price tag for half of the project is covered thanks to a 1999 Zoo Improvement Bond Fund passed by voters, while the other half came from private donors.
2009-12-03 - Sindhulimadi, Nepal.
A boy died in an attack by a wild elephant in Kamalamai Sindhuli on Friday. According to District Police Office Sindhuli, the deceased has been identified as Bikas Sarki, 15, a resident of Kamalimai Municipility -3, Sindhuli. Two persons were killed in a similar attack by wild elephants earlier. Yadav Dhital, chief of District Forest Office informed that a joint team of the Nepal Police and District Forest Office has been deployed to drive away the elephant, though they are unable to bring it un...
2009-12-03 - Kruger Park, South Africa. Jeff Warner
Color us fascinated by submitter Jeff Warner's photo, taken on a trip to South Africa's Kruger National Park. According to Jeff, this plucky warthog, despite having no warthog backup, decided to challenge a herd of elephants in order to assert his rights to a water hole. We were pulling for the little guy (who doesn't love an underdog?), but according to Jeff, things didn't quite go his way. "The elephant kicked sand in the warthog's face," Jeff explains. The indignity!
2009-12-02 - Sydney, Australia. ILIANA STILLITANO
A PAINTING not seen publicly since it was bought by the late Camden doctor Robert Crookston in 1945 sold for $575,000 last week and helped set a sales record for auction house Sotheby's. The painting a powerful image of a country woman confronting the tragedy of the 1944 drought was part of an estate owned by Dr Crookston's daughter Jacqueline which she bequeathed to the Taronga Foundation when she died, aged 96, in July.
2009-12-02 - Guwahati, India.
The Assam forest department has requested the Centre for funds to acquire private land in elephant corridors for better protection of their habitats. This was disclosed today by Assam’s principal chief conservator of forests, Suresh Chand, at a workshop on Training of Trainers on Advancement of Elephant Heal-thcare and Managerial Practices. The 11-day workshop is being supported by the centrally sponsored Project Elephant. The course has 20 participants, including local experts and resource pe...
2009-12-02 - Mumbai, India. Alaka Sahani
After impressing critics at the Mumbai Film Festival, director Aijaz Khan’s debut feature film White Elephant is being shown in the Indian Panorama section of the Goa Film Festival. How was it directing an elephant? Oh! it was difficult and it needed patience, but it was such an exhilarating, enriching and moving experience that I’ll never ever forget it.
2009-12-01 - Somerset, United States. PATRICK BUCHNOWSKI
The long-awaited mating of elephants at the Pittsburgh Zoo conservation center in Somerset County now has a timetable: Officials want them to hook up next summer. And they plan to open an elephant sperm bank at the International Conservation Center to aid in breeding, zoo officials said. Barbara Baker, the zoo’s chief executive officer, traveled to Africa with a team to collect semen from bull elephants.
2009-12-01 - Hot Springs, United States.
Thanks to a $10,000 grant from South Dakota Community Foundation, the in-situ paleontological discovery at The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, will now be much more protected from environmental dangers with the installation of a humidity control system to regulate relative humidity. “The building enclosing the bonebed protects the bones, tusks and other specimens from the elements so they can remain where they were discovered (in-situ),” said Joe Muller, business manager at The Mammoth Site.
2009-12-01 - Coimbatore, India. VR Jayaraj
Human beings have much to learn from the sociology and “humane” nature of elephants, and the bonding among the giant animals as seen among a herd in the Amaravathy forest area in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu is beyond description. Forest department personnel here have been passionately watching how a herd of elephants have been guarding a pregnant elephant from attacks of animals.
2009-12-01 - Guwahati, India.
The Assam zoo is not in a position to abide by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) directive of sending all its elephants to national parks or wildlife sanctuaries immediately. The zoo authorities said of the 12 elephants, two were pregnant and hence they could not be sent now. They will have to wait for at least a year. “We are keeping a close watch on the health of the elephants and would not be able to send them for another year,” a zoo official said.
2009-11-30 - Bangalore, India.
Autopsy has revealed that the 30-year-old elephant found dead near Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) on Sunday, was, in fact, shot dead, sending shock waves among conservationists and forest officials. Speaking to DNA, principal chief conservator of forests BK Singh said that one bullet was recovered from the female pachyderm's brain and another from the back. Alibis suggest that the first bullet might have hit her back, and the second bullet the forehead, killing her on the spot, he said.
2009-11-30 - Nairobi, Kenya.
African authorities raided shops, intercepted vehicles at checkpoints and used sniffer dogs to detect and seize over 3,800 pounds (1,768 kilograms) of illegal elephant ivory in a six-nation operation, Interpol and the Kenya Wildlife Service said Monday. During the three-month-long operation, authorities also seized leopard, crocodile and snake skins, among other illegal animal products, said Awad Dahia, Interpol's eastern Africa chief.
2009-11-30 - Toronto, Canada.
An elephant at the Toronto Zoo died this morning after zoo staff found her lying down, unable to stand up. Tara, the 41-year-old "matriarch" of the elephant herd, had not exhibited any recent health concerns, Eric Cole, supervisor of the zoo's African Savanna, said. She was found by animal care staff shortly before 8 a.m. Monday morning, who tried in vain to lift the 8,500-pound animal back onto her feet. They were unable to hoist her back up, and she died at 11 a.m.
2009-11-30 - Coimbatore, India.
In a touching instance of animal bonding, a herd of elephants has been guarding a fully pregnant pachyderm for past few days in Amaravathi forest area of the district to prevent it from being attacked by other wild animals. While one group moves around this elephant monitoring her movement and preventing possible attacks by other elephants and wild animals, others go and fetch food and water and come back by evening.
2009-11-29 - Chitwan, Nepal.
The World Elephant Polo Association was founded 28 years ago by Brits James Manclark and Jim Edwards in Nepal. It has now become a World Series of world class events embodying superb skill and daring, undertaken in a spirit of fun and goodwill, and at the same time contributing to the welfare of the elephants.
2009-11-29 - Bhubaneswar, India.
Poachers have killed a young tusker for ivory in the forests of Sangramal in Orissa's Sambalpur district, officials said Saturday. The elephant was brutally killed and the mutilated body was discovered by villagers lying in a pool of blood. The villagers informed the forest officials about the elephant's death. The animal's trunk was chopped into several pieces to extract the ivory.
2009-11-28 - Tuakau, New Zealand.
The 36-year-old pachyderm will become the only African elephant at a zoo in New Zealand on her arrival at Franklin Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary in Tuakau from Helensville this weekend. The facility is closed to the public until Monday as staff and contractors put the finishing touches to Jumbo's training, entertainment and living enclosure and get her used to her new environment.
2009-11-28 - Pekanbaru, Indonesia.
A group of wild elephants have demolished hectares of plantations of palm oil and rubber and paddy fields in Pekan Tebih village, Kepenuhan Hulu district, Rokan Hulu regency, Riau province in the past three months, an official said Friday. The district chief Damri Poti revealed that the elephants have destroyed 10 hectares of the plantations, including two hectares of paddy fields.
2009-11-28 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Tanzania is still in discussions with the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) to be allowed to sell existing stocks of elephant ivory. The Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Shamsha Mwangunga, told THISDAY on the sideline of a news conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the government was still engaging the international body to have her stockpile of ivory sold off.
2009-11-27 - Hanoi, Vietnam.
There are only 80 elephants left in the wild in Vietnam, and they are in danger due to illegal hunting and deforestation, state media reported Friday. The state-run newspaper Lao Dong quoted experts at a Vietnam Forest Management Agency workshop on elephant preservation as saying the population was dropping fast.
2009-11-26 - London, United Kingdom. Andrew Pulver
This was taken in India, at a circus in Ahmedabad. I think it was called the Great Golden Circus. I'm a street photographer, but I'm interested in any ironic, whimsical images, and there's something very romantic about a circus. I was doing a book; I spent six months travelling, saw 18 different circuses, and it was just a wonderful time. Believe me, there couldn't be a more strange place for a circus than India.
2009-11-26 - Bengkulu, Indonesia.
The number of elephants existing in Bengkulu province, Sumatra, has been reduced from 225 to 150, a conservationist said. The declining number of Sumatran elephants in Bengkulu is due among others to illegal hunting, poisoning (due to conflict with locals) and unmanaged population outside the conservation areas, Supartono of Bangkulu`s Nature Conservation Agency (BKSDA), said here on Wednesday.
2009-11-26 - New Delhi, India.
Painting a grim picture of rising man-animal conflicts in the country, the government on Wednesday said as many as 1,090 people were killed by wild elephants, 11 by tigers and three by lions in various states in the last three years. "The states have reported damages of 15,312 houses and 87,269 cases of crop damage by wild elephants in the last three years," environment minister Jairam Ramesh said in Lok Sabha while replying to a written question.
2009-11-26 - New York, United States. Todd NE. Department of Biology, Manhattanville College
A new, descriptive character dataset was generated from studies of modern elephants for use with fossil species. Parallel evolution in cranial and dental characters in all three lineages of elephants creates homoplastic noise in cladistic analysis, but new inferences about evolutionary relationships are possible. In this analysis, early Loxodonta and early African Mammuthus are virtually indistinguishable in dental morphology.
2009-11-26 - Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Poachers "wiped out" the entire elephant herd in Sierra Leone's only wildlife park, wildlife managers said Thursday after police said they had arrested a gang of 10 poachers. "It is likely that the elephant population is wiped out," Ibrahim Bangura, senior superintendent of the agriculture ministry's Conservation and Wildlife Management Unit.
2009-11-26 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.
The Dong Nai provincial Forest Ranger Department in coordination with national parks in the southern region is seeking ways to raise public awareness of elephant conservation and expand the living environment for the animal. At a seminar on November 26, local and foreign scientists agreed that it is necessary to quickly implement the project on elephant preservation, approved by the Prime Minister in 2006.
2009-11-25 - Rourkela, India.
About 300 families in four villages in Orissa's Sundargarh district have left home due to fear of elephant attack, officials said. The residents of Ramjodi, Khatagbeda, Gosaitali and Baratoli villages along the Orissa-Jharkhand border left home last night and took shelter in school buildings, they said. A herd of 40 elephants have crossed over to Orissa from neighbouring Jharkhand and destroyed about 25 houses in these villages, besides damaging standing crops.
2009-11-25 - Assam, India.
Angry over frequent depredation by wild elephants, an influential students' group Wednesday threatened an indefinite shutdown of tea plantations in Assam. The immediate provocation for the Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA) to threaten to cease work was the killing of five plantation workers in separate incidents by rampaging elephant herds in northern Assam in the past one week.
2009-11-25 - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.
AN elephant handler who was gored in the chest by an eight- year-old cow at the Elephant Sanctuary at The Crags in Plettenberg Bay is recovering from his injuries in hospital. Sanctuary owner Chris Kruger described the incident as “an accident” yesterday and said an investigation by staff had found there was no malicious intent by the elephant.
2009-11-24 - Tuakau, New Zealand.
The retirement of circus elephant Jumbo is being hailed as a victory by animal rights group Save Animals From Exploitation (Safe). Jumbo, New Zealand's only African elephant, spent 28 years with the Weber Bros Circus before a decision last week to put her into retirement. Weber Bros owner Harry Weber told The Dominion Post newspaper a group of specialists met in Auckland last week to discuss 36-year-old Jumbo's future.
2009-11-23 - Mumbai, India.
The elephant may be an enduring, lovable icon which draws thousands of wildlife tourists to India every year, but officials are desperate to find ways to control them amid increasing numbers of attacks on humans. A Mumbai engineer has discovered the answer: The 'Violent Elephant Control Gear', a remote control immobiliser which tethers marauding pachyderms at the press of a button.
2009-11-23 - Lampang, Thailand. Lindsay Barnett
Thailand's new Pang La Elephant Rehabilitation Center officially opened over the weekend, becoming the first facility of its kind in the country known for its love affair with elephants. The center, in Thailand's Lampang province, plans to care for up to 200 elderly and disabled Asian elephants; currently, about 30 elephants call it home, including several that are partially or completely blind, according to the Bangkok Post.
2009-11-22 - Chennai, India.
A four-year-old sub adult cow elephant died at Vandalur zoo, on Friday due to a suspected attack of herpes virus. The zoo authorities said the elephant, Chellamma, was rescued from the Andhiyur forests in Erode district and brought to the zoo in 2005. Since Friday morning, the animal refused food. Its head started swelling and administration of prophylactic medicines also did not help.
2009-11-22 - Kathmandu, Nepal. Victoria Picknell
Nepals greater one-horned rhino population is on the road to recovery, following almost a decade of steep decline caused by poaching. Conservationists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have joined forces with local communities to form a team of rhino bodyguards on elephant-back to protect the species last remaining strongholds in Bardia and Chitwan National Parks. The new patrol guards, who are trained to recognise individual rhinos and adhere to strict scientific monitoring, are provi...
2009-11-21 - Kanpur, India.
After steady improvement in the health of the blind female elephant, Champa, found abandoned a few days ago, the forest authorities shifted the pachyderm to Kanpur Zoo on Friday. Chanda Devi, who had claimed that she owned the elephant, disappeared again on Friday. District Forest Officer B R Ahirwar said: “In view of the poor diet and cruelty towards the animal by the owner, we decided to shift Champa.”
2009-11-19 - Tulsa, United States. Rick Wells
There was a really big birthday Wednesday at the Tulsa Zoo. Gunda the Asian elephant is 59 years old. The News On 6 doesn’t show up for everyone's birthday, but Gunda has been at the zoo longer than any other animal. “Hi – birthday time,” said zoo keeper Jessica Scallan is getting us all ready for Gunda's big day. Ella Goodwin, 3, is very excited. She’s wearing an “I Love Gunda” t-shirt, and there are hats. Afterall, this is Gunda's 59th birthday
2009-11-19 - Yangon, Myanmar.
The National Geographic Channel is due in Myanmar this month to shoot a documentary on the country's hard-working elephants, sources close to the project said Thursday. They will come here this month to document the state of Myanmar's domesticated elephants - how to catch wild elephants, how to tame and train them, said an official from the politically well-connected Htoo Trading Company, which will facilitate the production.
2009-11-18 - Tulsa, United States.
Oklahoma State University's Center for Veterinary Health Sciences students recently got an up-close look at a performing elephant. Kamba, a 29 year-old female African elephant owned by Doug Terranova, was referred to the center's OSU Boren Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital after wandering away and being hit by an SUV on a highway near Enid.
2009-11-17 - Bangkok, Thailand.
Police have arrested two Thai nationals for trafficking in African ivory, a crime that carries a maximum four-year jail sentence, police said Tuesday. Samat Chokechoima and Kanok Wongsarot were arrested Monday in a sting operation in which Thai police posed as buyers of carved African ivory items, Police Lieutenant Colonel Thanayos Gengkasrikit, spokesman of the Natural Resource and Environmental Crime Division said. The suspects face a maximum of four years in prison and fines of up to 40,000 b...
2009-11-16 - Harare, Zimbabwe.
An international crime syndicate is behind an escalation in poaching in Zimbabwe which has slaughtered 65 elephants and 30 rhinos this year, a wildlife official said Monday. "From January to October this year we have lost 65 elephants through poaching," Vitalis Chadenga, operations director of the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority told journalists. "In the same period we have lost 24 black and six white rhinos. It is true that we have witnessed an escalation of poaching nationwide, ...
2009-11-14 - Fairhope, United States.
On Friday, Somerset County welcomed a new elephant to its population. The elephant needs no space to roam and lives in Somerset Borough. Do not fear, Jackson, the fiberglass elephant, is a tame and gentle creature. Jackson was recently put together on the grounds of Laurel Arts at 214 South Harrison Avenue. The fiberglass elephant is the estimated size of the African elephants at the International Conservation Center in Fairhope Township.
2009-11-12 - New Delhi, India. Neha Lalchandani & Deeksha Chopra
Delhi Zoo will soon be bidding farewell to its three elephants. In fact, elephants will no longer be seen in any zoo or circus in the country after the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) issued a notice on Monday to the effect that all of these animals in zoos, numbering about 140, should be sent to national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves as soon as possible.
2009-11-10 - Rangamati, India.
A herd of the wild elephants killed Kye Ching Marma, 40, son of Chai Kye Marma of village Dongnala in Bangalhalia union council under Razasthali upazila of the district, while he was working at his ginger plantation on Saturday evening, said sources in police. On the same day, the marauding wild elephants trampled Suruj Bangalee, 55, to death at Rajnagar in Gulshakhali union council under Langadu upazila of the district.
2009-11-10 - Nairobi, Kenya. James Pomfret and Tom Kirkwood
Tucked into a grimy building in Guangzhou, a small band of Chinese master carvers chip away at ivory tusks with chisels, fashioning them into the sorts of intricate carvings that were prized by Chinese emperors. A passion for ivory ornaments such as these is what helped decimate African and Asian elephant populations until a 1989 ban on ivory trade. Today, China's economic rise, and along with it a seemingly insatiable appetite for status symbols by its nouveau riche, has spurred demand for Afri...
2009-11-10 - Bandarban, Bangladesh.
Poachers killed a wild elephant at Kagoji Khola-Garjontoli area of Naikkhongchhari upazila on Sunday afternoon. Locals alleged that the poachers shot the female elephant dead to collect its bones and tusk. Naikkhongchhari police said local people saw the dead elephant with bullet holes in its body and informed the forest officials and police. Earlier, a wild male elephant was allegedly killed at a rubber garden near Alikhhong village of Baishari union of the upazila on October 1.
2009-11-10 - Livingstone, Zambia. Edwin Mbulo
A 17-year-old boy yesterday miraculously survived an attack by an elephant in Livingstone’s Kasiya area. Narrating the ordeal from his hospital bed at the Livingstone General Hospital, Nixon Lubindo said he was cycling near Suns of Thunder when he came into contact with the animal. “I was cycling near Suns of Thunder orphanage when I saw the elephant and stopped, but the animal charged towards me and I turned around and started to cycle back when I noticed that it had started to chase me,”...
2009-11-10 - Amersfoort, Netherlands.
Indra of Amersfoort got a baby around 5:30 am this morning. According the the official website of the zoo everything seems to be fine. Gender is unkown yet. Indra got her baby in the new barn. She stood there together with Mimi while her moter was separated in one of the boxes. The public can watch the new baby in the new barn.
2009-11-09 - Hamburg, Germany.
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. Hagenbecks Tierpark currently houses eleven Asian elephants of all age groups and with a high training standard. Important elephant management procedures will be taught on and with the animals (e.g. foot trimming, transportation). The School is held in a nine-day-session. The course...
2009-11-09 - Shimba Hills National Park, Kenya. Joe Ombuor
From the safety of his house, Philip Ndivo sees a herd of elephants moving down a hill in Shimba Hills National Park. He pulls down a big electric switch mounted on a wooden deck in his house. He moves out of his house in Lukore village, Kwale District, holding an instrument that tests electric current, which he clips to an electric fence passing near his compound. The gadget confirms the voltage is high enough to keep off any elephant that might try to cross the fence into farms.
2009-11-08 - Sauraha, Nepal.
The first birthday of twin baby elephants at the elephant breeding center in Sauraha was celebrated amidst a special program on Saturday. These calves are the first twin baby elephants in the South Asia. An elephant named Devi Kali aged over 40 years at the center gave birth to the twins last year. The twins´ father is an elephant named Romeo. The two calves were named Ram and Laxman during the function.
2009-11-07 - Udalguri, India. Jayanta Kumar
Nature lovers have expressed serious concern at the electrocution of another female wild elephant ,who had been carrying a near matured calf at Bhutiachang TE on the night of November 4/09.According to information received a 14 years old female wild elephant was electrocuted at section No. 6 of Bhutiachang TE.It has been learned that a herd of wild elephants numbering 25-30 had been seen roaming in the locality for a few days. Unfortunately, a female elephant got stuck to low lying high voltage ...
2009-11-07 - Los Angeles, United States. Robyn Dixon
Elephants are a harrowing threat to villagers and their crops. But they bring in tourists (and their money), and are rigorously protected -- more so than humans, critics say. Reporting from Katubya, Zambia - Here's how to pitch this (true) story to Hollywood: Ordinary guy named John, ordinary Sunday, cycling home into a setting sun. Monster roars out of the bushes! John abandons his bike, flees in terror. The creature smashes the bicycle, catches him in a few short strides, grabs him by the shir...
2009-11-07 - Albany, United States. SCOTT WALDMAN
A 9-foot-long mastodon tusk recently excavated in Orange County is now at the State Museum. The tusk may be the largest ever found in New York state. It was discovered by two people canoeing through Orange County a year ago, but could not be excavated until recently because of weather conditions. Museum scientists removed the tusk from the riverbank where it had remained buried for thousands of years.
2009-11-06 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
POLICE in Dar es Salaam are investigating a suspected ivory smuggling syndicate following the arrest of four people this week in possession of over 30 elephant tusks. According to sources within the wildlife industry, the ivory weighing more than 100 kilogrammes is believed to have come from at least 18 elephants killed recently by poachers within the vast Selous Game Reserve stretching over 54,600 square kilometres to the south of the country.
2009-11-06 - Munich, Germany.
Like any expectant mother, Panang the elephant wants the very best for her baby, which is evident as she carefully performs her maternity exercises. Guided by her minder Andi Fries, the 20-year-old elephant did a series of stretches in her pen at the Tierpark Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich. Panang, who is nearing the end of her two-year gestation period, is due to give birth this month or next.
2009-11-05 - Angul, India.
A tusker from Nandankanan Zoo, trained to carry tourists in Satkosia forest of Orissa, went berserk and killed its mahout (keeper) at Tikarpara, about 60 km from here, official sources said today. The mahout, identified as Bimal Das, was taking the elephant out of the forest yesterday when the animal attacked him and pierced its tusk into his body, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), S Mishra said.
2009-11-05 - London, United Kingdom. ALAN HALL and SARA NELSON
Germany’s 'Dr Death' Gunter von Hagens has plastinated a pachyderm for a Jumbo-sized exhibition. The corpse collector, who preserves bodies for eternity with a special gel to display around the world, turned his unique talents to Samba the elephant. She passed away last year at the age of 41 in Neukirchen Zoo in Germany.
2009-11-05 - Zhaotong, China.
A team of more than 10 Chinese and foreign archeologists have been examining the mastodon fossil site in Zhaotong prefecture, which consists of at least three complete skeletons, according to a Dushi Shibao report. One of the fossilized tusks found at the site is 2.6 meters long and weighs more than 150 kilograms. The fossil was discovered by local farmers who were digging up brown coal.
2009-11-05 - Calcutta, India.
Hall, who is a London-based journalist, joins the hunter, Dinesh Choudhury, on a mission to shoot a tusker that had been killing people brutally in Assam’s forests. The hunt brings Hall face to face with the crucial issues of man-animal conflict that always stand in the way of effective conservation, whether of forests or of animals.
2009-11-05 - Oklahoma city, United States.
An elephant that escaped from the Family Fun Circus at the Garfield County Fairgrounds after being spooked caused a vehicle accident Wednesday night, Nov. 4, 2009 as it ran along North the U.S. 81 bypass in Enid, Okla. According to Enid Police Department Sgt. Billy Varney, the couple in the vehicle were not injured. The elephant suffered a broken tusk, a hurt leg and bumps, bruises and scratches, he said.
2009-11-05 - Milwaukee, United States.
Ruth the elephant is up and about after she took a tumble in her enclosure landing her in the exhibits moat for hours on Monday at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Ruth ended up on her back with her back legs up and her front legs on the ground. A fall like this could happen to any elephant, but it happened to poor Ruth on her birthday.
2009-11-04 - Sommerset, United States.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is seeking experienced elephant keepers that would be interested in joining a progressive elephant management team, utilizing both free and protected contact. The successful candidates primary job assignment will be at the zoo’s International Conservation Center just outside of Berlin, PA about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh. We will also require a moderate amount of time spent at the zoo’s facility in Pittsburgh to facilitate the development of a versatile an...
2009-11-03 - Raipur, United States.
A five-year-old male elephant was found dead in a hamlet in the middle of a forest in Chhattisgarh’s northern Surguja area, forest department officials said Tuesday. The officials, however, refused to speculate on the reasons behind the death till a post-mortem examination report was received. “The jumbo’s jaws were rotten and hundreds of insects were inside when we reached Chikni village after being informed by local people,” Amarnath Prasad, divisional forest officer (Surguja) told IAN...
2009-11-03 - Guwahati, India.
Another elephant died of electrocution at Bhutiachang tea estate in Udalguri district late last night, triggering concern among environmentalists over increasing deaths of elephants that come in contact with civilisation. The female elephant died when it came into contact with high-tension transmission line at Section-1 of the tea garden. The forest department has lodged an FIR at Paneri police station in this regard.
2009-11-02 - Midnapore, India.
Residents of Daha, Bhadutola in Salboni are spending sleepless night since Friday evening. A herd of about 60-70 elephants has come to the area from Dalma hills. The animals have destroyed huge quantities of standing paddy crop and a number of houses. While villagers are too scared to chase away the herd, forest officials, too, seem wary of venturing in the area after PCPA-backed Sidhu-Kanu militia squad ransacked and burnt Silda forest range office and Binpur beat office at Champaboni on Thursd...
2009-11-02 - Darjeeling, India.
Farmers are erecting fences in an attempt to save their crops from elephants menace in Kolabari village of Darjeeling district. Herds of elephants going on rampage and destroying agricultural fields, is a common site here. The Terai (foothills) belt of Darjeeling is spread up with massive tropical rainforest and is the home to a number of wild animals.
2009-11-01 - Montgomery, United States.
The discovery of a 9-foot-long mastodon tusk in Orange County will provide scientists with a new source of information about the prehistoric animal, according to the men who found and helped exhume it. Glen Keeton, an archeologist from Mount Hope who found the tusk last year, and his father, Gary Keeton, talked about the discovery in detail for the first time Saturday during an archeology symposium at Valley Central Middle School. The tusk, the longest ever found in New York, is expected to prov...
2009-11-01 - Kolkata, India.
Tourists at Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary in North Bengal will no longer be able to enjoy an elephant ride as the forest department plans use the animals to patrol the jungle against poachers. "There are five to six trained elephants at Jaldapara which ferry tourists in the forest. Instructions have been issued to the forest department to use them for patrolling," state's Chief Wildlife Warden S B Mondal told PTI here.
2009-11-01 - Buffalo, United States. Tom Buckham
Not so fast, New York State Museum. The 9-foot-long Mastodon tusk retrieved from the Hudson Valley a year ago, which you say might be the largest ever found in the state, is not. That distinction evidently belongs to a 10-footer recovered from the Buffalo Museum of Science Hiscock dig in Genesee County in 1997.
2009-11-01 - Crestline, United States.
The Lowe-Volk Park Nature Center was full of the old -- and a little bit of the new -- on Saturday at the opening of the "Ice Age Mammals, Mastodons and More" exhibit. Heather Donnenwirth and her two children, Grayson and Jillian, posed for a photograph by a 174-pound mastodon skull found in Union County.
2009-11-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.
An elephant who was tethered at the Natha Devala premises of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy attached the resident monk of Sri Pushparamaya, Ihala Kadigamuwa Ven. Maunawe Medhankara Thera on Saturday (31/10) evening and caused him serious injuries. The monk on admission to Kandy hospital succumbed to his injuries. This rogue elephant known as 'Nilame' was chained and confined to the Devala premises as it was behaving in a boisterous manner for some time. It had also reportedly attacked a mahout d...
2009-10-31 - Detroit, United States. John Frederick Walker
Ivory poaching is back, big time, and the Internet is awash with photos of bloodied tusks and elephant carcasses. In 2007, Kenyan wildlife officials counted 47 elephants killed by poachers. In 2008, the number jumped to 98. Estimates of the number of elephants now being poached across the African continent range as high as 37,000 a year. All this despite a ban on international trade in ivory that was enacted 20 years ago today. Why hasn't the ivory ban been effective? Mostly because it doesn't f...
2009-10-31 - Selous game reserve, Tanzania. Murray Wardrop
Anton Turner, 38, described as an expert with elephants, was escorting a television crew through a remote mountainous area of the African country when the animal ran at him. Mr Turner, a former British Army officer, suffered massive injuries and died at the scene, despite efforts to save him by a doctor, who was travelling with the party. Three children, who were in the group, escaped unhurt.
2009-10-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ananda Weerasuriya
An elephant at the Dehiwala zoo became unruly yesterday and damaged the roof of the elephant enclosure badly bruising and wounding its trunk, veterinary surgeons at the zoo said. The elephant named Bandula had been tied for the last few days since he had been in ‘must’ (the period when male elephants are ready for mating). However, the condition of the elephant had turned worse yesterday becoming violent and kicking and hitting at the concrete pillars of the enclosure.
2009-10-30 - Dooars, India. Andrew Gadsden
The Dam Dim (or Dumdim) Tea Estate has been ravaged by elephants in a recent incursion. The incident happened 10 Oct 09, when a herd of elephants from the Baikunthapur jungles entered the Dooars tea gardens during the night. The animals became stranded, and destroyed a number of bushes as they tried to find a way out.
2009-10-30 - New Delhi, India. New Delhi
Concerned over the increasing incidents of elephant-human conflicts, the Centre will hold a high-level meeting with jumbo-range states here next week to find ways to improve their habitat. "Almost all states are grappling with increasing jumbo-human conflicts due to habitat degradation resulting in disappearance of corridors," A N Prasad, Director of Project Elephant, said.
2009-10-29 - New Jersey, United States. Brian Switek
As strange as it might seem, the living African and Asian elephants are only the remnants of what was once a very diverse array of proboscideans. In the not-too-distant past elephants and their closest relatives occupied Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, Central America, and South America, but almost all of them had perished by about 10,000 years ago.* Of these recently-extinct forms the most iconic was the woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius, which was covered in long coats of shaggy hair....
2009-10-28 - Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
A herd of wild elephants damaged houses and devoured crops as they rampaged through an Indonesian village, terrifying residents, officials said Wednesday. The elephants charged villagers and ran amok on Tuesday night in the latest incident of animal-human conflict in Indonesia, where the jungles that serve as wildlife habitats are being rapidly destroyed. Officials responded by using five tame elephants to chase out the invaders.
2009-10-28 - Budapest, Hungary.
The nine year old asian elephant bull Assam, born in Chester Zoo (Chang x Thai (Thi Ha Way), was transfered yesterday to Budapest Zoo in Hungary.
2009-10-28 - Bangkok, Thailand.
Deputy Bangkok Governor Theerachon Manomaipiboon Wednesday handed out a Bt2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of men apprehended with an elephant in Lat Phrao and said that from November 6 the city would be getting tough on such animal abuse.
2009-10-27 - Vienna, Austria.
The 17 year old bull Pambo, born in Basel Zoo in Switzerland, has been transfered from Vienna Zoo to spanish safaripark Parque de la Naturaleza de Cabarceno, as breeder for the group of females there. Next spring Vienna will recieve a female with calf from Wuppertal Zoo in Germany
2009-10-27 - Kumargram, India.
IN 2007, the village of Kumargram in the Indian state of West Bengal became the focus of international attention. Shortly after dawn, a truck driver made a remarkable discovery – five elephants lay dead in the dry bed of the Raidak River. Rumours of the spectacle spread fast and a crowd gathered. For India's many Hindus, the elephant is sacred, so the death of a whole family of the animals was a tragedy.
2009-10-26 - Sonepur, India.
Sonepur, 22 km away from Patna, is famous for hosting month-long Asia’s largest cattle fair commencing from November 1. An elephant `bazaar’, which always draws crowds because of big demand for the elephants from the southern parts of the country, will also come up soon. Besides, it’s a fair of dance, music and `masti’ and, as such, it draws tourists from all over India and abroad.
2009-10-26 - Knysna, South Africa.
THERE is a herd of 11 to 12 elephants in the Knysna forests, according to Gareth Patterson, who has spent the last eight years of his life studying the area’s elusive creatures. Patterson on Friday evening launched a book about his quest, The Secret Elephants, at Wordsworth Books in Knysna. His findings contradict earlier conclusions by SANParks that it is unlikely there is more than one Knysna elephant left.
2009-10-26 - Lagrange, United States. BOB BRALEY
From the outside it doesn’t look like anything other than an old house. The wood is so old it won’t hold paint, and behind it there are clothes visible hanging from the line. Go inside and you find rooms filled with articles that recall former LaGrange County residents, from pump organs to a wedding dress, from school excuses to china, from Civil War memorabilia to an 18th-century Bible in German. And — oh, yes, there’s the mastodon skull.
2009-10-25 - Jaldapara, India. Pinak Priya Bhattacharya
The forest department has decided to stop elephant safari in Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary following the recent incidents of rhino poaching. This has robbed the sanctuary of one of its biggest attractions. The withdrawal of the elephant safari, forest officials claimed, would deny poachers access to the core area of the sanctuary. The forest officials strongly believe that poachers often took the safari in the guise of tourists to locate the rhino habitation and the tracks followed by the pachyd...
2009-10-25 - Guwahati, India. Syed Zarir Hussain
Wildlife authorities in Assam have warned that the human-elephant conflict has reached alarming proportions with villagers poisoning to death at least four wild elephants in the past three weeks by lacing toxic chemicals in homemade moonshine. According to wildlife officials, the latest incident of an adult male poisoned to death was reported Saturday from village Chechapani in Goalpara district, about 170 km west of Assam’s main city of Guwahati.
2009-10-25 - New Bedford, United States.
Elephants never forget anything – including where to find your wallet. Those who work at Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, Mass., know to keep an eye on their pockets when they're around Ruth, a 7,200-pound Asian elephant that has a very tricky trunk. On Friday, elephant keepers Tina DeMedeiros and Shelley Avila recalled when Ruth snuck $20 from a visitor awhile back. Luckily, they were able to retrieve some of it – but in truth, Ruth still owes some guy $15. “She likes to be the center ...
2009-10-25 - Kolmarden, Sweden.
This website, www.elephant-news.com was created in october 2001. Today, some eight years later, the database reached 5000 articles, which are all indexed in the database, searchable, and therefore becoming a recource also for research and statistics. (Some of the original articles already deleted at the origial website) which you can search through from the searchfield in the upper left corner. You can even search the database from YOUR website
2009-10-24 - Kodanad, India.
Forest officials have detained six mahouts and seized three elephants, which were being brought for an ad shoot near here, as they allegedly did not have valid documents. Under the Captive Elephant Management Rules, if an elephant is transported from one district to the other, it should possess transit pass from the district from which it was coming, forest officials said.
2009-10-24 - Voi, Kenya.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) personnel have arrested five prominent businessmen including a woman in connection with illegal sale of ivory. During the well coordinated operation by KWS security intelligence agents, more than 80 kilogrammes of ivory were recovered in Voi town among other places in the larger Taita-Taveta region and the neighboring Kinango District.
2009-10-23 - Portland, United States.
Debate on the existence of a Younger Dryas comet impact, 12,900 years ago, and whether it is linked to mass extinctions of large mammals and early humans in North America reopened this week. This then wiped out such Pleistocene megafauna as the sabre-toothed cat, the mastodon and the mammoth, along with the Clovis people, one of the earliest American cultures.
2009-10-23 - San Diego, United States.
The operator of a private company in Texas that exhibits elephants is facing multiple alleged violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act related to the care of three Asian elephants, two of which were rescued and brought to the San Diego Zoo, it was announced Thursday. The 10-page complaint was filed in Washington, D.C., by the U.S. Department of Agriculture against Wilbur Davenport, who runs a business near Houston called Maximus “Tons of Fun” LLC, which leases elephants for exhibition. D...
2009-10-23 - Guwahati, India.
The carcass of a full-grown female elephant, suspected to have died of poisoning, was found this morning at Orangajuli tea estate along the Indo-Bhutan border in Udalguri district. This is the sixth elephant to have fallen prey to the rising cases of man-elephant conflict along the border the district shares with Bhutan. Eleven persons have been killed by elephants since last November.
2009-10-23 - New York, United States.
Research under way at the New York State Museum indicates that a huge mastodon tusk, recently excavated by Museum scientists in Orange County, may be the largest tusk ever found in New York State. The nearly complete but fragmented tusk, measuring more than 9 feet long, was one of two excavated this past summer in the Black Dirt area of Orange County at the confluence of Tunkamoose Creek and the Wallkill River, on the property of Lester Lain of Westtown
2009-10-23 - , United States.
As part of the Halloween festivities at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, even the elephants are getting the chance to celebrate our ghastliest holiday in style. African elephants Felix (above, who, despite what her name suggests, is female) and her year-old son, Samson, will spend the weekend enjoying Halloween-themed enrichment activities before the zoo's visitors.
2009-10-22 - Nairobi, Kenya.
Lying in a crumpled heap in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, bony hips jutting into the sky, was a female elephant that had collapsed days before. “The elephants are dying a lot. The babies that were born last year are all dead,” said Norah Njiraini, of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants, who has watched as nearly a hundred calves have succumbed to exhaustion and malnutrition in recent months.
2009-10-22 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
Zoologist and television personality Jack Hanna is here with his film crew to capture Sabah's pygmy elephants, sun bears and orang utan on film to be shown in the Into the Wild television programme in the US to heighten the world's awareness of the animals. The famed Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, was pleased with the warm welcome he, his wife, daughter and film crew received and would be here for six days.
The rains are finally here, heralding a new start for the agricultural masses. But welcome as they are, they came a bit too late for the country’s prime tourist attraction – the wildlife. According to the Kenya Wildlife Services, hundreds of animals died solely due to the drought. The country lost 40 of its 2,000 grevy’s zebra to the drought, which is two per cent of their population. “Losing 40 is a significant loss,” said Mr Patrick Omondi, a KWS Senior Assistant Director.
2009-10-22 - Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. Pushpakumara Jayaratne
Statistically the death rate of wild elephants due to the human-elephant conflict increased this year when compared to the previous year. Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department Ananda Weerasuriya said 160 deaths were reported last year and this increased to 170 elephants for the last nine months of the current year. He said about 50 per cent of this number had been shot dead with automatic firearms and that the homeguards were largely responsible for killing wild elephants. The...
2009-10-21 - Geneva, Switzerland. Hui Min Neo
Asian demand for bluefin tuna, sharks' fins and ivory will come under scrutiny when 175 member states of the UN wildlife trade agency meet to consider trade restrictions, according to documents seen by AFP. Proposals to restrict or ban international trade in those three products are due to be studied when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) holds its next triennial meeting in Qatar next year.
2009-10-21 - Voi, Kenya. BEATRICE GACHENGE
Why would you follow an elephant trail to pick its dung? If you need a quick answer ask Patrick Kilonzo, the director of Tsavo Treasure. Kilonzo produces paper using the animal waste — turning what would be lost into the wilds into a money-minting business. Based in Voi, Tsavo East, Kilonzo is a witness to the intense and continuing human- wildlife conflict in the area. Elephant dung would be the last thing on the local people’s minds, but this is where Kilonzo has found his silver lining.
2009-10-21 - Sonora, Mexico. Rex Dalton
Scientists have discovered a site containing the most extensive evidence seen so far in Mexico for the Clovis culture. The find extends the range of America's oldest identifiable culture, which roamed North America about 13,000 years ago. The bed of artefacts in the state of Sonora in northwest Mexico also includes the bones of an extinct cousin of the mastodon called a gomphothere. The beast was probably hunted and killed by the Clovis people, known for their distinctive spear points, who myste...
2009-10-21 - Pattaya, Thailand.
a 3-year-old boy was gored by an apparently rogue elephant during an elephant show at Pattaya Floating Market, sustaining serious injuries. When the boy’s father later approached the market management for recompense he was callously kept waiting for six hours before they deigned to see him. Mayor Ittipon Khunpleum says there will be no more elephant shows at the market.
2009-10-20 - Phayao, Thailand.
The preserved teeth and molars of Hoe tusker, an elephant species that lived 13 million years ago, have won the first best fossil award given by the Mineral Resources Department. The award was inaugurated to raise public awareness of fossils and to educate people about history in the hope of encouraging more discoveries. A cattle raiser discovered the Hoe tusker, known scientifically as Dienotherium, by accident on a mountain in Phayao's Pong district a year ago.
2009-10-20 - Nyiregyhaza, Hungary.
Orphaned elephant calf Jumanee may soon be packing his trunk as zoo bosses try to find him an adoptive mum. The heartbroken youngster lost his mum in August when she died of cancer and stood guard over the spot where her body fell for days trumpeting plaintively. Now keepers in Nyiregyhaza Zoo, Hungary, think they've found him a new mum in France. Zoo director Laszlo Gajdos said: "It really does hurt to see him being so sad. Accepting a substitute mum is not easy, but we hope, it will help the e...
2009-10-20 - Lampang, Thailand.
Thailand has set up its first nursing home for elderly elephants in Lampang province, already the home of two elephant hospitals, media reports said Tuesday. The Pang-La Nursing Home for Aged Elephants will be officially opened Nov 21, in Ngao district of Lampang, 490 km north of Bangkok, the Bangkok Post reported. Situated on a 153-hectare plot with its own small river for elephant bathing, the shelter will be operated by the Forest Industry Organization (FIO), which also runs the Elephant Hosp...
2009-10-20 - Nairobi, Kenya. Rhishja Larson
Thanks to the controversial approval of a one-off ivory sale, illegal trade in ivory has been reinvigorated - and 100 elephants a day are being slaughtered. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) approved a one-off elephant ivory auction in 2008 of 119 tons (108 tonnes) - representing over 10,000 dead elephants - and this decision is believed to have stimulated the growing illegal ivory market.
2009-10-19 - Washington, United States. John Platt
Twenty years after the international ban on ivory trade took effect, poachers are still slaughtering more than 100 elephants a day, according to a report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Poaching almost ceased after the ban, but it is now on the increase once again, felling an average of 104 elephants per day, the IFAW has found.
2009-10-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Risidra Mendis
Another elephant killed due to gunshot wounds or electrocution has become a piece of news that we see almost every day. The deaths of wild elephants and humans seem to be increasing, with no immediate solution at hand. But while government authorities discuss possible solutions Sri Lanka’s elephant population continues to decline at an alarming rate.
2009-10-18 - Guwahati, India.
The Assam government has set up joint co-ordination committees in every district for monitoring the maintenance of the transmission lines to prevent electrocution of elephants. The committees set up recently in the wake of a rise in such incidents across the state will ascertain whether the guidelines issued by the ministry of environment and forests and the Central Electricity Authority have been followed.
2009-10-17 - Erode, India.
The elephant population in the district is expected to increase from 200 to 220 after the current enumeration, as also migration of pachyderms from other places to this district, according to district forest officer Jaghanathan. He told reporters here yesterday that the enumeration was underway and would soon be completed.
2009-10-16 - Frankton, New Zealand.
Circus elephant Jumbo, along with "soul-mate" Tony Ratcliffe, strolled through the Hamilton suburb of Frankton yesterday as part of her continuing retirement preparations. The 35-year-old African elephant perused the menu at Smo's Cafe, where she encountered Christian Curtis, left, during her walk-about, which lasted about an hour and which will be repeated over coming days.
2009-10-16 - Windhoek, Namibia.
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism has denied the country’s biggest private game farm, Erindi permission to import 200 elephants from South Africa’s Kruger National Park. “Erindi needs elephants desperately and the ministry have shut the door in our face,” said Gert Joubert, the owner of the country’s biggest game reserve. Erindi decided to import elephants after failing to source them locally after the government again refused permission to do so.
2009-10-15 - Houston, United States.
The Houston Zoo is pleased to announce that the 2009 Elephant Managers Association Annual Conference and Workshops will be held October 15 – 19 in Houston, TX. This meeting will include presentations on a variety of management and care issues facing the captive elephant population, as well the important link they have to wild populations of elephants. The program will include a tour of the newly constructed McNair Asian Elephant Habitat at the Houston Zoo and 3 full days of activities, prese...
2009-10-15 - San Diego, United States.
The two elephants brought to the San Diego Zoo from a private collection in Texas have both gained about 300 pounds and are building trust with their handlers, zoo officials said Wednesday. Jewel and Tina, who are believed to be in their mid-40s, were removed from their owner by the U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture and brought to San Diego in August. Jewel now weighs 6,714 pounds and Tina tops the scale at 7,664 pounds.
2009-10-15 - Eastern Province, Zambia.
They came while the village slept, destroying the reed fence and trampling the vegetable fields. Tipping over the maize and sorghum granaries (three-metre-high woven reed baskets) they gorged themselves on the meagre crop. Subsistence farmer Andyson Nyendwa remembers leaving his hut and joining his neighbours in lighting fires to scare away the three house-sized beasts.
2009-10-15 - Guwahati, India.
Assam’s trained elephants — experts in chasing herds of wild pachyderms from human habitats — will be taken to Orissa and Chhattisgarh to help the two states tackle the rising menace of the man-elephant conflict. The two states sought the Assam forest department’s help to tackle the crisis. Assam’s principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Suresh Chand told The Telegraph today that Chhattisgarh has selected a few trained elephants, known as kunkis.
2009-10-15 - Kolkata, India.
Three women were crushed to death and four others, including two children, were injured by an elephant that went berserk in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district Thursday, a forest department official said. “Three women were killed and four, including two children, were seriously injured when a berserk elephant entered a village near Ambari forest area in the district,” a forest official said. “All four villagers were admitted to a nearby district hospital with critical injuries,” he said....
2009-10-14 - Seoul, South Korea. Bae Hyun-jung
The first-ever elephant to be accused of assaulting a person has become the top star of the Seoul Children's Grand Park zoo after being cleared of its charges, according to zoo officials. A 48-year-old woman surnamed Kim claimed last month that one of the zoo's elephants, named Tae-san, knocked her out by throwing a large stone that hit her, but the police concluded the case, having found no evidence or witnesses. The zoo was also released from supervising responsibilities.
2009-10-14 - Tsavo National Park, Kenya. Renson Mnyamwezi
A steward in a Tsavo National Park lodge Mr Mwakisakenyi Mali had taken his weekend off last Thursday hoping to return to work on Sunday. But on the day he was to resume duty, sad news reached the hotel that he had been trampled to death by an elephant. A man who had lived all his life in the wildlife infested area of Bura, Mwatate District, his family members said he knew how to avoid danger. However, on the fateful day, as he walked home through a path made dark by an evening drizzle, he encou...
2009-10-14 - Nepalgunj, Nepal.
A man was killed when an elephant attacked him in Bardiya on Tuesday night. According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Om Prakash Jaisi, a local resident of Thakurdwar VDC. He was attacked by an elephant while he was sleeping in a small hut in the fields to look after the crops. Om Prakash breathed his last while undergoing treatment in Bardiya Hospital.
2009-10-14 - Windhoek, Namibia. Chrispin Inambao
A row has erupted between the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) and Erindi Game Reserve over a request by the private game reserve for a permit to translocate 200 elephants. The rationale behind Erindi’s application is to decongest the national parks whose jumbo-carrying capacity is stretched to the limit.
2009-10-14 - Ruskin, United States.
Ben Williams, who was born into a circus family and made a name for himself both inside and outside the Big Top, died this month of cancer. He was 56. Williams was best known as a flamboyant, tiger-skin-loincloth-clad performer who delighted crowds by fearlessly cavorting around elephants, particularly his beloved 7,880-pound Anna May. But he had another side apart from the circus, as East Bay High's first male cheerleader and president of the National Honor Society.
2009-10-14 - Buffalo, United States. Charlotte Hsu
It was with the sorrow of losing a good friend that staff at the Buffalo Zoo said goodbye last month to Buki, the 52-year-old elephant who died on September 28. By all accounts, the 8,500-pound pachyderm, lauded for her intelligence and sweet disposition, was a charmer. She had a penchant for watermelons, loved a good rub behind the ears, and played the harmonica.
2009-10-13 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Guy DeLauney
Conservationists in Cambodia have brokered an agreement which should see elephants living more peacefully alongside their human neighbours. Villagers living near elephant habitats have promised not to harm the animals - or disturb their environment.
2009-10-13 - Toledo, United States. Arielle Berlin
Tuesday is the 100th birthday of jazz legend Art Tatum. As part of the celebration, Renee the elephant painted a piano in his honor at the Toledo Zoo. This is part of a larger project where painted pianos will be placed around the city to honor Art Tatum. Besides Renee, local artists have also contributed to the effort. This is similar to the large frogs that were placed around town several years ago.
2009-10-13 - Atherstone, United Kingdom. Kim Riley
Ganesh Vijay, the first elephant calf born at Twycross Zoo by Artificial Insemination (A.I.), will be formally named and blessed for good health during a traditional Hindu ceremony. This will be carried out by a Brahmin (Hindu priest) on 21st October 2009 at 2.30 pm. The blessing will be led by Brahmin Shree Mahendra Pandya from Leicester who will pray that the baby brings happiness to the zoo and its visitors. During the ceremony a red dot will be placed on the head of the calf and a sweet will...
2009-10-13 - Moscow, Russian Federation.
Since long ago dwellers of the Russian North procured seal bones and walrus tusks in the polar seas and gathered fossil mammoth bones on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. The bone carvings from Kholmogory were notable for excellent craftsmanship and perfected technique. The best carving masters from Kholmogory were invited to work in the Kremlin's Armoury, which performed orders for the tsar’s court. The unique art of Kholmogory bone carving has existed for more than 400 years. The first archive...
2009-10-12 - Detroit, United States. Joshua
I got (via interlibrary loan) a book called The Proboscidea : evolution and palaeoecology of elephants and their relatives which is quite a bit more technical than I hoped, so I'm not adding it to my "What I'm Reading" list; I'm just flipping through it and reading parts of it, not the entire thing.
2009-10-12 - Purulia, India.
A villager was killed when wild elephants strayed into a village in Jhalda range of Purulia district today. Forest officials said the 12-member herd strayed into Sikarpahar village from Dalma hills in adjoining Jharkhand and went on a rampage destroying crops and flattening mud houses. One Brajabhusan Mahto was trampled to death as he fell before the herd. Locals protested to the forest officials as attempts were on to drive away the herd to its habitat.
2009-10-11 - Guwahati, India. SIVASISH THAKUR
The elephant population in the North-east – among the last bastions of the Asian elephant – has recorded an alarming decrease since the past one-and-a-half decade. As per official data, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal which make up the bulk of the elephant population in the North-east, have now (2008 census) a combined population of 8,782 as against 10,498 in 1993; 8,952 in 1997 and 8,721 in 2002. Compared to 2002 figures, there has been a marginal increase in the number in Assam (35) and Aru...
2009-10-11 - Chamarajnagar, India.
A 25-year-old female elephant was found dead at a farm owned by Rangya Nayaka of Kotkere village under Omkar forest range in Gundlupet taluk. Sources said that the animal had died in 'mysterious circumstances'. A post-mortem was conducted. Meanwhile, villagers in the area staged a protest against the increased movement of wildlife and subsequent crop loss in villages near the forest. They alleged that forest officials— who refuse to assess reports of crop loss— turn up only to look into the ...
2009-10-11 - Jalpaiguri, India.
A herd of elephants from the jungles of Baikunthapur strayed into a tea estate in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district and destroyed shrubs at the tea gardens. The herd entered the Dumdim Tea Estate located in Dooars region from the nearby forest during the night. On losing their way in the gardens, the elephants could not move out before dawn.ith the break of dawn, the workers came out and found the animals stranded in the middle of the garden area.
2009-10-11 - Mysore, India.
State Bank of India (SBI) has adopted two Asian elephants from Mysore Zoo. SBI Chief General Manager Arundhati Bhattacharya handed over a cheque for Rs. 3,19,140 to Zoo Executive Director Vijay Ranjan Singh last evening for the maintenance of two elephants Rama (aged 14 years) and Kollegala
2009-10-11 - Yamal Peninsula, Russian Federation. Luke Harding
It was 15 years ago when Vasily Ivanovich spotted something curious poking out of the side of a lake. Scrambling down a reed-lined bank, the reindeer hunter gently coaxed the object from the mud. "It was a mammoth tusk," Ivanovich said. "It wasn't very big," his wife, Valentina, pointed out. "There are lots of them," she added.
2009-10-11 - Guwahati, India.
An elephant was electrocuted near a tea garden in the Kathiatoli area of Nagaon district, about 140 km from here, on Saturday. The carcass of the pachyderm was found near Kandoli tea estate. Forest officials said it was an accident and not a case of retaliatory killing. "The elephant died after its trunk touched a livewire near the tea estate. It was not killed by human beings," Nagaon divisional forest officer A Ahmed said.
2009-10-11 - Bangkok, Thailand. Yvonne Bohwongprasert
Tucked away in a corner of the Dusit Palace compound is an historically significant depository of the long traditions and beliefs associated with white elephants in the Kingdom - the Royal Elephant National Museum. Some of the most prominent fixtures include huge elephant tusks that date back to the reigns of King Rama V and King Rama VII. Located at the exit of the Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall, the edifice is built in a beautiful Thai architectural style and encircled with thick vegetation that ha...
2009-10-10 - Jamshedpur, United States. JAYESH THAKER
When everyone at Tata zoo had lost hope of his survival, Raja had pulled through. But when they thought the worst was over, he bade adieu. The injured elephant calf, rescued from Rajabasa forest in Ghatshila and recuperating at Tata Steel Zoological Park in Jamshedpur, breathed his last around 1.30am last night at the park’s clinic. It was buried on the zoo premises this morning.
2009-10-10 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka. JOLEEN LUNJEW
Having to deal with tons of elephant dung can be a bit of a headache, but a touch of innovation has turned it into a profitable business. The first thing that caught my eye as we were waiting at the entrance of Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka, was a huge orange sign at a small shop beside the orphanage proclaiming: “Poo Paper Sold Here!”
2009-10-10 - , United States.
In some towns visited by the roadside circus, people wait in line for the elephant dung. Fights can break out, too, like the time three men scrapped over the last of the pachyderm poop. A firefighter from Chicago regularly fishes out particular shapes, looking for the perfect pieces to take home, coat in shellac and give away as paperweights. But most people want elephant dung for their gardens. It is held in high, almost mystical, regard as a fertilizer. And the circus gives it away for free. "...
2009-10-10 - Cape Town, South Africa. Sean O’Toole
The elephants came first, recalls Steve Bloom. As a small child I had a cuddly toy elephant that accompanied me everywhere, and that may have had some influence on my affinity for elephants. Not that the biography of this Cape Town-born (1953) son of the soil is as straightforward as this. Bloom, who recently won two International Photography Awards from the Lucie Foundation for his pictures of an elephant swimming in the sea off the Andaman Islands, came to wildlife photography relatively late.
2009-10-09 - EERATTUPETTAH, India.
A tusker gave vent to its ire by attacking a private bus at Mukkuzhy on the Poonjar- Pathampuzha road on Thursday afternoon. The vehicle was smashed mercilessly by the elephant, while the 40 passengers inside it had a miraculous escape as they jumped out and ran to safety. However, the driver of the bus sustained injuries to his hand. Karnan the tusker had reportedly `marked' the bus, Ann Mary, while it was proceeding to Pathampuzha when the driver frightened it by sounding the horn in high-pitc...
2009-10-09 - Nairobi, Kenya.
Today, The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust reported Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher recently spent time visiting its elephant orphans. The Trust says elephants are at risk now more than ever. According to the WSPA member society, drought, poaching and habitat loss have put African elephant populations under serious threat. The organization is dedicated to the protection and preservation of Africa's Wildreness, with particular attention to endagered species such as rhinos and elephants.
2009-10-09 - Jerthi, Malaysia. Mohammad Ishak
A rogue elephant that has been causing havoc in Pelagat for almost a week was finally captured by wildlife authorities on Wednesday. The 12-year-old wild elephant walked into a trap set up three days ago by the State Wildlife department with the help of locals. For almost seven days before that, the elephant had caused havoc in three villages — Pelagat, Paroh and Padang Tapung — by destroying their crops. The rampage took place especially at nights, causing widespread fear among villagers fo...
2009-10-09 - Etosha National Park, Namibia. Brigitte Weidlich and Oswald Shivute
THEFT of solar panels from a water point for elephants in the Etosha National Park has forced a small herd to search for water among human settlements in the past few days and one of them killed a person near Ruacana on Wednesday night. Joseph Hamukwaya, a resident of Oshifo near Ruacana, was apparently on his way home when he was killed by the elephant, Ruacana Councillor Lazarus Kornelius told The Namibian yesterday.
2009-10-09 - Jakarta, Indonesia.
Flooding devastated Tenggamus regency, Lampung, on Monday, leaving two children dead, while another person and elephant were buried alive in a landslide as three other victims remained missing. The floods and landslides followed heavy rains in the last two days across the regency. The two children, five-year-old Suci Wulandari and six-year-old Rina, both residents from Semaka district, were drowned in the overflowing Way Kerap river. Their bodies were recovered late Sunday evening.
2009-10-09 - Jaldapara Sanctuary, India. Sankar Ray and Rajen Pradhan
Forty-year-old Sakuntala died of her intense romantic forays. She had no semblance of Sakuntala in the great poet Kalidasa’s Abhijnana Sakuntalam. This Sakuntala was a female element, born in 1969. Sakuntala had been desperately in love with Makhana for several years and one day felt an urge to rush to her love, in early July this year. She broke her fetters and tore off after him, but as a result her left leg was wounded as nails pierced through the leg. Profuse bleeding began immediately y...
2009-10-09 - Harare, Zimbabwe. Rhishja Larson
After a gun battle in Charara National park near Sanyati Gorge, park rangers shot and killed an elephant poacher, arrested three accomplices - and recovered an AK-47 rifle. While out on patrol, two rangers stationed at Charara Safari Area and Tashinga National Parks came across the carcass of an elephant, who appeared to have been recently killed. As their regular rounds did not turn up any suspects, they decided to wait in ambush near the elephant’s carcass.
2009-10-09 - Palmetto, United States.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® are pleased to announce an educational opportunity in elephant husbandry and management. The winter intern session is planned for February 15, 2010 through May 15, 2010. Application deadline for the winter session is December 15, 2009. A summer session is scheduled to begin in June 2010.
2009-10-08 - Ruskin, Florida, United States. Andrew Meacham
The crowd hunkered in the dark as smells of cotton candy and peanuts filled the air. "And now, please welcome …" the ringmaster intoned over a drumroll before the payoff: "Ben Williams and Anna May!" The curtain opened, and in trotted an elephant carrying a blond man in a loincloth. "The crowd would scream," recalled Michael Christensen, a co-founder of Big Apple Circus, where Mr. Williams and his elephants performed. Mr. Williams was a star, and the act never failed. He was so attached to Ann...
2009-10-08 - Nairobi, Kenya. MUCHIRI KARANJA
Sir Richard Branson is giving a virgin gift for Kenyan jumbos — an Sh18 million underpass on the busy Meru-Nanyuki highway. Virgin Atlantic, his company, donated the money to put up the underpass through the Bill Woodley Mount Kenya Trust. Once complete, the six metre long underpass will be the first of its kind in East Africa, and the second in Africa. The South Africans have one, but it is much smaller than the one we are putting up, said The Bill Woodley Mount Kenya Trust CEO, Susie Weeks.
2009-10-08 - Gumla, India.
A herd of wild elephants trampled one person to death and created havoc at Kharka village about 13 kms from here on Tuesday afternoon. Jaggu Sahu (65) was working in his paddy field when a huge tusker rushed towards him, lifted him by the trunk and repeatedly smashed him to the ground. The critically injured Sahu was rush to Gumla Sadar hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The herd comprising 22 elephants also damaged standing paddy and other crops at Kharka village and adjoining area ca...
2009-10-08 - Keonhjar, India.
A 45-year-old tuskar was electrocuted in the Champua forest range area. The carcass was seized on Wednesday and buried after postmortem. The tusker died after it came in contact with an 11 KV power line that was hanging at a low-level. Assistant conservator of forest (Keonjhar) Trilochan Mohanty said, "The full-grown tusker was killed when it came in contact with 11 KV line. It was supposed to be at 13 feet but was hanging at 10 ft." There were burns on the trunk, left leg and near the left tusk...
2009-10-07 - Libreville, Gabon.
Police detained two major ivory traffickers in the Central African Republic as a part of a joint operation with animal rights activists, two groups announced Monday. The arrests were the first of their kind in the African nation since it passed a wildlife protection law in the 1980s, said Ofir Drori, director of the Cameroon-based group The Last Great Ape which announced the arrests with the World Wildlife Fund.
2009-10-06 - Chester , United Kingdom.
Chester Zoo is one of the leading zoological collections in Europe with an international reputation for achieving its mission in conservation, research and education. We are currently recruiting for an Asian Elephant Keeper. Applicants should have proven zoo experience of working with large mammals and also have experience with working with operant conditioning in a zoo setting. Ideally candidates will have a higher education qualification in life sciences (min HND) and/or Animal Management Qual...
2009-10-05 - Denver, United States. Kim Posey
Two teenagers made a significant scientific discovery in a creek bed Ken Caryl Ranch. Tyler Kellett and Jake Carstensen found a jaw bone and tusk of a mastodon. The elephant relative could be 50,000 to 150,000 years old. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science excavated the site and volunteers will preserve the fossils. "It's exciting and one of the best things that's ever happened to me,"" said 13 year old Kellett. "It's expensive to do, but I hope we can find more and keep digging," said Carst...
2009-10-05 - Kollam, India. Ignatius Pereira
Just eight of the 695 captive elephants in the State turned up for the ‘Gajadinam’ (Elephant Day) celebrations organised by the Forest Department in five places on Sunday to mark Wildlife Week. The Kerala Elephant Owners’ Federation boycotted the celebrations in protest against the alleged failure of the Forest Department to implement important decisions taken at a meeting between its representatives and Forest Minister Benoy Viswom. The organisation also alleged harassment by the departme...
2009-10-05 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.
The skull of a wild elephant has been found in a canal in a forest at Kummannoor in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district. The Wildlife Department was examining the remains of the jumbo to ascertain whether it died of natural cause or a victim of poaching, a senior Wildlife official said today. "We can arrive at a conclusion only after detailed examination of the skull and a few pieces of bones found in the forest," P Pukazhenthi, Divisional Forest Officer, Konni division, told PTI.
2009-10-05 - Cape Town, South Africa.
The elephant cow that provoked an outcry from an animal rights group when it was spotted, apparently distressed and in pain, on an Mpumalanga game reserve's live webcam a fortnight ago, has died. The elephant cow died yesterday [Sunday] afternoon of natural causes, i.e. old age, Djuma Private Game Reserve owner Jurie Moolman told Sapa in an e-mail on Monday.
2009-10-05 - Guwahati, India.
Areas bordering Bhutan in Udalguri district now resemble a battle zone amidst an escalating man-elephant conflict, with disturbing consequences for both. A spurt in the conflict has claimed the lives of six elephants this year, with the past one month alone witnessing the death of three elephants. Equally damaging has been the fatality on the human side, with about eight persons trampled by elephants in the past one year.
2009-10-05 - Bhubaneswar, India.
As rest of the country is celebrating Wildlife Week beginning October 2, Orissa today chose to make noises about jumbos which are under an increasing pressure from rapidly growing urbanisation and industrialisation. Like the previous years, the Wildlife Wing today showcased the elephants at Nandankanan Zoo in a bid to spread awareness among the students and visitors in general. A few kilometres away, a 6.3 km nature’s trail was thrown open in the core of Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary, home to 67...
2009-10-04 - Jamshedpur, India. KUMUD JENAMANI
If the state forest department has its way and the injured baby elephant rescued from a Ghatshila village a bit of luck, the latter will soon be reunited with its family. The department has put its officials posted at Rajabasa and Bhurudih jungles in Ghatshila on alert to locate the estranged family members of the calf, which is recovering at Tata Steel Zoological Park in Jamshedpur. Once the herd is spotted, efforts will be made to send the baby elephant back to it.
2009-10-04 - Chicago, United States.
Coming next March to the Field Museum will be a perfectly preserved, 40,000-year-old baby, a little wooly mammoth found on the tundra of northern Siberia by two sons of a reindeer herder. Baby mammoth Lyuba drowned in a mudhole and was soon frozen in the soil which protected her for 40,000 years. Though she's a wooly mammoth, the years eroded the wool, but otherwise she's intact, right down to the food still in her stomach, mostly remnants of mothers milk though that would have soon been changin...
2009-10-04 - Erie, United States. ROBB FREDERICK
The tusks on the giant dino elephant at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center are 10 feet long. Each of the teeth weighs 15 pounds. The feet come up to Scott McKenzie's knee. "This is going to excite the 8-year-old child in everyone who sees it," said McKenzie, the curator of Mercyhurst College's annual Sincak Natural History Exhibit, which opens Monday and continues through Nov. 20.
2009-10-03 - Bhubaneshwar, India.
The coastal state may emerge as a beacon of hope for Assam's phandis (traditional elephant catchers), who have been virtually rendered jobless after trapping of wild elephants was banned in the northeastern state in the 1980s. Wildife management experts are thinking of utilizing the expertise of phandis for mitigation of human-elephant conflicts in Orissa.
2009-10-03 - Kathmandu, Nepal.
The government´s plan to mobilize the national army within three months for its anti-poaching drive is likely to face a major set-back, thanks to the severe fund crunch facing the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). The additional financial aid, particularly for anti-poaching work, comes from NGOs and INGOs like the WWF and NTNC. Moreover, even the hattisars (elephant sheds) are understaffed. Usually, three persons -- mauthe, pachuwa and fadhert -- are deployed to loo...
2009-10-03 - Phuket, Thailand. Chutima Sidasathian
PHUKET'S elephant population is growing larger but then, when you're as popular as elephants are, everyone follows the herd. More camps and rides are springing up. The island now has 177 elephants, and all except the youngest one, born on January 1, have microchips under their ears. In theory, that makes them all carefully tabbed so that nothing strange or unforeseen can happen to them. This is a wise move because ivory remains a desirable commodity among poachers.
2009-10-03 - Ayutthaya, Thailand.
Ferocious killer elephants have been capturing headlines--and public wonder--in Thailand’s local news, but the reasons for the mounting numbers of elephants with an attitude–just why they have become ferocious, is not clear. However, in Thailand’s central Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, there is an ancient sanctuary founded long ago dedicated solely to provide shelter to calm the spirits of disturbed elephants and to provide them a grounding place to live quietly.
2009-10-02 - Orlando, United States.
One of the Magic Kingdom's most beloved attractions, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, is completely re-imagined when the circus comes to town. Guests are invited to step into the big top and join the circus before their magical flight over Fantasyland. The attraction will be part of the expanded Fantasyland that was announced at the D23 Expo on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009 by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo.
2009-10-02 - Twycross, United Kingdom.
If you've never wanted to take a peek into the lives of elephants, here is your chance – and you don't even have to put up with the smell. With his big ears and long trunk, Ganesh Vijay is a bit bigger than most babies, but is just as fascinating, and you can now spy on his every move. Ganesh is only the third elephant birth at Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. The zoo has set up a webcam pointing towards the outdoor elephant enclosure, and readers can view the live video link on the Mercury's w...
2009-10-02 - Pretoria, South Africa.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare says it has noticed an alarming increase in elephant poaching since the sale of about 100 tons of stockpiled ivory. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species sanctioned the once-off sale in October last year but IFAW says it opened the flood gates for poachers. The stockpiled ivory from four African countries, including South Africa, was sold for R114 million.
2009-10-02 - Lanchang, Malaysia. SIMON KHOO
Visitors to the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah near here will find better facilities once upgrading works on the premises is completed. The centre’s deputy chief Ahmad Kamsul Alias said the project cost about RM3mil. “Work started late last year and is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
2009-10-02 - Rourkela, India.
Elephant poaching is on the rise in Bonai forest division of Orissa's Sundargarh district where two wild tuskers were killed within a week. Forest officials said an elephant was found dead in dense area of Barsuan forest range yesterday and its tusks were found missing. A similar incident was reported last week in Tamara range of the forest division. B N Samal, ranger of Barsuan forest range said an inter-state gang of poachers was involved in the incidents. All pre...
2009-10-02 - Denver, United States.
It's a dinosaur-loving kids dream come true - not to mention that of archaeologists. The chance discovery of a rare fossil American Mastodon tusk and partial jawbone with teeth by youngsters in Ken-Caryl hasis creatinga major scientific stir. Mastodon fossils, unlike wooly mammoths, are a rare find in Colorado. According to an account on the Ken-Caryl Ranch. org, Web site 13-year-old friends Jake Carstensen and Tyler Kellett were exploring June 1 after a period of heavy rain along a stream swoll...
2009-10-02 - Jakarta, Indonesia.
An elephant fossil of 200,000 years old found in Indonesia in April went on display Tuesday, the Kompas.com news portal reported Wednesday. "The elephant fossil is more than 200,000 years old, the largest and the most complete one found in Indonesia," Head of Indonesian Geology museum Yunus Kusumabrata said. The Jurassic elephant was predicted to have a weight of 10 tons with a length of 5 meters from head to the tail and a height of up to 4 meters from the ground, he said.
2009-10-02 - Nyahururu, Kenya.
After four consecutive failed rainy seasons, Kenya is hit by a drought, which experts say is the worst in years. Major reservoirs have dried up across the country and Kenya’s wildlife is also suffering. A thirsty elephant strayed out of the national park and tore through the fence of a local primaty school to find water and got stuck in the mud. Hundreds of residents of Nyahururu gathered to watch the stuck elephant, as it was struggling to free itself.
2009-10-02 - Hyderabad, India.
DQE, the AIM listed, India based animation, gaming and live action entertainment group, is pleased to announce the development and production of a live action TV series, 'Toomai The Story of an Elephant Boy'. Adapted from Rudyard Kipling's 'Toomai of the Elephants' and entirely produced by DQE, this 26 episode series has an estimated production budget of EUR7.5 - EUR8.5M, to be raised by pre-sales and scheduled to be concluded shortly.
2009-10-02 - Taro, Indonesia. Nigel Mason, Safari Park at Taro, Bali
Graphic footage of the first ever elephant birth filmed in Bali, Indonesia. The founder of the Elephant Safari Park at Taro, Bali, Nigel Mason talks us through the experience.
2009-10-02 - Kansas, United States.
Ruth Seeliger will be at the Winfield Public Library for a book signing and program for her newly published book Kansas City Zoo Tales ... a wild 100-year history at 7 p.m. Oct. 15. The public is invited Oct. 15 to learn about some of the colorful residents from the last century: Sally, the cigarette smoking chimp; Casey, the bull elephant; a furry escape artist named Nemo; and many others on this wild ride through 100 years of zoo-keeping history.
2009-10-02 - Guwahati, India.
It is more of the “sweet taste” of country liquor than the lush green paddy fields that has resulted in an increase in man-elephant conflicts along the foothills of Himalayas in Udalguri along the border with Bhutan. The Udalguri forest department today requested the district administration to carry out drives on country liquor dens to pre-empt more elephant attacks.
2009-10-01 - Buffalo, United States. Mark Perrotte
Cancer may have killed one of the Buffalo zoo's most beloved creatures. Buki the elephant died at the age of 52. Pathologists discovered a large, cancerous tumor in her abdominal area. Officials said a full necropsy report will not be completed for a few weeks. Buki had been at the zoo for more than 20 years.
2009-10-01 - Jamshedpur, India. Kumud Jenamani
The forest department is pinning hope on ayurvedic medicines to cure the injured baby elephant that was rescued from Rajabasa jungle in Ghatshila on Monday. The calf’s condition has deteriorated. A.T. Mishra, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Dhalbhum, said: “We are looking for an ayurvedic expert who can treat the baby elephant.” He added that they were not very optimistic about the recovery of the calf, which had fever yesterday and stopped eating. It was also suffering from diarrho...
2009-10-01 - Vienna, United States. Diana Lambdin Meyer
When Alana Feld turned 7, her backyard birthday party included a live elephant and a one-horned "unicorn" goat, followed by a field trip for all of her classmates to see the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Her sisters, Nicole and Juliette, recall similar birthday extravaganzas featuring trips to see Disney On Ice with all the students in their school, personal audiences with Disney character actors and skating practice with Olympic silver medalist Linda Fratianne.
2009-10-01 - Pretoria, South Africa.
The distressed elephant cow that provoked an outcry from an animal rights group when it was spotted on an Mpumalanga game reserve's live webcam last week has been granted a temporary reprieve. "She is now keeping up with the herd and will not be euthanised unless she falls behind," Djuma Private Game Reserve owner Jurie Moolman told Sapa by phone this morning.
2009-10-01 - Dumka, India.
Dumka forest department may have been successful in rescuing tame circus elephants, but has miserably failed to control increasing man-animal conflict in tribal villages. The threat of elephant attacks increase in this time, when farmers harvest their paddy and brew hadiya to celebrate several festivals. Vairabpur village under Jama block in Dumka recently was attacked by a heard of 17 elephants who destroyed standing crops, stored foodgrain and mud houses.
2009-09-30 - Nairobi, Kenya.
Kenyan authorities have seized almost 700kg of ivory worth millions of dollars in a night-time raid at the country's main airport. The Kenya Wildlife Service says a similar amount was intercepted in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Both consignments - with a potential value of more than $1.5m (£938,000) - were reportedly headed for Thailand. The BBC's Will Ross in Nairobi says poaching is on the increase mostly owing to high demand for ivory in Asia. Our reporter says it is not yet cl...
2009-09-30 - Cape Town, South Africa.
The elephant cow that provoked an uproar from an animal rights group when it was spotted on an Mpumalanga game reserve's live webcam last week, distressed and in pain, was found on Wednesday by rangers in the Sabi Sand Reserve. A decision was taken to euthanise the animal, Djuma Private Game Reserve owner Jurie Moolman told Sapa in an e-mail. Djuma is one of more than a dozen lodges and reserves that make up the 65 000 hectare Sabi Sand Reserve, which shares an unfenced 50km border with the Krug...
2009-09-29 - Mysore, India.
The 10-day Dasara celebrations ended here on Monday with a march by caparisoned elephants and tableaux showcasing the cultural diversity of the State. The culmination of the procession at Bannimantap Grounds signalled the conclusion of the Naada Habba , which has emerged as the principal face of tourism promotion in Karnataka. The main attraction of Monday’s festivities was the caparisoned elephants which led the procession, followed by folk dancers and musicians. The 52-year-old elephant Bala...
2009-09-29 - Bangkok, Thailand.
Today I met up with a group of elephants on the outskirts of Bangkok that have been on a 250km trek through Thailand organised by Greenpeace, tcktcktck and a number of wildlife, animal welfare and human rights organisations. The elephant caravan has travelled from Khao Yai National Park to Bangkok arriving in time for the climate negotiations.
2009-09-29 - Tirupati, India.
Six devotees were injured after a baby elephant ran amok at a temple procession in the southern Indian state of Andra Pradesh on Monday. The authorities claimed that the young pachyderm became startled when bells began clanging loudly during a festival at the Tirupati Balaji temple. Chaos ensued as the assembled crowds scrambled to get out of the charging animal’s way.
2009-09-29 - Buffalo, United States. Tom Buckham
For several hours Monday, Jothi and Surapa hovered over a lifeless Buki in the Buffalo Zoo's Elephant House. The younger Asian elephants nudged the matriarch's head and brushed her body with their trunks, presumably in the hope that their constant companion of more than two decades might awaken and rise up from the padded floor.
2009-09-28 - Nairobi, Kenya. Lucy Thornton
A British holidaymaker has told how he survived a terrifying elephant attack by pretending he was dead as the giant beast gored him with its tusks. Jonathan, who was camping in the bush during a five week trip to Kenya, was forced to run for his life when the elephant came charging out of the undergrowth. He said: “It was going at full speed and making a loud trumpeting noise. I turned and ran but I could hear his feet thumping behind me, it was a thundering sound.
2009-09-28 - Mysore, India. Eugene Moodubelle
Dasara is the festival that is being celebrated throughout India as the celebration of the victory of the good over the evil. However, the mode and the fervour of the celebration differ to a great extent across the country. In different parts of India, Dasara has been celebrated in different ways. In some regions it has been celebrated as Navratri, some observe it as Vijayadashami, in Bengal and Eastern India, devotees celebrate it as Durga Puja and in other regions, especially in Karnataka it i...
2009-09-28 - Jakarta, Indonesia.
At least two people were killed and hectares of oil palm plantations destroyed when a herd of wild elephants went on a rampage through a resettlement area in eastern Sumatra over the weekend, a media report said Monday.
2009-09-28 - Buffalo, United States.
Buki, one of the Buffalo Zoo’s beloved Asian elephants, has died at the age of 52. A long-time resident, she was a favorite among visitors and a special friend to Zoo staff. Keepers were present when she passed away at 5:40 a.m. on Monday, September 28, 2009.
2009-09-28 - Bamunjuli, India.
In view of the recent clashes between man and elephant in Assam particularly in Udalguri and Sonitpur district,which had resulted deaths of four wild elephants and five people so far,WWF (World Wildlife Fund ) authority along with a few NGOs organized an awareness camp at Bamunjuli tea garden, near Indo-Bhutan areas on September 21 at 2pm.With the focal theme aware “ Problems and sufferings : an open discussion” ,the awareness camp had been organized by WWF India North Bank Landscape Prog...
2009-09-28 - Johannesburg, South Africa.
An elephant in distress at a well-known game reserve has caused an uproar with the group Animal Rights Africa (ARA) demanding on Monday that the reserve's owners help the animal. According to the group, the elephant had suffered for more than two weeks with what appeared to be birth complications. They said that on complaining that nothing was being done to help the elephant, they were told by Sabi Sands that their policy was not to intervene in natural processes. ARA spokesperson Steve Smit sai...
2009-09-28 - Albuquerque, United States. Bill Diven
The 300-plus pound baby elephant born Sept. 2 at the Rio Grande Zoo will be called Daizy. After a contest and public vote Daizy with a Z suits the pachyderm best. Her mother is Rozie, also with a Z. Zoo patrons paid $1 each to have their votes counted. The money will go toward elephant conservation. Most days Daizy and Rozie can be seen from 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m. Zoo officials also hinted there may be a baby shower coming up.
2009-09-27 - Bhubaneswar, India.
Since April, at least 17 elephants have died in Orissa, boasting of the largest jumbo population in the eastern region. Their number has risen and so has their misery. In the last 10 years, approximately 400 pachyderms have died in Orissa. The decade also marked an upswing in mineral and industrial activities. Besides encroaching habitats of elephants through increasing mining as well as urbanisation activities, large-scale infrastructure such as road network and railway lines have led to fragme...
2009-09-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.
One of the suspects, Dr Dangolla in the case of a three- month- old baby elephant who died while being held captive in Balangoda, is alleged to have fled the country, environmentalists charged. "After the cub elephant was found in a room of a property belonging to the Deputy Chairman of the Balangoda Urban Council, the main suspect in the case, Richard Gonakumbura, father- in- law of the deputy chairman of the Balangoda Urban Council pleaded guilty at the Balangoda magistrate's court.
2009-09-27 - Way Kambas, Indonesia. Zack Petersen
Indonesia walks a fine line when it comes to conservation and ecotourism. Dexter is four months old and weighs nearly 130 kilograms, he’s got eyelashes as thick as paint brushes and if you feed him sugar cane by hand he’ll be your best friend. Tika, who handles both Dexter and his mother, waves you closer to the four-meter-tall matron and her playful calf. Dexter swings his trunk and paws the ground like a bull. But he’s shy, he hides behind those lashes and the hanging belly of his mother...
2009-09-27 - Lampang, Thailand.
It's very sad to know that " Loong min" has about three day left staying at Thai Elephant Conservation Center. His eyes looked very sad that he told me that he has to retire from his job after devotedly works with elephant over 42 years. I remember his last elephant was Pang Mee who died many year ago and Loong Min was assigned to work as the baby elephant trainer. He trained many elephant in the past such as Nau Oon, Areena, Poopan, Ai and many more. I think If I were him I could not make my mi...
2009-09-26 - Lampung, Indonesia.
Villagers around the Way Kambas National Park (TNWK) in Lampung have been living in a state of fear over the past few days due raging wild elephants destroying their crops. The herd of around 50 elephants has also damaged the residents' huts and chicken coops. Villagers are also gripped with fear because the elephants are no longer afraid of torches and bamboo drums, which were successfully used in the past to drive them away.
2009-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.
For the first time in the Sri Lankan film industry, the first screening of the movie “Bindu” directed by award winning filmmaking duo Somaratne Dissanayake and Renuka Balasuriya’s was free of charge in all cinema halls island wide. The movie “Bindu” was released in Lankan cinema halls yesterday (23) and the show was free to all movie lovers for the first time in the Sri Lankan film industry. Large crowds were seen lined up at the cinema’s yesterday to watch the movie.
2009-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Nadira Gunatilleke
Veterinary doctors of Sri Lanka have identified two elephants that were infected by rabies. This is the first time the decease was identified among elephants, said Sri Lanka's virology research institute chief Ochala Wimalaratna addressing a seminar held yesterday. The infected elephants are tamed ones that live in Colombo municipal limits, she said.
2009-09-26 - Mysore, India.
Unlike previous years when the Jumboo Savari was peppered by cultural troupes from Karnataka, this time, performing artistes from Tamil Nadu and Kerala will spice up the programme along with tableux of displaying military and technological expertise. The city is getting ready for the D-day amidst the rain holding out a threat to Monday's celebrations. Folk artistes have arrived to cheer up Mysore, tableaux are getting finishing touches to portray Karnataka's vibrant art and culture and the polic...
2009-09-26 - Columbus, United States. KATHY LYNN GRAY
Beco the elephant will be 6 months old Sunday, and his popularity has diminished little since his surprising birth at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium on March 27. Instead of the usual middle-of-the-night delivery, mother Phoebe dropped Beco during the day in the outdoor elephant yard before a few lucky visitors.
2009-09-25 - Chitwan, Nepal.
A Chinese tourist died after being attacked by an elephant at Sauraha, near Chitwan National Park on Friday. Wang Heung was attacked by Laxmikali, belonging to Holiday Safari, after he returned from an elephant safari. The elephant suddenly attacked him while he tried to feed fruits to it. The elephant pulled him down and crushed with a leg. Wang died on the way to Bharatpur Medical College hospital, according to the police. Wang was accompanied by his wife
2009-09-25 - Calgary, Canada.
The Calgary Zoo says the statue of an elephant that's the focus of criticism by a religious group is meant to symbolize the widely revered culture behind the Asian elephant exhibit. Spokesman Graham Newton tells the Morning News on QR77 says the statue will not come down. "The connection is with the Asian culture," Newton said. "Much like the bald eagle stands for the American culture." He says the attraction has been the source of a handful of complaints but most people love it.
2009-09-25 - Kolmården, Sweden. Dan Koehl
After three years of intensive work the database now include 5002 elephants (including 471 breeding cows and 185 breeding bulls) , from 1400 location facilities from 100 countries all over the world which is submitted in the database, ranging from year 802 until now. Thanks to Ryan Easley from USA who has made a great job updating american elephants!
2009-09-25 - Borobudur, Indonesia.
Two girls were injured when they fell off elephants jostling to quench their thirst on Friday morning at the north wing of the Borobudur Temple Tourism Park in Magelang, Central Java. Agus H Canny, marketing director of PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, operator of the internationally renowned park, confirmed that Ari Setyorini, 10, and Rahma Lila Utami, 11, fell off the backs of the elephants at around 10:30 a.m. on Friday. He said Ari fainted before reaching the hospital.
2009-09-24 - Varanasi, India.
Police claimed to have busted a gang of ivory smugglers in the temple town by arresting five persons from Narottampur Colony and seizing ivory worth over Rs one crore. "We have arrested five persons last night and recovered about 100 kg smuggled ivory from a house in the Narottampur area," Vijay Bhushan, city SP, told PTI. He said that three machines used in the nefarious trade have also been seized from the house.
2009-09-23 - Augusta, United States. Rosemary Herbert
Mention the 1836 wreck, off of Vinalhaven, of the Royal Tar to some of Maine's islanders and you'll hear some very amazing tales. Some will tell you about rumors of an elephant arriving on the beach, or serpents seen slithering on various islands way back when. You might even be told that there are some places where people still won't fish, ever since the Royal Tar's boiler blew and the ship went up in flames.
2009-09-23 - Albuquerque, United States. David Romero
Shes cute. Shes just three weeks old. Shes 320 pounds. And, zoo officials hope shell bring in a lot more visitors and money. The Rio Grande Zoos baby Asian elephant made her public debut on Tuesday after spending the first weeks of her life bonding with her mother. She already brought in excited crowds. "Just a baby elephant running around with that little trunk flopping around like a wet noodle, its pretty cute," said Rick Janser, the director of the Albuquerque Biological Park.
2009-09-23 - Washington, United States. LEE DYE
If you were as clever as an elephant you could communicate with your friends without a cell phone or iPod or any other fancy electronic gadget. All you would have to do is speak, quite loudly as it turns out, and the earth would carry your message through seismic waves across considerable distances.
2009-09-23 - Los Angeles, United States.
An actor who is suing to stop construction of an elephant exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo can move forward with his lawsuit against the city.A notification was posted on the 2nd District Court of Appeal's Web site Wednesday, saying that a 2008 Superior Court ruling dismissing the case was "reversed in full." Actor and animal rights activist Robert Culp and real estate agent Aaron Leider filed a lawsuit in August 2007, alleging that the zoo did not treat the elephants well and the planned l...
2009-09-23 - Pattaya, Thailand.
Gardens was informed of the birth of a baby elephant, born at the gardens the previous evening around 11.45pm. This was excellent news for the venue and an excellent edition to their existing troop of 43 elephants. In the early hours of the 4th of September, the Director of the Nongnooch Tropical. The young elephant’s mother, 16 year old Phang Sombat, has been entertaining the crowds at the Tropical Gardens for many years showing off her skills with bowling, basketball and carrying visitors ar...
2009-09-22 - Bristol, United Kingdom.
Over 1,000 paleontologists from all over the world will arrive in Bristol, UK, this week to attend an international conference being held at the University of Bristol. Feathered dinosaurs, fossil giraffes, and the fossil bones of mammoth, bison and woolly rhinos from the bottom of the North Sea, are but a few of the hundreds of exciting new finds that will be revealed during the four days of the conference (23-26 September).
2009-09-22 - Suri, India.
A herd of elephants damaged a house at a village in Birbhum on Sunday night. Though foresters tried their best to drive the herd away, the pachyderms played hide-and-seek with them all night. The incident occurred in Patalpur village under Rajnagar police station. Rabin Chatterjee, a forest department official, said: "The herd broke into the village from a forest in Jharkhand.
2009-09-22 - Waverly, United States. MATT HICKS
The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center is all about making history come alive, and on Monday co-founder Ted Keir did just that with his presentation of the Newton Mammoth that was excavated near Wyalusing in the mid-1980s. Walter and Jane Newton owned the 58-acre impoundment that housed Spring Lake, and had plans to make it a more suitable recreational area by deepening the body of water and installing an island in the middle for waterfowl propagation, said Keir. When work began in 1983, ho...
2009-09-22 - Stromsburg, United States. Adam Lefkoe
It is the job of archaeologists to uncover and study ancient artifacts. Some search for years for the ultimate discovery. It did not take that long for one Central Nebraska man. But he is not an archaeologist, he is a mechanic. This guy is pretty excited and he has every reason to be. He was working in a sand and gravel pit when he came across a piece of history. It is one that dates back thousands of years.
2009-09-22 - El Paso, United States.
Firefighters used special inflating airbags to lift the 7,700-pound elephant Savannah when she could not stand on her own Monday morning at the El Paso Zoo. The rescue team was called after Savannah, who is 57 years old, was unable to stand up after lying on an incline, zoo officials said. Medical staff are monitoring the Asian elephant and gave her anti-inflammatory medicine.
2009-09-22 - Columbia, United States. Ben, Columbia University
Today is Elephant Appreciation Day, which we learned is a fairly young holiday created in 1996 by a father who was disproportionately elated by the paperweight of elephants parading that his daughter gave him as a gift. Doesn’t he know that paperweights are just about the most thoughtless and empty gifts one can give? At any rate, it spawned a great holiday so we can’t really complain. In celebration, we’ve rounded up these 9 Unforgettable Elephants in Pop Culture.
2009-09-22 - Dhenkanal, India.
A tusker was found dead in Dandeibereni forest in Gondia block under Sadangi forest range today. After being informed, a team of Forest officials headed by DFO M M Panigrahi visited to the spot and sent the carcass for post-mortem. A forest guard first spotted the carcass of the 12-year-old tusker in the forest. DFO Panigrahi said the elephant is suspected to have died after consuming pesticide-laced crops. Farmers have applied pesticides on crops in the region.
2009-09-21 - Mainichi, Japan.
Inokashira Park Zoo celebrated on Monday the 55th anniversary of the arrival of Hanako, believed to be the oldest Asian elephant in Japan. Hanako, believed to be 62 years old, first came to Ueno Zoo in September 1949 from Bangkok. As a member of a traveling zoo, Hanako traveled across Japan over the following six-month period with other animals including Indira, another elephant presented by then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
2009-09-21 - Nairobi, Kenya.
More than sixty African elephants and hundreds of other animals have died so far in Kenya amid the worst drought to hit the country in over a decade, conservationists announced. So-called "long rains" that usually fall in March and April failed this year, and some areas have now been in drought conditions for almost three years. No one knows why the drought has been so bad. Many attribute it to global warming, but others say it is simply part of the long-term weather cycle in East Africa.
2009-09-21 - York, United States. Kate Burke
Seth Staehr knows what it is, it’s a tooth, a grinding tooth, a worn, ancient tooth. But he still can’t believe it. Staehr works for Overland Sand & Gravel. Ordinarily he’s at the Stromsburg location, where he works as a mechanic. When he’s needed, however, he runs the payloader at different locations. In May, he was at the new Phelps pit, a few miles south of the I-80 Waco interchange.
2009-09-21 - Guwahati, India.
A two-member committee has suggested adoption of a systematic approach in areas prone to human-elephant conflicts to determine the efficacy of deterrent crops. The committee comprising WWF-India official Amit Sharma and B.S. Bonal of the state forest department was set up by Dispur on July 18 last year. It submitted the report recently. A systematic approach should be adopted in conflict-prone areas to determine the efficacy of deterrent crops. The deterrent crops popularly used in Assam should ...
2009-09-21 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
An elephant keeper prepares to be splashed as he baths a elephant in a river at the Kuala Gandah Elephant Center, 100 kilometers west of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Sept. 21, 2009. The center was set up in 1974 to help with locating, subduing and translocating elephant from areas where their habits have been encroached by human development.
2009-09-21 - Bhagalpur, India.
Rules have been framed to protect animals, but for four elephants caught in transit here, their enforcement could well lead to their deaths. The elephants, all belonging to a circus, have been refusing food for the past 40-odd hours — since yesterday when forest department officials seized three trucks in which they were being ferried from Bihar’s Bhagalpur to Burdwan in Bengal.
2009-09-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. L.B.Senaratne
The elephant, whether captive or wild, evokes much interest, debate and controversy in Sri Lanka. On the one hand there is a cry among those who organize processions and religious pageants that there are not enough captive elephants to go around during the Perahera seasons, especially during the period of July to September. On the other hand, farmers and rural people who live in areas close to forests and rely on agriculture as the mainstay of their livelihoods complain of elephant attacks not o...
2009-09-20 - Karachi, Pakistan. Irfan Aligi
The City District Government Karachi’s (CDGK) Community Development Department (CDD) has failed to ensure timely placement of four baby elephants at their destined venues for the amusement of citizens. It is yet uncertain that these baby elephants would be shifted to Karachi Zoological Garden (KZG) , commonly known as Gandhi Garden, in the next three months.
2009-09-20 - Tsavo, Kenya. Iregi Mwenja
Yesterday I went to Kedong outside Tsavo West to witness another victim of the drought - a baby elephant being rescued. However, though calls were made to relevant authorities, no one turned up to help! This morning the sad news come, drought has claimed yet another life of an endangered species.
2009-09-20 - New Bedford, United States.
You may have seen the story recently about a 48-year-old elephant in Thailand named Motala who lost part of her leg ten years ago to a landmine. She has just become the second elephant in the world fitted with an artificial leg to help her walk. To learn more about her and all things elephant, we're lucky to have on Dr. Bill Langbauer a man who really knows these creatures. He studied African elephants in the wild for many years and now as the director of the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford M...
2009-09-20 - Nairobi, Kenya.
One of the worst droughts in living memory is taking its toll on both people and wildlife in Kenya. Clashes over land and water lead to the deaths of 32 people last week, with community leaders warning there will be more violence. Meanwhile, in Samburu district at least 24 elephants have either starved or been shot by poachers looking for food. Peter Greste reports from northern Kenya.
2009-09-19 - Bankura, India.
An 18-day-old elephant calf died after it fell into a small waterbody while roaming with its herd at Chanchor forest in the Bankadaha forest range in Bankura early on Friday. The calf was born in this forest after the herd about 25 elephants wandered from the Dalma forests a few weeks ago. The elephants come into the South Bengal forests in search of food during this time of the year, their breeding season.
2009-09-19 - Kollam, India.
Almost two and a half years after he was born in captive at Puthenkulam near here, the elephant calf Sivan was weaned from his mother Lakshmi on Friday evening. Captive elephant management expert, B. Aravind who supervised the weaning process said that it was a mammoth task. Puthekulam Shaji who owns Lakshmi was not aware of the pregnancy when he purchased her from Bihar late in 2006. Sivan was born on April 2, 2007 and till Friday he was always besides his mother and her milk, his staple diet.
2009-09-19 - Dumka, India. Rajesh Kumar Pandey
The condition of four elephants of Ajanta Circus is fast deteriorating because they have been forced to remain in standing position since Friday. Forest officials had seized three trucks carrying six elephants, nine dogs and two horses on Friday because the truck drivers had failed to relevant documents required to carry the animals to Burdwan (West Bengal) from Bhagalpur. The drivers were The drivers were arrested, but the mahouts managed to escape.
2009-09-18 - Jalpaiguri, India.
Captive elephants, used by the forest officials to supervise the area, enjoyed a royal treat at the Jaldapara Sanctuary in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. The forest officials use elephants to supervise the area since most of the sanctuary is inaccessible by vehicle or on foot. Every year on the occasion of Vishwakarma puja, the jumbos get the much-awaited annual holiday.
2009-09-18 - Livingstone, Zambia.
LIVINSGTONE resident of Simonga village was on Wednesday morning trampled to death by a wounded elephant. In an interview, Mosi-O-Tunya National Park area warden Stephen Malungo said the elephant, which had since been gunned down by Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) officials, had seven to eight bullet wounds on its back. I can confirm that a 33-year-old Chrispin Matali, Simonga resident, was yesterday (Wednesday) killed around 07:30 hours by an elephant as he was heading home from his work place...
2009-09-18 - Edmonton, Canada. Paula Simons and Gordon Kent
Clayton Ruby is famous for getting the wrongfully convicted out of jail. Now, the high-profile criminal lawyer will work to free a different kind of jailbird Lucy the elephant from a different kind of cage: Edmonton's Valley Zoo. "I have been retained to look into the Lucy problem and find a solution," Ruby confirmed yesterday. Ruby's involvement in the case was revealed at a news conference in Edmonton yesterday where former TV game-show host Bob Barker called for Lucy to be sent to a Californi...
2009-09-18 - Odawara, Japan.
Japan's oldest Asian elephant died on Thursday at the estimated age of 62, officials at a small zoo here announced. An employee at Odawara Zoo found the female elephant, dubbed "Umeko," lying on the floor of the elephant house on Thursday morning. Umeko came to the zoo from Thailand at the estimated age of 3 in October 1950, to mark the Kodomo Bunka Hakurankai (Children's Cultural Exposition) hosted by the city of Odawara.
2009-09-17 - Museumplein, Netherlands.
From September onwards, a hundred full size art elephants will swarm the streets of Amsterdam: together, they form a remarkable open-air exhibition, the Elephant Parade, that is dedicated to the Asian elephant. After the successful editions in Rotterdam and Antwerp, the exhibition in Amsterdam will be the largest so far. The Elephant Parade is founded by father and son Mike and Marc Spits. With their project, they aim to raise attention for the Asian elephant, that is threatened with extinction.
2009-09-17 - Chester, United Kingdom.
Three elephant shots from Chester zoo, hope you like, btw not tha same elephant on all 3.
2009-09-17 - Haridwar, India.
A cow elephant was gored to death by a tusker in Dhaulkhand range of Rajaji Park in Uttarakhand, officials said today. The incident took place yesterday after the two elephants fought over mating and the pachyderm pierced its tusks into the stomach of cow elephant resulting in latter's death. The postmortem report confirmed its death as a result of a violent struggle, they said.
2009-09-16 - Bhubaneswar, India.
Long seven years after the Central government requested Odisha government to put in place a perspective plan to reduce human-elephant conflict, the state has finally announced to finalise a plan for proper management of elephant corridors. The state government on Tuesday said that it would prepare an elephant corridor management plan in the next six months. The decision was taken at a high level meeting that was chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
2009-09-16 - Seoul, South Korea.
South Korean police, in one of their more heavyweight cases, are investigating whether a zoo elephant threw a stone at a woman visitor. The woman surnamed Kim told police she was visiting the zoo at the Children?s Grand Park in southeast Seoul on Monday when she noticed an elephant picking up a stone with its trunk. After she turned away from 35-year-old Taesani, she was hit on the back of her head by a large stone, several newspapers reported. She reported the incident to police in Gwang...
2009-09-16 - Salt Lake City, United States.
Utah’s Hogle Zoo's animal management is announcing the immediate opening of a full time animal care position, as a relief keeper in our Elephant Encounter area. The Zoo is seeking qualified applicants for this keeper position. This is a full time, year-round position and includes responsibility for the care and husbandry of the resident pachyderms, as well as other animals as assigned. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a newly renovated facility.
2009-09-15 - Copenhagen, Denmark.
The 26th Annual Conference of EAZA will be hosted by Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark from 15 to 19 September 2009. The Conference will take place at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel located near the city centre and close to many of Copenhagen's attractions. Coordinators, however, will already have their first meetings earlier that day. After two conference days, a much-needed break in the full conference programme will be offered on Thursday (late) afternoon and evening, when all participants will b...
2009-09-15 - New Delhi, India.
Herds of wild elephants straying from shrinking habitats in Orissa and Jharkhand have killed at least 30 people in Chhattisgarh so far this year. "This year at least 30 persons have been trampled by jumbos who come from Orissa and Jharkhand where their habitat has shrunk," N K Bhagat, Chattisgarh chief wildlife warden said.
2009-09-15 - Salt Lake City, United States.
The newest resident of Utah's Hogle Zoo finally has a name. The zoo says the clear winner for its newly arrived baby elephant is Zuri, which means adorable or beautiful. Nearly 10,000 ballots were cast and among five choices, Zuri picked up nearly half the votes. The zoo welcomed the African elephant calf on Aug. 10. She is the first baby for 23-year-old Christie and the first African elephant born at the zoo. Zuri made her first appearance before the general public on Friday.
2009-09-15 - Tulsa, United States.
The Tulsa Zoo is seeking qualified applicants for a Large Mammal zookeeper position, specifically will work in our Pachyderm area ( Asian elephants & white rhinos) and possibly swing into the African ungulate area. Minimum requirements include: graduation from an accredited college or university with an associate’s degree in biology, zoology, wildlife management or related field & two (2) years of experience in the care of large mammals; preferable experience with elephants, rhinos, and ungula...
2009-09-14 - Haridwar, India.
A male elephant without tusks was today found dead in Khanpur forest range near the Rajaji Park here, a forest official said. The body of 40-year-old pachyderm was noticed by a priest of a temple at Dhaluwala area who informed the forest officials, said Divisional Forest Officer of Haridwar R B Pathak. Pathak ruled out poaching behind the death of the particular breed of elephants called"Makhna"which does not have tusks.
An elephant trampled to death one person and injured another at Chiriapur forest range today, official sources said here. The incident took place early today when the elephant attacked two men sleeping on the loft in a paddy field at Kategarh village. While Ikmal Singh (35) died on the spot after being hit against the ground repeatedly by the pachyderm, Sandip (36) managed to run from the spot. However, he received back injuries in the attack.
2009-09-14 - Lusaka, Zambia.
The Zambian government is pressing to get back 6.5 tonnes of ivory from the Nairobi based Lusaka Agreement Task Force after the illegal trophies were confiscated in Singapore over eight years ago. Zambia’s minister of tourism, environment and natural resources Catherine Namugala has written to the Lusaka Agreement Task Force demanding the retrieval of the ivory that is believed to have been extracted from elephants poached in Zambia, taken to Malawi and subsequently transported to Singapore.
2009-09-14 - Windhoek, Namibia. Petronella Sibeene
In a tragic turn of events, a man was attacked and killed in a seemingly unprovoked attack by an elephant bull in the Khorixas area last Thursday night. The deceased, identified as Ermansred Eiseb aged 31, was attacked on Thursday evening as he walked from one village to the next, Ministry of Environment and Tourism Deputy Director of Parks and Wildlife Management, Colgar Sikopo, confirmed to New Era yesterday. Parks and Wildlife Management staff in the area went on a search for the animal on Fr...
2009-09-14 - Sonitpur, India.
Battling for life for about a month with two bullet wounds in his head, a wild tusker succumbed to his injuries in Sonitpur district on Sunday afternoon. The carcass was spotted in a paddy field adjacent to the Behali Reserve Forest, about 180 km from Guwahati. A senior forest official said the elephant was about 20 years old and 6.5 ft tall.
2009-09-14 - Edmonton, Canada.
The Edmonton Valley Zoo is holding a news conference Monday to provide an update on the health of Lucy, the elephant. The update will include the results of a recent examination of Lucy and the opinions of a third-party specialist. Community Services General Manager Linda Cochrane and Valley Zoo veterinarian Dr. Milton Ness will be there. Actor William Shatner recently added his voice to the many calls for Lucy to be retired to a sanctuary.
An independant veterinarian has told the city that moving Lucy the elephant from the Valley Zoo could killer her. Her current respiratory problems preclude any thought of moving her and in fact it would (be) life threatening for her to be placed under that kind of stress, Dr. James Oosterhuis said in a letter to the Edmonton Valley Zoo, sent after an examination of Lucy. It is my opinion that it would be unethical for any veterinarian to recommend moving her and in fact would be malpractice to s...
2009-09-14 - Vientiane, Laos.
The Laotian government has approved a plan to develop a lignite mine and built a power plant in the Hongsa Valley, an area near the habitat of an important elephant population. Environmentalists and experts fear this will drive the pachyderms closer to extinction. A new lignite mine and a power station are slated for construction in Hongsa Valley (Sayaboury province), a natural habitat for elephants that is irreplaceable.
2009-09-13 - Buffalo, United States. Maki Becker
Buki, the oldest Asian elephant at the Buffalo Zoo, may be in her last days. Over the last couple of weeks, zookeepers have become alarmed at the 52- year-old pachyderm’s sudden loss of weight and appetite. Blood tests have shown her kidneys are not functioning properly, although she’s not in kidney failure. This could be the beginning of the end, zoo President Donna M. Fernandes reported Saturday. But she said all hope is not lost. We’re hoping she’ll rally, she said.
2009-09-13 - Bangkok, Thailand.
Bangkok and Tokyo will hold talks over a plan to send a pair of Thai elephants to a state zoo in Osaka, Industry Minister Charnchai Chairungruang said yesterday. The minister, who is in Japan to promote trade cooperation, said the jumbos would be a "present to mark close trade ties between the two countries". Japan had expressed strong interest in raising a pair of Thai elephants at its zoo in Osaka, which already has one Thai jumbo, Mr Charnchai said ahead of a meeting with the Japanese environ...
2009-09-12 - Guruvayur, India.
The efforts of Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee in implementing Scientific Elephant Management practices at Punnathur Aanakotta is an exemplary initiative, said Devaswom Minister Kadannappally Ramachandran here on Friday. The minister was inaugurating the newly- built Anakottil and launching the training curriculum and functional literacy programme for mahouts at the Punnathur Aanakkotta. The managing committee has done a laudable work in taking care of devaswom-owned jumbos, he added.
2009-09-12 - Washington, United States.
Like humans, the living elephants are unusual among mammals in being sparsely covered with hair. Relative to extant elephants, the extinct woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius, had a dense hair cover and extremely long hair, which likely were adaptations to its subarctic habitat. The fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) gene affects hair length in a diverse set of mammalian species. Mutations in FGF5 lead to recessive long hair phenotypes in mice, dogs, and cats; and the gene has been implicated i...
2009-09-11 - Hollowood, United States. Richard Williams
The movie sound stages of London and Hollywood are a long way from Karapur, Mysore City, India where Sabu Dastagir was born on 27 January 1924. Sabu’s father, who was in the service of the Maharajah of Mysore, died when Sabu was a small child. His uncle, Shaik Hussaim, also worked for the Maharajah as the caretaker for his herd of two hundred elephants. He hired young Sabu to help care for the herd, thus making his later screen persona as The Elephant Boy a legitimate reality as opposed to hyp...
2009-09-10 - Bangkok, Thailand.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will propose to the government long-term solutions to roaming elephants, hoping to receive support on City Hall’s Chang Yim (Smiling Elephant) Project, according to Deputy Bangkok Governor Teerachon Manomaiphibul. Chang Yim aims to take Bangkok’s roaming elephants off the capital’s streets within a year, and get them back to their natural environment, or something almost like their real homes.
2009-09-10 - Hamburg, Germany.
It hardly counts as one of the athletes of the animal kingdom, but even an elephant can have its agile moments. In this case, several tons of jumbo is balanced on a 4-in wide ledge to take a tidbit. The peckish pachyderm was in its enclosure when it spotted a toddler in his father's arms holding out a vegetable stalk.
2009-09-10 - Kampala, Uganda. Gerald Tenywa
EACH week, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has to rescue an elephant or lion from a wire snare.The snares, set up by poachers, are fixed on fences or trees to trap the animals. According to Sam Mwandha, UWA's director of conservation, poaching is common in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls national parks. "We have been called every week to remove snares from animals in the two parks," he said.
2009-09-10 - Dong Nai, Vietnam.
An elephant was found dead on Tuesday night in Dong Nai, the sixth such case in the last four months in the southern Vietnamese province, underlining the authorities’ failure to protect its elephant population.
2009-09-10 - Chester, United Kingdom.
HOW do you manage when your next door neighbour weighs five tonnes? Chester Zoo has the anser. And how do you stop your over-sized neighbour 'rampaging' through what is effectively your back garden? Chester Zoo has come up with the answers to help people who live side by side with Asian elephants. Living with Elephants is a practical handbook for the people of Assam, India, and has been launched in an effort to help both humans and elephants co-exist peacefully. The aim of the guide, which inclu...
2009-09-10 - Tsavo East National Park, Kenya.
Kenyan villagers near the Tsavo East National Park in the south of the country have eaten five elephants killed when they were hit by a train, Senior Warden Bernard Koruta said. It happened so fast and sometimes it becomes impossible to stop the feasting, Koruta said today in a phone interview from the park. The two adult elephants and three calves were hit by the train on Sept. 8, Koruta said. It was a family herd of elephants, he said
2009-09-09 - Cairo, Egypt.
Visitors are allowed to feed the animals, including the hippopotamus who gobbles down handfuls of clover. Children can have their photographs taken with a lion cub or baby chimpanzee - or even with their heads inside the mouth of an elephant kept on a short chain.
2009-09-09 - Nairobi, Kenya.
Conservationists say more than 100 of Kenya's famous elephants have died in the country's north this year through poaching or drought-related hunger. Save the Elephants head Iain Douglas-Hamilton says the drought is Kenya's worst in 12 years. He said that elephants are malnourished and vulnerable to illness. He also says increased poaching could be related to last year's decision by an international regulatory body to allow Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa to sell off their co...
2009-09-09 - , United States.
Earth is a brand-new full-length documentary from DisneyNature that takes a look at three animal families living across the globe. It shows the hardships they face in trying to survive. Watch how polar bears, elephants and whales live, love and survive against certain odds. The film is narrated by James Earl Jones.
2009-09-08 - Sayaboury, Laos. Beaumont Smith
The wildly successful Sayaboury Elephant Festival, held this year in the village of Hongsa, attracted more than 80,000 visitors, some elegantly attired, some dreadlocked ganja-inspired, despite the event's remote location in northwestern Laos. The 70 or so jumbos were by turns applauded, photographed and simply adored as they dipped like divas.
2009-09-08 - Bhubaneswar, India.
Hundreds of villagers have been forced to take shelter in camps in the Indian state of Orissa after repeated attacks by a herd of elephants. Seven people have been killed and several others injured in attacks by a herd of 12-13 elephants over the past few weeks in Kandhamal district. Over 2,500 people living in 45 villages have been affected by the attacks, district chief Krishen Kumar said.
2009-09-08 - Nairobi, Kenya.
A Chinese official Monday denied allegations that demand for ivory from Chinese workers is a main contributor to rising elephant poaching in Kenya. Wan Ziming, director of enforcement and training at the endangered species' office of the State Forestry Administration, said illegal ivory imports to China have declined significantly since 2000, despite smuggles from individual workers or travelers to Africa.
2009-09-08 - Phuket, Thailand.
As you expected, your family is the first team to arrive at Phuket. Congratulations! No time to hit the beach yet, however. You must first make your way to an elephant farm. Too bad you don’t speak Thai. However, as you cleverly take out your pad of paper and draw an elephant for the shuttle driver, he laughs so loud that it draws a large crowd, some of whom happen to speak English. In a flash, you are on your way.
2009-09-08 - Salt Lake City, United States. Elizabeth White
The baby elephant at Utah's Hogle Zoo is getting ready to make her big debut. And she'll soon have a name, too. The zoo, www.hoglezoo.org, welcomed an African elephant calf on Aug. 10. It's the first baby for 23-year-old Christie and the first African elephant born at the zoo. The little one will make her first appearance before the general public on Friday. A couple days after that, she'll get a name. The zoo invites people choose their favorite among five possibilities: Abenia, Apara, K...
2009-09-08 - Livingstone, Zambia.
President Robert Mugabe has given seven elephants to a Zambian traditional chief for tourism purposes. President Mugabe last month promised to give elephants to chief Mukuni of the Toka Leya people of southern Zambia when the 85-year-old Zimbabwean leader visited the chiefdom during a traditional ceremony. Mr Mukuni, whose chiefdom borders Zimbabwe, runs several tourism ventures and tames wild animals in Livingstone – the tourist capital of Zambia – situated about 472km south of Lusaka.
2009-09-07 - Mulago, Uganda.
MUSTAFA Batanyenda, the Rukungiri man who was seriously wounded by a marauding elephant, has been transferred to Mulago Hospital where he is expected to undergo a major operation this week. Mulago Hospital spokesperson Erifazi Ssekabira said on Thursday the patient’s wounds were being treated in preparation for the operation. He noted that Batanyenda sustained broken jaws.
2009-09-07 - Thrissur, India.
Two tuskers ran amok and blocked traffic on the NH-47 between Marathakkara, near here, and Chalakkudy for over 2 hours on Sunday. The incident created panic among the passengers who were stuck in various vehicles on the highway. Elephants Mahadevan and Ayyappan, both owned by Uttoli Krishnankutty, ran amok while being taken through the NH-47 from Marathakkara to the residence of the owner at Amballur. Though the mahouts managed to chain Mahadevan, the other tusker could not be brought under cont...
2009-09-06 - Bhubaneswar, India. Sandeep Mishra
There seems no end to relief camps in Kandhamal. Last week, the administration shut down its two remaining camps for ethno-communal riot victims, only to set up two more on Sunday. But the new camps are meant for people who lost their houses to marauding elephants.
2009-09-05 - Rajkot, India.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Bhavnagar police busted an ivory smuggling racket and seized ivory jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh on Friday. Elephant tusks weighing around three kilograms, jewellery made of ivory, mainly bangles, weighing over seven kg, along with 87 kg of raw ivory were recovered from a local businessman in the city.
2009-09-05 - New Delhi, India.
The increasing number of developmental projects coming up near jungles is taking a toll on the Indian elephant. Over 45% of elephant deaths in the past decade were caused by electrocution, experts say. Senior officers of Project Elephant said this has been the trend for the past many years and that they are "concerned" as they can't stop the projects for the sake of elephants.
2009-09-05 - Botene, Laos. SIMON MONTLAKE
When French explorer Henri Mouhot passed this way in 1861, he found the roads so rugged -- "devil's pathways," he called them -- that the only way to travel was on the back of an elephant, without which "no communication would be possible." His appreciation for the animals grew to be nearly poetic. "This colossus is no rough specimen of natural handiwork," he wrote, "but a creature of especial amiability and sagacity, designed for the service of man." Back then, every village had elephants -- so...
2009-09-05 - Kochi, India.
The burial of an elephant, which reportedly died of anthrax in Perumbavoor on Thursday, has kicked up a controversy. There are allegations that the pachyderm was buried, near the Muvattupuzha river, unscientifically and could pose a threat of polluting the river, a source of potable water in the district. The Elephant Lovers Association has demanded an inquiry into the death of the elephant. It was on Thursday that Unnikrishnan, an elephant owned by a saw mill owner in Perumbavoor, died.
2009-09-05 - Grevena, Greece.
A fossil mastodon tusk found in the northern Greek region of Grevena was officially entered into the Guiness Book of Records on Saturday as the largest ever found. The tusk is truly mammoth at 5.02 metres in length, dates back three million years and belongs to the extinct mastodon species Mammut borsoni. The previous record for the world's largest tusk was also held by a tusk found in the Grevena region in 1997, with a length of 4.39 metres.
2009-09-05 - Udalguri, India. Jayanta Kumar Das
Another shocking example of the death of a baby wild elephant in Udalguri district has come to light to much disappointment of people. Instead of finding the cause of death, the dead body was dumped quickly without performing the postmortem. The incident has raised several questions regarding the safe movement of the wild elephants in the district in view of the so called man elephant conflict.
2009-09-04 - Ayutthaya, Thailand.
It is a desperate cry - or rather a very loud trumpet - for attention. These elephants were painted black and white to look like the pandas who have stolen all their fans. The elephant is Thailand's national symbol, but the country has gone panda-crazy since the birth of a female panda cub to pandas Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang at Chiang Mai zoo in Bangkok.
2009-09-04 - Pekanbaru, Indonesia. Rizal Harahap
A horde of elephants have trampled to death a man guarding a palm oil plantation in the remote Sumatra hamlet of Lubuk Kandis, Riau. Rinto Lumbangaol, 27, was found dead by his wife Emiska, 25. Head of the Rengat Nature Conservation Agency Edi Susanto said Friday the newly wedded couple was asleep early on Thursday when about 15 elephants trampled their makeshift house near the plantation. Rinto asked his wife to run for help. When Emiska arrived with villagers from nearby, they found Rinto had ...
2009-09-04 - Coney Island, United States.
Suzie the circus elephant took a bath - and the FDNY got all wet. City Hall turned an engine company into a bunch of clowns by forcing them to wash an elephant for a Ringling Brothers photo-op, the firefighters union charged Thursday. The "public relations stunt" jeopardized the safety of Coney Island residents because Engine Co. 245 was out of service for a half-hour Wednesday, Uniformed Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy said.
2009-09-04 - Albuquerque, United States.
The Albuquerque BioPark's Zoo joyfully welcomes a female Asian elephant calf born at 1:43am on Wednesday, September 2, 2009. The newborn tipped the scales at a whopping 318 pounds! This calf is the second elephant born at the Zoo and her mother, Rozie, was the first. “Mother and calf are doing well,” stated BioPark Director Rick Janser. To allow time for bonding, mother Rozie and her yet-to-be-named calf will stay together behind the scenes. Staff will continue 24-hour watches to monitor the...
2009-09-03 - Woodside, United States. Julia Prodis Sulek and Brandon Bailey
Today he's home in Woodside, recuperating from serious injuries. A little more than a month ago, Silicon Valley billionaire Tom Siebel was in the Serengeti, where a charging elephant attacked him and a guide. "It was all happening so fast. There was no place to hide, no place to run," the 56-year-old Siebel, founder of the Siebel Systems software company, told the Mercury News in an exclusive interview Wednesday.
2009-09-03 - San Diego, United States. Jeanette Steele
Call them the peacemaking pachyderms. Tina and Jewel, two former circus elephants, have helped create rare goodwill between animal-rights groups and the San Diego Zoo after years of acrimony over the institution's policies for pachyderms. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and In Defense of Animals are applauding the zoo for accepting the two elephants, which federal officials had taken from a Texas exhibitor.
2009-09-02 - Toledo, United States. Jennifer Taylor
Major construction is underway Wednesday morning at the Toledo Zoo. The zoo is installing a brand new bull elephant exhibit. Voters approved the project by passing last November's zoo levy. The first phase of the project will be complete this fall. Another phase will be completed in 2012. 175 people and 85 local companies are being employed as part of this 10 month period of construction.
2009-09-02 - Salinas, United States.
It was about 5:30 in the afternoon. Fred Alspaw, chief elephant trainer for the Sells-Floto Circus, was lazing with some crew members after setting up the big top and menagerie at Hebert's Field in Salinas. When Alspaw arrived at the line of tethered elephants, he got the surprise of his life. There, in danger of being trampled to death by a pachyderm named Princess Alice, was the pinkish form of a baby elephant.
2009-09-02 - Dublin, Ireland.
The impact of the ivory trade on the future of elephants was revealed at Dublin Zoo as Customs officers handed over seized jewellery for display. The ivory necklaces and bracelets from South Africa were confiscated from a posted parcel at Dublin Airport. Dublin Zoo Director, Leo Oosterweghel, said the items will be put on show to inform visitors about the impact of the ivory trade.
2009-09-02 - Nyakibale, Uganda. Milton Olupot
NYAKIBALE Hospital in Rukungiri district is stranded with a man, whose jaws were shattered in an attack by an elephant on Augusts 27 as he tended his garden at Kihihi village in Kanungu district. Mustapha Batanyenda, 48, is said to have been hurled by an elephant onto a tree, injuring him severely. He now needs extensive facial recontructive surgery, according to Dr. Ronald Kasyaba. For him to regain near normalcy, this surgical reconstruction has to be done, that is if he has not died by the ti...
2009-09-01 - Guwahati, United States.
It's always the children who bear the wrath of conflict, whether it's human or animal strife. Just as decades of insurgency have orphaned thousands of kids in terror-riddled Assam, relentless human-tusker conflicts have also taken a steady toll on the live of wild pachyderms, leaving behind scores of their young ones alone and vulnerable in the process. Many of these calves have had to be rescued by human intervention. Though the number of orphaned elephant calves is comparatively lower than hum...
2009-09-01 - Cleveland', United States. Michael Scott
When Cleveland's trio of elephants return home in June 2011 after a three-year Columbus Zoo vacation, they'll move into what could be the nation's largest green-certified animal exhibit. "No one thought it could be done -- build an animal building up to the highest green standards -- but we're doing it," said Dick Chodera, project manager for RFC Contracting Inc., a Strongsville firm advising the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo on the project. Zoos in Philadelphia, Seattle and New York have green-certi...
2009-09-01 - Patna, India.
An elephant Wednesday trampled a young man to death in a village in Saran district of Bihar, police said. Madan Thakur, in his 20s, was killed by the elephant near Chamrahiya village in Saran. Thakur was attacked by the elephant when he was on his way to a nearby market. “When he was passing the elephant, it suddenly turned violent. The animal attacked Thakur and killed him,” a police officer said. The forest officials have taken the animal into their possession and a case has been registere...
2009-09-01 - Las Vegas, United States. ERICA SHEN
In a desert wash that was once teeming with water, full of luscious plants and home to such animals as bison, camels and mammoths, they have identified hundreds of sites rich in fossils in an area north of the city. Two mammoth vertebrae were found at the dig.
2009-08-31 - Jamshedpur, United States.
The late monsoon is upsetting the migration schedule of the elephants of the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary. Each year, in the month of September, elephants leave the reserve area and head to Purulia, West and East Midnapore districts. They return to sanctuary before the start of the summer season, around mid-February. Migration usually depends on the cultivation of paddy crops in the villages that fall along the migratory route of the tuskers.
2009-08-31 - Winston, United States.
Wildlife Safari is looking for dedicated and enthusiastic interns for our Elephant Department Internship Program. Interns will assist in daily routines including, but not limited to: diet prep, daily husbandry, exhibit maintenance, enrichment, observation and public interaction. We provide a large variety of educational opportunities for guests, so interns must be comfortable speaking in front of large groups.
2009-08-30 - Edmonton, Canada.
In a hilly field filled with shrubs and trees in an undeveloped part of the zoo, a massive creature plays hide-and-seek with her keepers. Slowly walking around a pathway the animal remembers well, she soaks up the sun and breeze while cavorting with its human friends. "She loves grazing on the grass up here," says head zookeeper Wade Krasnow, who has been caring for the animal for almost two decades. "She" is Lucy, a beloved Asian elephant who has been a fixture at Edmonton's Valley Zoo for the ...
2009-08-30 - Karuwalagaswewa, Sri Lanka. Hiran P Jayasinghe
A baby elephant about five months old had accidentally fallen into a flooded quarry in the Kuda Medawachchiya jungle area in Karuwalagaswewa.Villagers reported this incident to Wildlife officials who spared no pains to rescue the animal. Helped by the Karuwalagaswewa police, the animal was rescued on Friday evening.
2009-08-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Dubbed Kublai Khan for his majestic form, the eight-foot tusker who died last Sunday was a favourite with visitors to the Yala park. Here veteran wildlife photographer and researcher Lal Anthonis who has been studying the Yala tuskers for decades shares his fascination with Kublai Khan dating back all of 20 years…. Describing Kublai Khan as an ‘icon’ of Yala, Lal Anthonis, immediate past president of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society recalls how Kublai Khan was on the cover of the...
2009-08-29 - Nantes, France.
On the Ile de Nantes (Isle of Nantes) in France, bizarre monstrous creatures right out of the pages of fantasy penned by the likes of Jules Verne are taking astonished visitors for a ride. When the Great Elephant trundles out for its 45-minute walk at a leisurely pace, there is no mistaking the beast for anything but the machine that it is. It is larger than life at 12m high and 8m wide, and comes with outdoor balconies on both sides and a lounge on top. Technology is still unable to make it wal...
2009-08-29 - Berlin, Germany.
(Translated by Yahoo! Babel Fish) Three Asian elephants from the Tierpark Berlin Friedrichsfelde began the long journey on Monday into the zoo of Rostow at the Don in Russia. Animal park boss Bernhard Blaszkiewitz communicated that Horas, Cinta and Yoma in their future homeland in a new elephant house are to form their own group. On 7 November Tierpark is to be opened trunk trio born in Rostow the new at home for the 2005 in the citizen of Berlin. The transport of the animals by trucks was taken...
2009-08-26 - Auckland, New Zealand.
Any replacement for Auckland Zoo favourite Kashin will come from established Asian elephant breeding programmes under way in Europe. But a new addition to the zoo's elephant colony - which since Kashin's death on Monday stands at one - is likely to be at least two years away.
2009-08-26 - Sydney, Australia.
The loud pitter patter of baby elephant feet has helped Taronga Zoo claim the title of Sydney's favourite attraction. The zoo won 24 per cent of votes in the Sydney Chamber of Commerce's annual favourite things survey of the city's inhabitants. The birth of Asian elephant calf Luk Chai in July has also boosted zoo visitor numbers, with Sydneysiders and tourists flocking to Taronga since his arrival. Sydney Opera House came second in the survey of most popular attractions, with 22 per cent of vot...
2009-08-26 - Bangalore, India.
How angry can you get at an animal? Though human-animal conflict is a regular event with more and more wild habitats being encroached, wrath like this is rare. A farmer near Bandipur reserve shot a young elephant dead when she was about to enter his farm on Wednesday. Even while crop compensation packages have almost been tripled, fear and intolerance still persist among farmers who live on the border areas.
2009-08-25 - Auckland, New Zealand. Vaimoana Tapaleao
Auckland Zoo will be closed today as staff grieve the loss of 40-year-old Kashin the Elephant, who died yesterday. The female Asian elephant, who had chronic arthritis and foot abscesses, was euthanised after her health deteriorated.
2009-08-25 - Jaipur, India.
In what can be described as a blow to elephant tourism at the Amber Fort, a 25-year-old she-elephant that had run off to the hills on Sunday died under mysterious conditions on Monday. Officials of the state forest department refused to go into the details of the death but hinted that the elephant had received severe injuries. However, others present on the spot were of the opinion that the elephant died due to an overdose of tranquillisers.
2009-08-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. S.S. Selvanayagam
The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed the fundamental rights petition filed in respect of two baby elephants that had been offered to Sri Dalada Maligawa by the President. The Bench comprising Chief Justice Asoka de Silva, Justices Saleem Marsoof and Jagath Balapatabendi dismissed the petition after it was withdrawn. The Supreme Court was also notified that action was being taken to reunite the baby elephants with their mothers. Counsel I.R .Rajapakse appearing for the petitioner had earlier tol...
2009-08-25 - Haiphong, Vietnam.
VIETNAMESE customs inspectors have discovered more than two tons of elephant tusks hidden in a shipping container full of snail shells from Kenya. Bui Hoang Duong, head of the customs inspection department at the northern port of Haiphong, said inspectors opened the container on Friday as part of enhanced scrutiny of shipping from Tanzania. The purge follows several recent cases of ivory smuggling.
2009-08-25 - Auckland, New Zealand.
A press conference about Auckland Zoo elephant Kashin will be held at the zoo's Old Elephant House today at 1pm. As part of the conference, the zoo will be letting people know how they can honour Kashin by contributing to a Kashin memorial fund, which will be dedicated to helping the conservation of elephants in the wild. The zoo is also intending to have a public memorial for Kashin. Details are still be worked through, and we will advise as soon as possible. The zoo has been overwhelmed by the...
2009-08-25 - Kumbikkulama, Sri Lanka. Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa
In a continuation of the conflict between humans and elephants, a man was killed but a child miraculously escaped unhurt when an elephant in the Kumbikkulama area of Habarana charged a group of farmers tending their land. T.D Wimalasena (47), father of two and a farmer from the Heenmoragolla area had being working at a vegetable plot at around 5.00 last evening, together with a group of other farmers, when an elephant had emerged from the jungle and charged the group, causing panic.
2009-08-25 - West Midlands, United Kingdom.
WHEN it comes to making music, the elephants at West Midland Safari Park have learned a thing or two. After producing colourful works of art and playing football, their latest interest involves playing the harmonica. A video clip can be seen on the park's website, http://www.wmsp.co.uk/harmonica . Latabe and Five - aged 16 and 17 respectively - have lived at West Midland Safari Park since they were five-year-old orphans and often show off various skills.
2009-08-25 - Xishuangbanna, China.
The breeding base, mainly aiming at protecting, rescuing and multiplying the wild Asian elephants, successfully protects the species diversity and promotes harmonious development between human and animals.
2009-08-24 - Auckland, New Zealand.
Elephant Kashin, one of Auckland Zoo's oldest and most recognisable residents, has died age 40. A message on Auckland Zoo's website says "much-loved female elephant Kashin, a part of the zoo family for over 36 years, was put to sleep at 5pm this evening after losing her battle with chronic health conditions". Auckland Zoo Board Chair, Councillor Graeme Mulholland said staff were devastated, "grieving the loss of their incredibly spirited and gentle matriarch". "Kashin touched the lives, not just...
2009-08-24 - Chestermere, Canada.
not for sale stamped on the bottom,thats what makes it an awesome COLLECTIBLE RARE and in Excellent condition one of a Kind dimentions 7x6x4 will ship world wide 325.00
2009-08-24 - Theppakadu, India. D. RADHAKRISHNAN
Mudumalai came alive on Sunday during the Vinayaka Chathurthi celebrations. A remarkable feature of the festivities was the participation of elephants belonging to the Theppakadu camp of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Though rain dampened the spirit of the festival in some parts of the Nilgiris, at Mudumalai the celebrations were marked by considerable enthusiasm. Witnessed by a large number of devotees and tourists, including a few foreigners, 17 elephants were given a bath in the Moyar river and...
2009-08-24 - Casper, United States.
Casper College Geology Instructor Kent Sundell was richly rewarded during his final attempt to recover the remaining tusk and skull from a large Mammuthus Columbi also known as a Columbian Mammoth during a final digging expedition. Not only did he find the skull, but also the complete tusk measuring approximately eight to nine feet in length and 9 inches in diameter. "Dee" the mammoth was originally discovered on March 8, 2006 on the Allemand Ranch. By the end of June 2006 Sundell, Tate prep lab...
2009-08-24 - McMinnville, United States.
Archaeologists made history in Oregon on Sunday when they recovered the second tusk of a 44,000-year-old mammoth near McMinnville. Mike Full, an ex-police officer in the area, led a team of archaeologists and volunteers who uncovered the 26-inch portion of what was once a 6-foot tusk along the South Yamhill River. It's the first time both tusks from a single mammoth have been found in Oregon.
2009-08-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Risidra Mendis
An ongoing baby elephant racket in the country has come to light with the discovery of a third baby being held captive in Balangoda. However the Flying Squad of the Department of Wildlife and Conservation (DWC) is yet to find out how many baby elephants have been abducted from the wild and how many of them have died while in captivity. It was in early 2000 that the first baby elephant was found in Pugoda in the Kirindiwela area. According to an animal rights lawyer the owners of the baby elephan...
2009-08-23 - Chennai, India. Barnabas Tiburtius
Today is the festival of Ganesh Chathurthi. A day to worship the God who removes all obstacles. Though Ganesha considered as son of Shiva and Parvati, the Matsya Purana, Shiva Purana, and Skanda Purana ascribe the birth of Ganesha to Parvati only, without any form of participation of Shiva in Ganesha's birth.
2009-08-23 - Budapest, Hungary. ATTILA BALAZS
Today's photo was taken by Attila Balazs and shows elephants. Orphaned 2-year-old African elephant Jumaane climbs on the back of his dead mother, Yoki, Friday in the Nyiregyhaza Animal Park, 245 kilometres east of Budapest, Hungary. Yoki, 19, died the day before, apparently of a tumour in her spleen. Jumaane stayed with his mother’s body for 14 hours. Keepers say the calf has been looking for his mother, weeping, since the body was removed from the elephant house. View our elephants photo gall...
2009-08-23 - Koramore, India. Jayanta Kumar
The eight years old female elephant which had been mercilessly tortured by locals near Koramore on August 9 was rescued by forest and civil administration under police and CRPF protection on August 11.It was given first aid veterinary treatment for several days under the guidance of Dr.KC Chamua, VAS, Tangla.
2009-08-23 - San Diego, United States. Tony Perry
Two Asian elephants in need of better veterinary care have been removed from a Texas facility by the federal government and brought to the San Diego Zoo. Jewel and Tina, both thought to be in their 40s, arrived at the zoo Saturday after being removed from Leggett, Texas, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates zoos and other animal facilities. The Leggett facility's owner agreed to the removal as part of a deal in which the government dropped its demand for fines.
2009-08-23 - Nairobi, Kenya.
In the first six months of this year, more than 70 elephants have been killed by poachers, and last year, nearly 100 elephants in Kenya were found dead with their tusks missing. According to an official of the Kenya Wildlife Service, the surge in poaching can be attributed to criminal syndicates – mostly from China and Southeast Asia – which are aiding and abetting the poachers. The report warned that if poaching continued, the elephant population could die off within 15 years.
2009-08-23 - London, United Kingdom. Martin Northway
Christopher Nicholson's well-crafted debut novel "The Elephant Keeper," is set in mid-18th century England instead of mid-20th century America. Here, menageries and particularly elephants are still exotic and unfamiliar, and they enter the changing social and physical landscape of George III.
2009-08-22 - Thattekad, India.
Residents and forest officials found the bodies of two baby elephants that probably slipped and drowned from a steep upstream due to heavy rainfall near Thattekad Bird Sanctuary in Kerala. Officials presume that bodies slipped due to very heavy rainfall the night before, which had led to temporary flood-like-situation in the region. Both the babies must have slipped and flown over, that is the reason we assume deaths have happened, said Thomas Varghese, forest ranger of the Thattekad Bird Sanctu...
2009-08-22 - Portland, United States.
On his big day, Sam will get to chow down on a cake made by the zoo's Executive Chef Paul Warner, but he won't be the only one celebrating. The zoo will throw a party in Sam's honor on Sunday, Aug. 23, and all zoo visitors are invited. Sam was born as a part of the Oregon Zoo's renowned breeding program for endangered Asian elephants. More than 25 calves have been born at the zoo, beginning with Packy in 1962. Samudra is the first third-generation elephant to be born in the United States.
2009-08-22 - Jakarta, Indonesia.
The government has sent a pair of Sumatran elephants to Belgium to enliven the Indonesian Park in Parc Paradisio in the European country. Male elephant Valentino, 5 years old, and his partner Ani, 4, have become a center of attraction since their arrival on Aug. 17, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said. Indonesian Ambassador to Belgium Nadjib Riphat Kesoema received the elephants, which were resettled under a breeding loan program signed by the two countries.
2009-08-22 - Thanh Hoa, Vietnam.
Vietnamese police have seized almost 100 kilograms of ivory, the second seizure of its kind in recent weeks, state media reported on Saturday. Police found the 17 pieces of ivory weighing 94 kilograms (207 pounds) after they stopped a car travelling in the wrong lane on a highway in northern Thanh Hoa province, the Vietnam News said, citing traffic police.
2009-08-21 - Hanoi, Vietnam. Sahil Nagpal
Police in Vietnam have seized nearly 100 kilograms of elephant tusks concealed in a car headed for Hanoi, state media reported Friday. The state-run newspaper Lao Dong reported police in the central province of Thanh Hoa stopped a car Thursday for driving in the wrong lane. The police found sixteen elephant tusks weighing 94 kilograms hidden in the boot and under the chassis. Police arrested the driver on suspicion of smuggling, and seized the car and the tusks as evidence.
2009-08-21 - Ithaca, United States.
A CT scan of artifacts held by the Paleontological Research Institution could be the key to unlocking the evolutionary mystery of elephant legs. On Tuesday, curators from the Museum of the Earth and medical professionals from Cayuga Medical Center will take a look inside the leg bones of a mastodon skeleton at the museum with a CT scan. What they find will help advance research into the evolutionary path that has led to elephants' unusual structure, said biologist John Hutchinson, a reader in ev...
2009-08-20 - Twycross, United Kingdom.
TWYCROSS Zoo has celebrated the birth of a new baby elephant after the calf pulled through a potentially life-threatening illness. Born to the zoo’s Asian elephant, Noorjahan, earlier this month, the as-yet unnamed calf had to be monitored by vets after “suddenly turning offcolour”. But the youngster has since “made good progress” and staff belatedly celebrated his birth yesterday.
2009-08-20 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Nigel Wild
The story behind how Chhouk the baby elephant gained his artificial foot is one of hope and salvation following the desperate years of his troubled homeland. It is also a story of how Cambodian medical students found themselves using techniques developed to create prosthetic limbs for mine victims to help a wild animal. Cambodia is now politically stable and tourism a major growth industry, but the legacy of war, genocide and political upheaval has left the country as one of the poorest of the d...
2009-08-20 - Guwahati, India. Prabin Kalita
Assam has asked the Centre to lift a 1982 ban on mela ‘shikar’, a traditional way of trapping wild jumbos with the help of domesticated elephants. "We want the Centre to withdraw the ban so that we can acquire wild elephants and domesticate them for government duties," said state forest minister Rockybul Hussain on Thursday. The jumbos are needed for carrying guards and tourists in wildlife sanctuaries, transporting EVMs and polling officials to remote areas. Besides, trapping wild pachyderm...
2009-08-20 - lam, Thailand.
Thai elephant damages newly fitted artificial limb An elephant fitted with an artificial limb 10 years after stepping on a land mine has had a minor setback, damaging the device attached to her left front leg. Soraida Salwala of the private group Friends of the Asian Elephant said today that 48-year-old Motola bent the prothesis when she lay down on it. Motola, who weighs three tons, was fitted with the custom-made device Sunday at the Elephant Hospital in Lampang, northern Thailan...
2009-08-20 - Leggett, United States. CINDY HORSWELL
Willie Davenport will keep Boo — a 9,000-pound elephant who has performed in circuses with his family since the 1960s — but he had to relinquish two other elephants to end his fight Thursday with federal authorities over permitting and care of the gentle giants. I am sad. This is not just my loss, but East Texas is losing their elephants. They have touched a lot of people, said Davenport, who was surrounded by 70 neighbors who came to show support when authorities arrived to collect the two ...
2009-08-19 - Francistown, Botswana. NDINGILILO GAOSWEDIWE and THATO MARAPO
Two unemployed Zimbabweans yesterday appeared before the Magistrates Court here on a single count of unlawful possession of an elephant tusk. Two accused persons, Fortunate Mwanza (29) and Prince Sakurita (26) seemed befuddled by the proceedings, agreeing with everything put to them by both the prosecutor and the magistrate. At one stage, Principal Magistrate Peggy Madandume had to intervene to clarify certain phrases before the accused made their pleas. Prosecutor Osefile Mmitseng of the Diamon...
2009-08-19 - Oaxaca, Mexico.
Scientists have unearthed the skeleton of a prehistoric Mastodon in Mexico. The relative of today’s elephant roamed the earth many thousands of years ago. If scientists have it right, the remains of this beast haven't seen the light of day in at least 10,000 years. The skeleton of a prehistoric Mastodon has been unearthed in the Mexican state of Oaxaca after being discovered by a local farmer.
2009-08-19 - London, United Kingdom.
Secret cameras hidden inside the elephant tent of the Great British Circus showed animals being hit with a metal hook, a broom and a pitchfork. An undercover investigation by Animal Defenders International (ADI) filmed three elephants - Sonja, Delhi and Vana Mana - during the circus's tour of Britain this summer. A groom is seen deliberately twisting an animal's tail and the elephants are shown crying out in distress and retreating in fear from their handlers.
2009-08-18 - , United States.
Central and local agencies have passed the buck in implementing a project to protect endangered elephants in the southern Dong Nai Province while the mysterious death of five elephants remains unsolved. The protection project envisaged setting up an elephant reserve in the province, 35 kilometers to the northeast of Ho Chi Minh City.
2009-08-18 - Oaktown, United States.
Mine workers in southwestern Indiana have unearthed the tusks and skeletal remains of a prehistoric elephant that lived more than 12,000 years ago. The workers were digging a coal slurry storage pit recently at Vectren's Black Panther Mine about 30 miles south of Terre Haute when they noticed the fossil mastodon bones in a backhoe shovel. After realizing the importance of the find, the crew notified the Indiana Division of Reclamation, which regulates mining operations.
2009-08-18 - Twycross, United Kingdom.
A baby elephant, whose mother was the first elephant to conceive via artificial insemination at Twycross Zoo, has suffered a setback. A press conference to show off the elephant, who was born on Thursday at the Leicestershire zoo, has been cancelled as he has become unwell.
2009-08-17 - Leggett, United States.
Willie Davenport, an animal exhibitor, has 3 female elephants: Boo (52 yrs. old), Jewel (45 yrs. old), and Tina (42 yrs. old). The problem Davenport is having is with Jewel and a lady named Denise Sofranko. Sofranko wants to take Jewel away from Davenport and put her in an "elephant sanctuary". Davenport is a 3rd generation animal exhibitor. "Denise Sofranko drove my dad out of business in 1997 and now she's coming for me... It's personal", Davenport told PolkCountyToday.com. "Elephants at...
2009-08-16 - Wellington, New Zealand.
The future of the New Zealand's only circus elephant is in dispute as animal activists are calling for Jumbo to be retired claiming she is poorly treated. However, the circus says there is nowhere for her to go. Jumbo has entertained Kiwi children for over 30 years but now the African elephant is looking for a new home as her owner attempts to retire her.
2009-08-16 - Kolkata, India.
A four-month-old sick elephant calf, which was rescued from a riverside in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district last month, died Sunday at a wildlife camp, a senior state forest department official said. The young pachyderm, named as Aranya by the forest department officials, died early Sunday, a senior state forest department official said. According to officials, the baby elephant, believed to be separated from its herd, was unfed and sick when it was first spotted near a riverside. Aranya was ...
2009-08-15 - Gudalur, India.
A trek into the wild turned tragic for two French tourists at Gudalur in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. An elephant attacked them on Friday killing Annie Delyotal (65). Her son, Frederick (39), escaped with minor injuries. The duo, residents of Isle-sur-Marne in northeastern France, arrived in Bangalore on August 11. They checked into a jungle resort at Bokkapuram village near Masinagudi, about 12 km from the Mudumalai tiger reserve, on Thursday. They two were led to jungles in a jeep with...
2009-08-15 - Portland, United States. Bill LaMarche
The Oregon Zoo's Asian elephants have been getting fitter this summer, thanks to some local teenagers. Three Catlin Gabel students recently revived a six-year-old, out-of-service environmental enrichment device for the zoo's bull elephants. The device was initially designed by Portland State University students to mentally engage the elephants, while also encouraging them to exercise.
2009-08-15 - Golaghat, India.
An elephant was attacked and seriously injured by a tiger in world-famous Kaziranga National Park (KNP), forest officials said today. The six-year-old female elephant was attacked by a tiger in the northern part of the Park and its hind legs were injured last night, KNP director S N Buragohain told PTI. The elephant, which had its ears torn apart in the incident, was being treated at the camp office of the Park where her condition was stated to be stable, he said.
2009-08-15 - Lampang, Thailand. APICHART WEERAWONG
Motola, a female elephant who stepped on a land mine 10 years ago and endured painful operations, was fitted Saturday in Thailand for a permanent artificial leg. The 48-year-old pachyderm became a symbol of the plight of today's elephants, and her injury sparked international sympathy and donations. Experts were making a cast of her injured left front leg for a plastic prosthetic limb which will be attached later Saturday.
2009-08-15 - Harare, Zimbabwe. Nqobani Ndlovu
A white South African has been arrested in southern Zimbabwe facing charges of illegal poaching that is costing the southern African nation millions of foreign currency in wildlife tourism revenue. Jan Johannes George Roos, the South African, is languishing at Beitbridge prison at a border town separating Zimbabwe and that neighbouring country following his arrest on Wednesday.
2009-08-15 - Felixstowe, United Kingdom.
MORE parts of a massive mammoth which used to live where Felixstowe stands today have been washed up on the resort's shores. The great woolly beast one was one of many which would have scavenged for food on the land between Britain and Europe before the North Sea swept through and separated them. Beachcomber Clive Bamberger was walking at Landguard when he found a fossilised tooth on the sand between the high and low water marks
2009-08-15 - New York, United States. Simon Barrett in Book Reviews
Victoria Cristiani Rossi has just released a memoir Spangles, Elephants, Violets And Me. It takes us behind the scenes of the traveling circus, a staple of the first half of the 20th century. Victoria was born in 1940 and although she herself was not a part of the daring horseback act she was a performer in her own right, she appeared in the Elephant act. The Cristiani family are one of the best known multi generational circus families, their skills on horseback were legendary, and over the year...
2009-08-15 - Kolkata, India.
An adult female elephant was killed after getting entangled in electified fencing at an army cantonment in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district late Friday night, a forest department official said Saturday. The elephant came from Chapramari forest area in Dooars region and entered a village Friday night in search of food. It died on the spot. The army personnel found the elephant lying dead this morning and informed us, Jalpaiguri district’s divisional forest officer-2 Biman Biswas told IANS.
2009-08-14 - Coonoor, India.
A five-year-old elephant calf was captured by forest officials in Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. The elephant had strayed towards a human habitation after separating from its herd. The officials tranquillized the elephant that had been creating problems for inhabitants of the tea estate in the town, and later released it in the Burliar forest area.
2009-08-14 - Pittsburgh, United States. Allison M. Heinrichs
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium's prolific bull elephant is a father for the eighth time, the zoo confirmed today. Jackson's latest offspring is a 251-pound female born at the Hogle Zoo in Utah on Monday. She and her mother, Christie, are doing well. Last year, Jackson became father to two calves at the Pittsburgh Zoo, females Angeline and Zuri.
2009-08-14 - Mysore, India.
The jumbos chosen for taking part in this year's Dasara festivities next month have arrived in the city. The journey of the first batch of elephants, comprising five from the elephant camp in Veeranahosahalli near Hunsur in Mysore District, and one from Kyathedevaragudi of Biligiri Ranga Hills in Chamarajanagar District began on Thursday. The five-strong batch of elephants comprising Balarama, chosen to carry the Ambari (golden howdah), Abhimanyu, assigned the task of drawing the decorated cart ...
2009-08-14 - Bangkok, Thailand.
As the elephant dragged its feet towards city hall, the chains draped from its neck swung like twin pendulums. The animal’s dusty skin fit loose on its 30-year-old body. Where a right eye belonged, there was only a crusty socket. Such sorry condition is typical of Thailand’s street elephants. This particular pachyderm, named Pang Buakam by its owner, has squeezed along the city’s narrow lanes for more than ten years. Like other urban elephants, Pang Buakam and its guide would ply to...
2009-08-14 - Bangkok, Thailand. Rhishja Larson
Current laws in Thailand make it easy for live elephants - including infant elephants stolen from their mothers in the wild - to be traded unscrupulously for “entertainment” purposes. For many people, thoughts of Thailand conjure up romantic notions of being transported to various tourist attractions on the back of an elephant. But tragically, many of the captive elephants used for the Thai tourist trade, and as zoo and circus exports, are the victims of an insidious, illegal market that thr...
2009-08-14 - Bewdley, United Kingdom. LILY FU
An African elephant at the West Midlands Safari Park in Worcestershire, Britain has acquired a unique skill the ability to play the harmonica. Five the elephant fiddled around with a harmonica after someone accidentally left one on the side of her enclosure, according to the Telegraph . Five picked it up and figured out how to make music on it. "It is very unusual for animals to actually get a sense of playing a tune," park spokewoman Wendy Jackson said. "Five was really curious about it when it...
2009-08-14 - Knoxville, United States.
The Knoxville Zoo is seeking a qualified person to fill an opening in the elephant department. The Knoxville Zoo currently houses 1.2 African Elephants. The females are managed in free contact and the male is managed in protected contact. We need a dependable, trustworthy, and very team oriented individual who will be able to work in a fast paced, progressive program. Elephant experience not required but it is preferred.
2009-08-13 - Salt Lake City, United States. Matthew D. LaPlante
She's a baby years in the making. Veterinarians decided back in 2004 that Christie the elephant was ready to be a mother. But it took five years and millions of dollars in renovations to the zoo's elephant habitat to bring the Hogle Zoo's newest resident to life. In a 20-minute labor that went by so fast it surprised her keepers, Christie gave birth to a 251-pound female calf on Monday afternoon. The as-of-yet unnamed calf is the first elephant born in Utah in more than 90 years and is the first...
2009-08-13 - Rochford, United Kingdom. Emma Thomas
ANIMAL lovers are angry after elephants joined a circus performance for the first time. The Great British Circus has pitched its big top at Southend Road, in Rochford, with tigers, camels and ponies entering the ring. But this year’s line-up has the addition of three elephants – Sonja, Vana Mana and Dehli – and a white tiger called Tiara. Circus director Martin Lacey, who has worked with wild animals for more than 40 years, has always insisted his animals receive the best possible care and...
2009-08-13 - Charleston, United States.
Elephants Cora and Shannon will take the spotlight at the 85th annual West Virginia State Fair starting Friday through Aug. 22. The girls are the stars of "Elephant Encounter," an educational and entertaining experience for the entire family. Bill Morris and his wife, Cindy, travel with their animals five months out of the year, doing fairs and festivals throughout the Midwest. These are not circus elephants, nor are they zoo elephants. They are family elephants and have been owned and cared for...
2009-08-13 - Buffalo, United States.
Minimum two-year degree in one of the natural sciences or a closely related discipline, four-year degree preferred. A minimum of two years of elephant training, management, and husbandry experience with demonstrated proficiency is required. Free contact experience preferred. Experience may substitute for educational requirement.
2009-08-12 - Harare, Zimbabwe.
Chinese authorities have promised death or lengthy jail terms to Zimbabweans caught smuggling ivory and drugs into the country. A notice posted outside the Chinese embassy here reads, “It has been observed that Zimbabweans knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly have been involved in trafficking prohibited substances into China. According to Chinese law, illegal buying or selling of, importing and exporting of the following products is a serious offence that attracts a death penalty...
2009-08-11 - Jakarta, Indonesia. Li Xianzhi
A male elephant has been found dead at a national park in Lampung province of Indonesia, and both of its tusks went missing, the provincial World Wild Fund (WWF) said on Tuesday. The two-year-old animal may have been killed by those on purpose to steal its tusks, Afrizal Khaidir a senior official of the WWF said. The elephant was found dead at its cage at the Way Kambas National Park on Friday, he said.
2009-08-11 - Paignton, United Kingdom. Jace Shoemaker-Galloway
Gay, the Asian elephant, has been suffering from very sore feet recently. For the past several months, keepers at the Paignton Zoo Environmental Park have been keeping a close eye on the 40-year-old elephant. Although she gets regular pedicures and antibiotic foot baths, Gay has been suffering from painful abscesses in both her front feet.
2009-08-11 - Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
Salt Lake City now has its first newborn baby elephant in more than 89 years. Christie, a 7,900-pound African elephant at Hogle Zoo delivered her first baby Monday afternoon, after a 22-month gestation. The 251-pound and 36-inch tall female calf is reported to be doing well."The birth was extremely fast," elephant manager Doug Tomkinson said. "It went easy and well, but I can't believe how fast it happened." He added, "This is something miraculous that has occurred. It has been years of hard wor...
2009-08-11 - Madurai, India.
Despite becoming part of a new herd, love and affection for their mother simply refuses to die, as two elephant calves, including a new born, have been visiting daily the place, where their mother was buried in a forest area in neighboring Virudhunagar district. The female elephant had given birth to a calf on August 5 in Shenbagathoppu forest area near Srivilliputhur, about 80 km from here, but died later following dehydration.
2009-08-11 - Bangkok, Thailand. SUPOJ WANCHAROEN
Public donations have allowed City Hall to buy a partially blind 30-year-old elephant found begging for food on Bangkok's streets. Pang Bua Kham will be sent to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang as part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's "Smiling Elephants" project. The project is aimed at rescuing all elephants roaming the streets of Bangkok within one year. Donations are being collected from the public to buy the beasts from their owners and transport them to the state...
2009-08-11 - Chandrapur, India.
The case of a minor elephant giving birth to a stillborn calf couple of weeks ago at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) has shocked the forest authorities as well as the veterinary doctors. It is a unique case and probably the first in history of the species, when an elephant conceived at an age when she is still a calf.
2009-08-10 - Chicago, Illinois, United States.
The newest resident of Brookfield Zoo is described by the staff as a "busybody" who loves splashing water, wallowing in mud and chowing down on oranges, watermelon and cantaloupe, but she's not exactly a kid. Joyce is a 26-year-old African elephant who arrived at the west suburban zoo on Sunday, according to a release from the zoo. The nearly 8-foot, 6,800-pounds pachyderm arrived in a special truck from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif., to become a companion for Christy, the zoo's...
2009-08-10 - , United Kingdom.
A baby elephant, whose mother was the first elephant to conceive via artificial insemination at Twycross Zoo, has suffered a setback.A press conference to show off the elephant, who was born on Thursday at the Leicestershire zoo, has been cancelled as he has become unwell. The 100kg (220lb) elephant is being closely supervised by vets but is not thought to be in a serious condition. Staff have said he just needs more time alone with mother Noorjahan. Noorjahan was inseminated from a bull elephan...
2009-08-10 - Kadugannawa, Sri Lanka.
The Forum of the Basnayake Nialmes (BN) of Sri Lanka revealed that there are only 98 domesticated elephants now in Sri Lanka following the death of the she elephant at Kadugannawa on Friday. The number of tamed elephants dwindled fast during the part few years as they died due to old age. There were more than 120 of them a few years and the number decreased as 60 per cent of them were over 70 years, the Forum said. The she elephant which died while returning to her master at Hemmathagama after p...
2009-08-10 - Manzini, Swaziland.
In an effort to reduce the need for elephant culling, Disney Animal Kingdom vets have successfully performed vasectomies on seven Swaziland bull elephants. The elephants were from the Hlane Royal National Park and Mkhaya Game Reserve, both owned by Big Game Parks. The parks carry small elephant herds. While the operation helped to pave the way forward in finding environmentally sound, financially viable and humane methods of elephant population control, park managers said the vasectomy operation...
2009-08-10 - Indianapolis, United States. Stan Lehr
Elephants don't sweat. Cocktail party trivia to you, perhaps, but to Michael Rowe it's a scientific challenge. Rowe, a doctoral student at Indiana State University, is studying how elephants deal with hot and cold at four zoos in Indianapolis, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Toronto. By learning how heat is dissipated in different environments, he hopes to better understand the impact of vanishing habitat and possibly provide new guidelines for the care of elephants in captivity.
2009-08-09 - Balangoda, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo
The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) raided a house in Balangoda on a tip off that a three-month old elephant calf was being kept there illegally. According to Wildlife sources, following the tip offthe DWC’s flying squad carried out the raid in Bagewatte last morning after being on the lookout for the calf the past week. The team headed by Upali Padmasiri had eventually located the house on Friday night and when they raided it last morning, they found the elephant chained inside the ...
2009-08-09 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Sindu and Raju are not the only elephants handed over to the Dalada Maligawa at the request of the Diyawadana Nilames (DN). In 2007, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) came under pressure to release a wild elephant brought to the Maligawa to be tamed. Dr.Vijitha Perera, a veterinary surgeon attached to the DWC, described the sad fate of this elephant in his book “Ten Years with the Wild Elephants” (Wana Ali Samaga Dasa Wasarak).
2009-08-09 - Lampang, Thailand.
Thailand's National Elephant Institute on Sunday launched a training programme for mahouts across the country in an attempt to raise elephant quality of life and help preserve the decreasing population of the huge animal. The training is co-sponsored by the National Elephant Institute, the Forest Industry Organization (FIO) and Asia House Foundation and is being held at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang province
2009-08-07 - , United Kingdom.
Noorjahan, who lives at the Leicestershire Zoo, was inseminated from a bull elephant based at Whipsnade Wildlife park in Bedfordshire. The procedure was done artificially as moving elephants between zoos for mating can be bad for herd dynamics. The male elephant calf, who has not been named yet, is about one metre tall (3.28ft) and weighs 100kg (220lb). The baby elephant, who was born on Thursday morning, will be named by a public competition in about a week's time. Noorjahan arrived at the zoo ...
2009-08-07 - Twycross, United Kingdom.
The first elephant to conceive via artificial insemination at Twycross Zoo has given birth. Noorjahan, who lives at the Leicestershire Zoo, was inseminated from a bull elephant based at Whipsnade Wildlife park in Bedfordshire. The procedure was done artificially as moving elephants between zoos for mating can be bad for herd dynamics. The male elephant calf, who has not been named yet, is about one metre tall (3.28ft) and weighs 100kg (220lb). The baby elephant, who was born on Thu...
2009-08-04 - London, United Kingdom.
Minister of defence and President Robert Mugabe’s heir apparent, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has been named by a British newspaper as the mastermind behind a multi-million dollar ivory and rhino horn smuggling cartel.
2009-08-04 - Chicago, United States. Joe Fontanetta
"So, Joe, you've been working here almost a year and you haven't even come to meet the girls," he said. He was John, the head elephant keeper at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. "Hey, are you serious?" I asked. Meeting the zoo's two resident female elephants was considered a privilege, and rightly so. "Sure," answered John. "If things slow down a little in the Small Mammal House this afternoon, come on over." Well, even though I'd been a zookeeper for almost a year, I had, as yet, been lucky eno...
2009-08-04 - Gland, Switzerland.
The IUCN/SSC African Elephant Specialist Group aims to undertake a study to improve understanding of the elephant meat trade on elephant populations in Central Africa. The study will elaborate on bushmeat research already undertaken throughout the region by a number of institutions, but will focus on the African elephant. The study will examine the dynamics, scale and impact of the elephant meat trade throughout the Central African subregion. The study will examine the trade in elephant meat as ...
2009-08-04 - Bangalore, India. Bosky Khanna
It’s a boy! Before the feminists among you protest, there is reason for special cheer in this birth. On Saturday night, Suvarna (19) gave birth to Gajendra. This is the first time in the history of the Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) that a male elephant calf has been born in captivity.
2009-08-03 - Bengaluru, India.
The Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) welcomed its first male elephant to be born at the park. Suvarna, a 19-year-old cow elephant, delivered the calf taking the number of elephants in the park to 11. Vanaraj, a 40-year-old majestic tusker, who participated in the Dasara festivities last year, was the only male elephant here. But even he came from elsewhere. The park officials are jubilant as the elephant calf was adopted soon after its birth by a Dubai based businessman.
2009-08-03 - Hamburg, Germany.
Baby elephant Rani plays with her mother Tura outdoors for the first time in an enclosure at the Hagenbeck zoo in Hamburg. Rani was born on July 3, 2009 and is now the youngest member of a family of 12 elephants that live in the zoo.
2009-08-03 - Berhampur, India.
A three-member team of wildlife experts was pressed into service on Monday to drive away the marauding elephants, who have been wreaking havoc in Kandhamal's Daringibadi block for the past two-and-half months. The team, including an expert ranger from the wildlife warden's office, have reached Baliguda. Besides, three squads, comprising around 30 personnel, were engaged in the job to drive away the elephants.
2009-08-01 - Jersualem, Israel. Jonathan Lis
Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo last week lost two elephants, an unborn calf and its mother, who died from complications of pregnancy. Abigail, 32, died on Friday evening at the zoo's intensive care veterinary ward despite an international effort to deliver the dead calf she was carrying in her womb. After Abigail went into labor but could not give birth, the zoo's veterinary staff called Dr. Thomas Bernd Hildebrandt from the Institute for Zoo Biology and Wildlife Research, Berlin, and another expert o...
2009-08-01 - Tulsa, United States.
2009-07-31 - Memphis, United States.
The Memphis Zoo has an opening for a Keeper in our Elephant area; the anticipated vacancy will occur 10/09. 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).
2009-07-30 - Jacksonville, United States. AZA
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is currently recruiting a Supervisor of Mammals with the primary responsibility as the Elephant Program Manager. The successful candidate must have a bachelors degree in a related life science and a minimum of 5 years experience in an AZA accredited zoo with previous experience working protected contact. Must be familiar with the AZA Standards for Elephant Management and Care and have at least 2 yrs. experience as a supervisor. Responsibilities include managing 1...
2009-07-29 - Hanoi, Vietnam.
Vietnamese customs officials have uncovered 200 kilogrammes (440 pounds) of elephant ivory tusks illegally imported from Kenya, official media reported on Wednesday. The tusks were found hidden in timber inside a container at the northern Hai Phong port, said Cong An Nhan Dan (People's Police) newspaper. Authorities are seeking the owner of the container, who did not turn up to receive the goods when they arrived in April, the newspaper said. It did not say who was listed as the receiver or giv...
2009-07-29 - Ta Phraya, Thailand.
Pang Kamlai, a female elephant seriously injured in a road accident in Sa Kaeo two months ago, died on Wednesday despite extensive efforts to save her. The medical team tried in vain to revive her with cardio pulmonary respiration for 30 minutes, but could not fight off death. One of the veterinarians broke down, sobbing and placing Plang Kamlai's trunk on his shoulder after he learned that she was gone. The 10-year-old female elephant suffered severe injuries to her front legs and head when hit...
2009-07-29 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. Asela Kuruluwansa
The third Kumbal Perahera of the Kandy Esala pageant will parade the streets of Kandy tonight. A massive crowd witnessed the first Kumbal Perahera on Monday. Although the perahera commenced at 7.20 p.m. all streets along the perahera route were overcrowded with people occupying all vantage points by 4 p.m. with a considerable number left out on other streets unable to gain access to streets on the perahera route. Among the crowds were a large number of children.
2009-07-29 - San Diego, United States.
Lowell Lindsay, co-author of Fossil Treasures of the Anza-Borrego Desert: The Last Seven Million Years, will be at the San Diego Zoo’s new Elephant Odyssey Exhibit on Saturday, August 15. He will be discussing, in a hands-on presentation, one of America’s most significant fossil treasure troves—the Anza-Borrego Desert, located in San Diego’s own desert backyard. San Diego County’s Anza-Borrego Desert region boasts the longest continuous fossil record in North America, with fossils of s...
2009-07-28 - Fairhope, United States. BERNIE HORNICK
The stage is set for the biggest romance Somerset County has ever seen. But only one of the two players is certain: Jackson, the bull elephant who lives at the International Conservation Center. He gets to pick his love interest from the new arrivals, Kallie and Bette – pronounced Bet. Jackson hasn’t yet been given the chance to decide: As is often the case in matters of the heart, timing is everything, and zookeepers want to get this one right. The ICC on Monday introduced the girls to thei...
2009-07-28 - Whipsnade, United Kingdom.
A female elephant calf made her public debut today at the Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, England. The calf, who has yet to be named by zoo staff, weighs 126kg (278lbs) and was born earlier this month. The zoo has seen its elephant population decline this year. Two of its elephants died from an elephant herpes virus. Zoo director David Field told the BBC the baby calf's birth was important for the zoo's endangered species program. "The female calf represents another important addition to our herd...
2009-07-27 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. KDKA.com
Two of the Philadelphia Zoo's female elephants are getting used to their new home at the Pittsburgh Zoo's International Conservation Center. Bette and Kallie are said to be doing well so far and will be introduced to the outside yards soon. "Both Bette and Kallie are doing very well," says Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. "They started to explore the elephant barn almost immediately and love to be in the sand arena." Currently the two elephants are bein...
2009-07-27 - , United Kingdom. PRLog Press Release
A tiny elephant standing just over 3ft high is the latest addition to the herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. The pint-sized pachyderm was born on Wednesday night to mum Kaylee, 27, weighing in at a healthy 126kg (almost 20st). Adult elephants can weigh over 800st. The speedy nipper was on her feet within five minutes of being born, the quickest any calf born at the Zoo has been up and about. She has already been enjoying the summer sunshine taking her first wobbly steps outside, much to the delight of z...
2009-07-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Two baby elephants under five years old were taken away from their mothers, sparking anger in a world-renown elephant orphanage in central Sri Lanka, a local English newspaper said on Monday. The Island said the two baby tuskers were forcibly separated from their mothers by the Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela, the chief custodian of the Temple of the Tooth, on Saturday night at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, about 80 km northeast of the capital Colombo.
2009-07-26 - , United States. Keith O'Brien / Boston.com
In zoo parlance, they’re known as charismatic megafauna. We’re talking lions, tigers, and other large creatures. They are the big-ticket beasts and the reason, historically anyway, why people have come to the zoo. Where there is megafauna, the thinking goes, there will be crowds. That’s partly what made Ron Kagan’s decision so shocking. The executive director of the Detroit Zoo announced in 2004 that he was voluntarily sending his zoo’s two Asian elephants to a California sanctuary, wh...
2009-07-24 - Nairobi, Kenya. ROB CRILLY
ELEPHANTS ARE destroying Kenya’s national parks, trampling woodland and putting other species at risk, according to a new report. The giant mammals need vast areas of land to graze and trying to protect them inside parks is putting a strain on the rest of the ecosystem. The finding is part of a study that discovered Kenya’s famous wild animal population is dying off at the same rate inside protected parks as outside – 40 per cent in 20 years.
2009-07-16 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. WPXI.com
Thursday was a big day for the elephants at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. They're celebrating two birthdays. Angeline and Zuri were born last July. The first year of life is critical for elephants to grow and learn and both Angeline and Zuri are doing very well. The zoo said the little pachyderms have reached several major milestones. "They are eating solid foods, using their trunks to pick up objects, and learning simple commands such as ‘come here and stop,’ says Willie Theison, ele...
2009-07-14 - Dallas, Texas, United States. Dawson M Williams / The Dallas Morning News
Jenny the elephant, one of the Dallas Zoo's most famous residents, was introduced Tuesday to the pachyderm that will become her constant companion. Gypsy, a 27-year-old female African elephant, arrived at the zoo in late March from a private owner in Southeast Texas and had been quarantined since then. All new zoo animals are separated at first to ensure that they aren't carrying diseases and to allow them time to adapt to the staff and their new environment. The pair met for the first time earl...
2009-07-11 - Fairhope, Pennsylvania, United States. CUMBERLAND TIMES-NEWS
A trio of animal-rights groups is railing against the pending move of two elephants to Pittsburgh Zoo’s conservation center in Somerset County. The organizations — including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — argue that the two pachyderms from Philadelphia’s zoo are too old for breeding and would be confined to “small pens” at the Fairhope-area facility. But the zoo’s top administrator begs to differ, saying the activists’ assertions are misleading and, in some cases, ...
2009-07-08 - Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Linda Moore
The jubilance at the Memphis Zoo following the Monday night birth of an African elephant calf was snatched away on Wednesday after the new baby was accidentally killed by its mother. At about 10 a.m. Wednesday, the calf stumbled in the enclosure. As Asali tried to right the baby with her trunk, she used too much pressure and critically injured it with her tusk, said Chuck Brady, zoo president and CEO. Zoo staffers immediately moved Asali away from the female calf, but the facility’s medical te...
2009-07-07 - Memphis, Tennessee, United States. PRESS RELEASE
“Asali,” an African elephant at the Memphis Zoo gave birth to a female calf at approximately 10:23pm on July 6 after a gestation of 1 year, 9 months, and 15 days. Currently, Asali and her calf are in healthy, stable condition. The pregnancy is a result of the Zoo’s continued participation in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) plans to grow the captive population of elephants. This plan, known as the Species Survival Plan, outlines the management and development of healthy eleph...
2009-07-06 - Los Angeles, United States. WPXI.com
Hours before a public memorial for Michael Jackson, a herd of elephants were on the march through downtown Los Angeles in a fitting start to a circus-like day. Eleven Asian elephants and seven horses from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus lumbered from Union Station toward the Staples Center early Tuesday, where the memorial service for Jackson was to be held. The elephants were set to arrive at the arena some five hours before the memorial. Some elephants and early arriving Jackson ...
2009-07-05 - Sydney, Australia.
The male calf was born to Asian elephant Thong Dee in Taronga Zoo's Elephant Barn about 3.08am yesterday. After a three-hour labour, Thong Dee, who was a street elephant in Bangkok, was surprised by the calf and took time to calm down. She greeted the new baby by touching his trunk. By morning, he was trying to suckle, which zookeepers say is excellent news. "Although it's very soon since the delivery, the early signs are good and we will monitor mother and calf very closely, providing every pos...
2009-07-03 - Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Jody Callahan
For a baby elephant, mother's milk really is the essence of life. In an elephant, the milk carries important antibodies and nutrients that human babies typically get while still in the womb. So if the baby elephant, due any day now at the Memphis Zoo, somehow doesn't nurse from its mother, Asali, the little bundle of joy could be in big trouble.That's where Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center stepped in, donating a human breast pump valued at more than $1,000. The pump and a stand were given to...
2009-07-02 - Karachi, Pakistan. Syed Intikhab
The four newly brought baby elephants will be accessible to general public from today (Thursday) as the 48 hours monitoring period has come to an end on Wednesday, The Nations learnt. Great jubilation was observed in the Safari Park, when four baby elephants were witnessed trumpeting in the quarantine station, but the visitors were not allowed for the spectacle till Wednesday due to 48 hours strict monitoring of the loving species.
2009-06-28 - London, United Kingdom. Robin McKie
Scientists have used a revolutionary genetic technique to pinpoint the area of Africa where smugglers are slaughtering elephants to feed the worldwide illegal ivory trade. Using a DNA map of Africa's elephants, they have found that most recent seizures of tusks can be traced to animals that had grazed in the Selous and Niassa game reserves on the Tanzania and Mozambique borders.
2009-06-26 - Bangkok, Thailand. SUNTHORN PONGPAO
The Ayutthaya Elephant Kraal has painted Plai Panlan, a 5-year-old male elephant, in the panda colours of black and white to remind the public that elephants have needs, too. The watercolour is harmless, and the elephant did not seem to mind. Kraal staff are gently mocking the national craze over the female panda cub born to Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang at Chiang Mai zoo.
2009-06-24 - Fairhope, Pennsylvania, United States. WPXI.com
Their trunks are packed, and they're headed west. Kallie and Bette, the Philadelphia Zoo's two female African elephants, are moving to southern Pennsylvania. They'll join Jackson, a male African elephant, at the Pittsburgh Zoo's center for rare and endangered species. The zoos said the pachyderms will be trucked to their new quarters in a specially equipped trailer after the July 4 weekend. The Pittsburgh Zoo's 724-acre International Conservation Center is a new preservation and education facili...
2009-06-24 - Hong Kong, China.
Law enforcement officials investigating the source of confiscated ivory (605 elephant tusks) in Hong Kong had no clue where the stash originated before leaving Douala, a port city in Cameroon. DNA technology, however, was able to verify that many of the tusks once belonged to forest elephants that lived in southern Gabon, near the Republic of Congo border. Extracting elephant DNA from confiscated ivory could be an important tool to take wildlife investigations a step farther and to stop poaching...
2009-06-23 - Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Dana Rebik / MyEyeWitnessNews.com
A very pregnant African elephant is trying to stay cool at the Memphis Zoo. 23 year-old Asili is due July 12th, 2009, but could give birth at any time according to zookeepers. Zoology students from Rhodes College are keeping watch on mom 24 hours a day, monitoring her behavior. “She is definitely dozing in the shade a lot and throwing water on herself. Yes, she is hot," says zoo curator Matt Thompson. Zoo goers gathered around the elephant exhibit learning more about the pregnancy. "It is ...
2009-06-16 - Portland, United States.
Voters passed a $125 million bond measure for the zoo last fall. The money will be spent on everything from a new enclosure for polar bears to improved veterinary facilities. $30 million is earmarked to increase the elephant enclosure from three acres to six acres. Zoo deputy director, Mike Keele, says the bull elephants will also get a 200 acre off-site space.
2009-06-14 - Toronto, Canada. Katherine Laidlaw
An African elephant living at the Toronto Zoo died Saturday after another elephant knocked her over as the herd scrambled for its hay at feeding time. Tessa, the 40-year-old elephant who lived at the zoo since its opening in 1974, lived with four other elephants in the five-acre enclosure. On Saturday afternoon, the elephants were outside being fed when Tessa fell to the ground and couldn’t stand up again.
2009-06-08 - Kolmarden, Sweden.
The Elephant Conservation Science and Veterinary Research Group website functions to provide current information concerning advances in elephant research in key topics that are relevant for wild and captive elephant management. This website provides not only basic explanations of elephant conservation topics such as endtheliotropic herpesvirus and tuberculosis but also an explanation of the implications of new findings for elephant management and conservation.
2009-05-22 - Whipsnade, United Kingdom. Anne O’Donoghue
Leelee, a two-year-old female Asian elephant, has been struck down by the same deadly virus which killed Donaldson, a one-year-old male calf. She began showing signs of elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus (EEHV) on Friday, May 15, and immediately began undergoing treatment. The little jumbo was also given a blood plasma transfusion, but sadly died on Sunday, May 17. Vets battled for 50 hours in vain to try to save her.
2009-05-21 - Antwerp, Belgium.
In what was Belgium’s largest live streaming event on May 16-17, more than 30,000 concurrent online viewers, some as far away as New Zealand, Aruba and Argentina, witnessed the birth of Kai Mook, the first-ever elephant born at the Antwerp Zoo. The 42-hour non-stop live streaming was orchestrated by the cutting-edge Belgian content delivery network Rambla using Wowza Media Server® Pro for Amazon® EC2, which gave them the elastic capacity to manage the flood of global viewers.
2009-05-20 - Safaripark Beekse Bergen, Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands.
On behalf of the Leibniz Institut for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) and the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (EAZWV) we wish to extend a cordial invitation to you to participate in the: "International Conference on Diseases of Zoo and Wild Animals 2009", between 20th and 24th May 2009. The Conferece will be held at the Safaripark Beekse Bergen, Hilvarenbeek, The Netherlands
2009-05-19 - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
CUSTOMS officials in the Philippines have seized a shipment of elephant tusks from Tanzania estimated to be worth more than $1m (approx. 1.4bn/-). Customs police in Manila said they made the catch after inspecting a shipment of purported moulding machines which arrived on March 1 from Tanzania. The inspection is understood to have been based on a tip that the contents of the shipment were falsely declared.
2009-05-18 - Chicago, United States. Janice Hoppe
The elephant exhibit in Brookfield Zoo near Chicago is closed until further notice after the death last week of Affie, a 40-year-old African elephant. Officials are still unsure of the cause of death. About 8 a.m. Friday, Affie’s keepers arrived and found her lying on her side indoors not able to stand back up, according to Sondra Katzen, spokeswoman for the zoo. After hours of attempts to get the 10,400-pound elephant on her feet, she died at 2 p.m., Katzen said.
2009-05-17 - Chicago, United States.
The Chicago Zoological Society announced the death of Affie, a 40-year-old African elephant at Brookfield Zoo on Friday afternoon. Despite the staff's efforts to assist the 10,400-pound elephant, Affie died on Friday surrounded by her zookeepers. At 40 years old, Affie was one of the oldest elephants in North America. She was one of the zoo's most popular animals with guests
2009-05-17 - Hohenwald, United States.
On May 15, at 3:42 am CT, Ned, the second elephant ever confiscated by the United States Department of Agriculture, died peacefully in the company of his caregivers at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. Ned was born into the captive breeding program at Busch Gardens, and at age two, sold to a circus trainer and performed with the Big Apple Circus until 2000. Later, Ned was traded to another circus trainer who hired him out to the Royal Hannaford traveling circus until Ned’s emaciated conditi...
2009-05-15 - Hohenwald, United States.
On May 14, at around 3:30pm Central Time, Bunny, the second to the oldest elephant resident of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, died peacefully in the company of her caregivers. Bunny’s long time elephant companions, Shirley and Tarra, kept a round-the-clock vigil nearby. Bunny suffered from no diseases, and approximately six weeks prior to her death had visibly slowed down and was no longer walking as far as she usually did. A necropsy will be performed on Saturday, May 16 with her burial...
2009-05-12 - , Germany.
Against 9.45 o'clock went today since September 2008 at the Leipziger zoo lent elephant bull Calvin (geb. 1986 in Calgary) from the zoo Hanover on journeys into its new homeland zoo to Ostrava. From the outset it was certain that the 11-11-fache father inserts one intermediate stop into Leipzig only, in order to provide with the Leipziger elephant ladies for new generation. Whether the 4.5 tons heavy bull covered also successfully in Leipzig, is not certain. „ only in a few months can we a ...
2009-05-10 - Columbus, Ohio, United States.
The baby elephant born March 27 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium now has a name: Beco. Zoo officials said the name -- pronounced BEE-co -- received 6,064 votes, almost half of the 12,783 votes cast. The name was announced this afternoon. Melanie Celello of Westerville was named the grand-prize winner after her name was drawn out of a hat. She and two others submitted Beco, which is a combination of the names of the baby's parents, Phoebe and Coco. Celello wins a one-year zoo membership and other...
2009-05-10 - Utah, United States. Becky Cairns
Baby fat? Not on this mommy-to-be, still svelte as ever at 7,500 pounds. It may be hard for human moms to fathom, but Christie the expectant elephant isn’t even "showing" yet — after 18 months of pregnancy. "If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know," says Nancy Carpenter, the Hogle Zoo veterinarian caring for the African elephant. Not only that, this pregnant pachyderm has escaped morning sickness, mood swings and food cravings. How about swollen ankles? No to those, too, her doctor says ...
2009-05-08 - Columbus, Ohio, United States. Susan Glaser/Plain Dealer Reporter
Pack up your herd of elephant enthusiasts -- there's a pachyderm party going on this spring in the state capital. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has become a major large-mammal meeting place, with eight elephants under one roof. Among the inhabitants: the three African elephants from Cleveland, temporarily relocated downstate while their digs here are redone. And the newest addition: a calf, as yet unnamed, born March 27 to mom Phoebe, an Asian elephant and longtime Columbus Zoo resident. The mal...
2009-05-07 - Whipsnade, United Kingdom. Anne O'Donoghue
There was sad news at Whipsnade Zoo this week, when little baby elephant Donaldson, pictured, died just two days after falling ill. Keepers noticed that the one-year-old male calf seemed off-colour during routine morning checks on Thursday, April 30. Vets carried out a follow-up investigation and found that the calf was showing early symptoms of a virus which only targets elephants. Donaldson was given drugs straight away to fight the infection, known as elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (E...
2009-05-07 - Tennessee, United States. Rich Davis
Ten years ago, under a postcard-blue September sky, I stood outside a million-dollar barn and watched Bunny the 8,000-pound pachyderm become part of The Elephant Sanctuary in tiny Hohenwald, Tenn., southwest of Nashville. The other Asian elephants had already entered the pasture, Barbara the matriarch lying in the sun in a far field, Tarra roaming a fence line and Jenny and Shirley — best buds, I learned — waiting for the new kid from Evansville to join in. For an hour, Bunny stood at the ba...
2009-04-26 - Berlin, Germany.
Three elephants that belong to a circus currently camped in a southern suburb of Berlin have been spotted roaming the area regularly, the daily Tagesspiegel reported Sunday. Residents in the district of Marienfelde report that the three African elephants walk the neighbourhood’s streets daily and spend time at a nearby field. There have been no reports of injuries, though passers-by often stop, stare and photograph the massive animals as they calmly make their way through the quiet area....
2009-04-26 - Baton Rouge, United States.
The East Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission Foundation is looking for private donations to help fund projects such as a new running track, a boathouse for City Park and a new elephant exhibit at the Baton Rouge Zoo.
2009-04-26 - San Diego, United States. Brady MacDonald
Visitors to the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey habitat will travel back in time to explore the ancestors of animals that roamed California 10,000 years ago or more. Opening May 23, the new $45-million pachyderm playground brings together the zoo’s three elephants with four from its sister Wild Animal Park into a single herd. The elephants’ new home features a 2.5-acre yard, a 120,000-gallon pool and a medical facility where visitors can watch zookeepers and veterinarians feed and care fo...
2009-04-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The National Trust of Sri Lanka will present another lecture in its ongoing monthly series - this time, 'The Wild Elephants of Sri Lanka' by Dr. Srilal Miththapala on April 30, at 6.30 p.m. at the Barefoot Gallery, Colombo 3. The talk will give a brief background of the evaluation of the elephants and the scientific classification of African and Asian species, the characteristics of Sri Lankan elephants along with the highlights of the historical and religious association that elephants have had...
2009-04-26 - Shillong, India.
Meghalaya Forest Department today blamed the depletion of forest cover for the increasing man-elephant conflict in the state. At least 15 people have been killed by marauding pachyderms in the state in the last five years. " Despite efforts by the forest department, there has been no significant improvement in the constant depletion of forest cover due to the practice of Jhum cultivation in the Garo hills region of the state," Meghalaya Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) V K Nau...
2009-04-26 - Duluth, Minnesota, United States. Dan Hinnenkamp
Shrine circus time in Duluth begins an annual debate over whether animals belong in circuses. I’ve worked for circuses. I’ve seen the care and dedication that goes into the daily lives of the animals, the proper techniques used when handling exotic and domestic performing creatures, and how no expense is spared when it comes to the animals — even when it means circus workers living less-than-glamorous lives on the road. Last summer, I spent three weeks traveling across northern Minnesota, ...
2009-04-25 - San Diego, California, United States. Tony Perry
Reporting from San Diego -- Ranchipur, the bull, is ready. Cookie and Mary are getting there. Cha Cha, well, she's always been the idiosyncratic one, the youngest and a bit flighty. Soon, Ranchipur and the three females -- Asian elephants all -- will transfer from the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park to the zoo itself. The exact day and time of the move is a closely held secret. The four will be stars in the zoo's largest and most expensive exhibit: the $45-million Harry and Grace Steele Elephan...
After a year of planning and an hourlong trip on Interstate 15, four adult Asian elephants arrived safely today at the San Diego Zoo from the zoo's Wild Animal Park. The four -- the bull Ranchipur and the females Cookie, Mary and Cha Cha -- are set to star in the zoo's new Harry and Grace Steele Elephant Odyssey, which will open May 23. The zoo's three resident elephants will also be part of the exhibit, the largest (7.5 acres), most expensive ($45 million) and most complex (30 species) in zoo h...
2009-04-25 - Columbos, United States. HOLLY ZACHARIAH
Anyone hoping to cast their vote today for one of top three name choices for the baby elephant at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will just have to wait. Zoo officials had planned to announce the public's best submissions today in its Name the Baby Elephant Contest. But they're still sorting through the suggestions. Now they hope to unveil a list on Monday afternoon, zoo spokeswoman Patty Peters said. The baby, born March 27, is on public view from at least 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily at the indoor el...
2009-04-25 - Dong nai, Vietnam.
A herd of wild elephants recently gone astray is becoming increasingly bolder, encroaching on inhabited land in southern Dong Nai Province’s Vinh Cuu District, according to officials. The 13 elephants, which are being kept unfenced in Cat Tien National Park in Central Highland province of Lam Dong, left the park in search of food, Tran Van Mui, the park director, has said.
2009-04-24 - Mecklenburg, Germany.
The rust ochers elephant lady Bibi is dead. The grey lady had not no more recovered from a heart cycle attack. The directors of zoo Udo nail in Rostock and Trade Union of German Employees Encke in Nuremberg yesterday gave their Okay to o'clock shortly before 15 for putting to sleep.Still the previous evening Bibi discharges its male nurse Jörg kitchen master against 22 o'clock as used. But when the elephant dad goes past on the next morning with his two dogs at the Dickhäuter playpen, the 42-J...
2009-04-18 - Portland, Oregon, United States. Phillip Swarts, The Oregonian
Packy the elephant turned 47 today, amid plenty of cake, smiles and elephant ears. Packy helped make Portland's zoo famous when he became the first elephant in decades born in the Western Hemisphere, and the Oregon Zoo has celebrated "Elephantastic!" on his birthday weekend ever since. Rama, one of Packy's sons, 26, also celebrated his birthday today, with a "trunk show" of paintings he creates with his trunk. With two and a half hours left until closing time, there had been 8,500 visitors to th...
2009-04-15 - Atlanta, United States.
The Keeper III is responsible for animal husbandry and maintenance of exhibit, holding and public areas of the assigned department. This person will report to the area Lead Keeper or Assistant Curator or Curator as appropriate.
2009-04-14 - , New Zealand. Sudesh Kissun
The Auckland City Council has come under fire for its decision to spend more than $13 million in acquiring five elephants for the Auckland Zoo. It has agreed in principle to pay for five elephants by 2015 and build an enclosure six times the size of the existing facility at the zoo. The zoo currently has two female elephants, Kashin (40) and Burma (26). Kashin’s health is deteriorating and may live up for another five years. Burma, her mate, cannot be left alone and hence the council wants to ...
2009-04-12 - Hunan, China.
It looked like a normal birthday party with a cake and pink balloons -- but the birthday boy was an endangered Asian elephant. Pamai celebrated his 18th year in style Saturday at Changsha Zoo, in the capital of Hunan Province. His super-sized cake contained more than 100 kilograms of fodder and 30 kilograms of fruit and vegetables. The celebration was also used to highlight the plight of wild Asian elephants. More than 30 college students came to the party to show their dedication to protect wil...
2009-04-11 - Hunan, China.
Elephant lovers are being sought by the Changsha Zoo in Hunan province to help celebrate the 18th birthday of Pa Ke, an Asian elephant. In addition to a large birthday cake made of apples, watermelons and other fruits, Pa Ke will wear a red outfit at the party. The zoo hopes to find 10 people who are 18 years old to help at the party. Pa Ke, who has lived in Changsha for seven years, has grown to 3.3 meters from 2.8 meters. It weighs more than four tons, a ton more since he moved to the zoo seve...
2009-04-11 - Poznan, Poland. Mail Foreign Service
A Polish zoo is under fire - for having a 'gay' elephant. Officials at the zoo in Poznan, western Poland, claims to have built the largest elephant house in Europe at a cost of 37million zlotys (£8million). However, their attempts to increase the size of zoo's elephant herd have run into difficulties after the revelation that ten-year-old African Bush elephant, Ninio, is homosexual. The bull has had to change zoos three times in the past five years because of his aggressive behaviour toward fem...
2009-04-10 - Portland, Oregon, United States. Katy Muldoon, The Oregonian
The Oregon Zoo's effort to carefully track its elephant calf's weight began with a technique developed, or so it might seem, by sadistic physicians. Each day, keepers shoved little Samudra onto a scale. But as the zoo's prize newcomer approaches 1,000 pounds -- he was born last Aug. 23, weighing 286 pounds -- he's learned to follow the simple, firm directive that keeper Bob Lee delivered Tuesday: "Scale!" At the word, Sam, as he's known, stepped onto a plywood platform hooked to a scale. His leg...
2009-04-03 - Yerevan, Armenia.
These days one can find few visitors in Yerevan's zoological garden. The employees say visitors will increase with the start of the season, from May 1. The director says the zoo had no losses in the winter. Just on the contrary, the number of the "residents" rose during the winter months as some of them had baby animals. "As the winter was comparatively milder we were able to secure minimum conditions in cages. The zoo has about 2300 animals of 210 species," says the zoo director Sahak Abovyan. ...
2009-04-02 - Belfast, United Kingdom. Margaret Canning
Belfast should brace itself as two retired circus performers pack up their trunks and make their way to the city’s zoo. Asian elephants, Jenny (48) and 32-year-old Dunja, left their home in Hanover Zoo, Germany yesterday for the three day journey to their new home in north Belfast. The Asian Elephant breeding programme recommended the zoo here as the best location for a placement for the ex-circus elephants. They are pictured bidding auf wiedersehen to their German friends, hopefully comforted...
2009-04-01 - Dallas, United States. Selena Hernandez
Jenny the elephant, at the Dallas Zoo, has been the center of controversy for nearly a year. Wednesday zoo officials announced that Jenny will soon have some new playmates. Dallas Zoo officials announced that Gypsy, a 27-year-old African elephant, has come to live with Jenny. Gypsy arrived at the Dallas Zoo on March 31. "She fits the profile of the type of elephant that would benefit from our new Giants of the Savanna habitat, and we wanted to find the best possible companion for our current ele...
2009-03-31 - Mudgee, Australia.
(1st of April freaud) Authorities are still attempting to recapture an elephant roaming at large in the Mid-Western Region. The pachyderm was passing through the region with Lipra’s Circus, along with another elephant, when the truck transporting the pair collided with another car and overturned. Although the drivers of the vehicles sustained only minor injuries, the truck suffered sufficient damage to allow the elephants to escape. One was recaptured within two hours by polic...
2009-03-28 - Baroda, United States. DENNIS COGSWELL
As young boys will, brothers Ethan and Evan Hoge and their cousin Sebastian O’Connor spend much of their free time looking for antique bottles and other things around what was once a railroad line along the edge of their family’s property. They probably never imagined that one of their trips would result in finding part of the remains of a prehistoric elephant.
2009-03-27 - London, United Kingdom.
Jim Edwards, who died on March 23 aged 73, was the co-founder of the World Elephant Polo Championships, which are held in Nepal each year. Although there is some evidence that the game may have been played in India in the early 20th century, the idea took off in 1981 when Edwards met the Scottish polo player and tobogganist James Manclark in a club at St Moritz. Ever the keen sportsman, Jim Edwards enjoyed tobogganing and playing conventional polo at Ham; he was fishing in Iceland in 2004, and t...
2009-03-27 - Powell, United States. Patty Peters, COLUMBUS ZOO
The much anticipated birth of an Asian elephant calf at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium occurred on March 27 at approximately 2:35 p.m. after a 655 day gestation period. The male calf stood within minutes. Phoebe's health was monitored throughout her pregnancy including an exercise regimen and regular ultrasounds and blood draws. On Wednesday her progesterone levels dropped significantly indicating the onset of the birthing process. Phoebe and her calf will continue to be observed around t...
2009-03-26 - Belfast, United Kingdom.
The Second World War 'elephant angel' of Belfast Zoo has been found. During the Second World War, some of the zoo's more dangerous animals were killed in case the site was bombed and the animals escaped. Sheila the elephant escaped the order and found her way to the backgarden of Denise Austin, one of the first female keepers at the zoo.
2009-03-25 - Chieng Mai, Thailand.
The elephant population in Thailand has decreased to less than 5,000 as they have been abandoned and left uncared. Concern authorities have made efforts to increase the huge animal’s population through artificial insemination projects. Research into frozen elephant semen has also been carried out. The frozen semen can be kept for about 20 years for artificial insemination. Phang Sao was given frozen semen and now she is pregnant, with delivery of her baby expected in September. Phang Sommai i...
2009-03-25 - London, United Kingdom.
He’s no stranger to talking mumbo-jumbo. But Michael Jackson has stumped organisers of his London concerts – by planning to take to the stage astride an elephant. One insider said: “He hopes to make it the most spectacular gig ever. For the jungle section, he wants to ride out on an African elephant with panthers led on gold chains. Parrots and other birds will fly behind him. If it goes to plan it will look incredible.”
2009-03-23 - Golden Triangle, Thailand.
It will kick off with a colorful opening parade and blessing ceremony which will take place in the nearby village of Chiang Saen. The parade is a wonderful example of Northern Thai culture with traditional dancers, hill-tribe villagers, elephant spirit men (Khru Ba Yai), and of course the stars of the parade - the elephants.
2009-03-23 - Belfast, United Kingdom. BBC NEWS
The search is on for the kind guardian who adopted a baby elephant and brought her up in her back garden in north Belfast during World War II. Sheila, the elephant, had luck on her side. Nine lions, two tigers and a number of bears and wolves were killed on the orders of the Ministry of Public Security because of fears that if a bomb hit the site of Bellevue Zoo, they would escape and pose a threat. But baby Sheila dodged the death list and was re-housed by a woman who lived near the zoo and kep...
2009-03-23 - Dallas, Texas, United States. Joanna Cattanach, THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Elephants brought the Dallas Zoo nothing but problems last summer. But soon they'll be at the center of a $30 million African Savanna exhibit that officials hope will silence critics – and even serve as a national model. The 10-acre attraction, set to open next spring, will house lions, impalas, zebras, ostriches, giraffes, wild dogs, wart hogs – and elephants. Zoo director Gregg Hudson said the exhibit will be on par with a similar display at the acclaimed San Diego Zoo. Huds...
2009-03-22 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.
The Don Festival, called Buon Don in Vietnamese, is expected to take place from March 22-26 in the Buon Don District, said director of York Don Park, one of official members to join the festival. He said the festival would feature folk games such as buffalo stabbing, food and drink, and an elephant race.
2009-03-22 - , United States. Ryan Easley
Elephants presented by Larry Carden: Bo - Vicky - Cindy - Betty. Larry Carden presents a great act and a very able hand, also presenting the only bull elephant on the road in America.
2009-03-22 - Baltimore, Maryland, United States. WBALTV
BALTIMORE -- My, how he has grown. Samson, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore's baby elephant weighed 290 pounds at birth and over the year he gained about 2 pounds a day. Samson is now tipping the scales at 1,000 pounds. Hundreds of people showed up for Samson's first birthday party on Saturday. The elephant and a couple of friends were treated to their very own cakes topped with sweet potatoes, bananas, apples and raisins. Two legged guests were treated to cupcakes from Charm City Cupcakes.<...
2009-03-21 - Berlin, Germany. Lindsay Barnett
Ko Raya, a five-day-old female Asian elephant, made her big debut yesterday at the Berlin Zoo. She's the third offspring of her 22-year-old mother, Pang Pha. Her father is 15-year-old Victor. Ko Raya is named for an island in Thailand. She weighed about 370 pounds at birth.
2009-03-20 - Okavango, Botswana. Rebecca Morelle
A pink baby elephant has been caught on camera in Botswana. A wildlife cameraman took pictures of the calf when he spotted it among a herd of about 80 elephants in the Okavango Delta. Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants. They are unsure of its chances of long-term survival - the blazing African sunlight may cause blindness and skin problems for the calf. Mike Holding, who spotted the baby while filming for a BBC wildlife programme,...
2009-03-19 - Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Gus G. Sentementes
Samson, the first elephant to be born in Baltimore, turns 1 year old today, and organizers at the Maryland Zoo are planning a birthday bash for him on Saturday. The zoo is inviting the public to the "elephant overlook," where people can sing "Happy Birthday" to Samson and watch him eat his own birthday cake. The birthday sing-a-long is scheduled for noon. Other child-friendly events include free cupcakes for guests, face-painting and the signing of a large birthday card for Samson. ...
2009-03-18 - Queensland, Australia. Dani Cooper, ABC
In what sounds like a page from a Michael Crichton novel, an Australian ecologist has called for the introduction of elephants into South America and the creation of Pleistocene parks across the world. Professor Chris Johnson, of James Cook University, Far North Queensland, says the re-introduction of large herbivores to the Americas would help restore ecosystems and save threatened native species. The experiment would also help settle the debate over whether humans or climate chan...
2009-03-18 - , United States. DeWayne Bevil
A 24-year-old African elephant died Tuesday at Disney's Animal Kingdom after a brief, isolated illness, Walt Disney World officials say. Tumpe, a female that was moved to Animal Kingdom in 2007, had been suffering from skin sores and gastrointestinal problems for two months. The staff provided medical care including blood tests, ultrasound, bacterial and viral testing, electrocardiography and laparoscopic surgery, the company said. A pathology report is expected within weeks, but Disney experts ...
2009-03-17 - Mexico City, Mexico.
A 70-year-old female elephant died at Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico’s largest, after falling into the pit separating her from the public, the Mexico City mayor’s office said Sunday. The Asian elephant named Ranny on Saturday lost “strength in her extremities, could not keep her balance and fell to one side of her pen,” the Mexican capital’s government said. The accident occurred as a “result of her advanced age” and forced authorities to close part of the zoo while they undertook rescue ...
2009-03-15 - Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. Bill Radford, THE GAZETTE
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has a movie star in its midst. Malaika, a female African elephant, arrived at the zoo in December after 21 years in the hands of a private owner - an animal trainer who found Malaika plenty of work on TV and in film. Despite her Hollywood status, keepers say she hasn't been throwing her weight around - and at 7,800 pounds, she has plenty to throw around. "She's real calm and laid-back," said Jason Bredahl, the zoo's elephant manager. It has ...
2009-03-13 - San Diego, California, United States. Jeanette Steele, UNION-TRIBUTE
NORTH COUNTY — An African elephant calf was born early Friday morning at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. The little male appears healthy and is nursing often from his mother, Umngani, said zoo spokeswoman Yadira Galindo. “He's doing great. He is wobbly on his feet, but he is walking around following his mom,” she said. The calf, as yet unnamed, was born with 2-year-old big sister, Khosi, nearby. Zoo officials intend to keep the trio together as soon as they ar...
2009-03-10 - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
An elephant in Thailand has been fitted with a new false leg, after outgrowing her original prosthetic. Mosha, 3, lost part of her right front leg as a seven-month-old when she stepped on a landmine. She was taken to an elephant orphanage where staff initially thought she might die, but an amputation expert fitted her first leg and she recovered well. Now eating 90kg (200lb) of food a day, Mosha was doing so well she needed the upgrade, and may live for many years. When Mosha was brought to the ...
2009-03-10 - Louisville, Kentucky, United States.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Zoo's baby elephant, Scotty, is getting ready for his second birthday celebration. Last year, Scotty was given a special birthday cake and other animals were invited to celebrate with him. Over the past year, zoo officials said Scotty learned to swim, went through teething and was featured in People magazine. Scotty, mom Mikki and aunt Punch will show off some of his training to the public on March 21. The festivities begin at 11 a.m. ...
2009-03-10 - Mysore, India.
MYSORE: The African female elephant Jambi, who was the cynosure of all eyes for more than three decades in the Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, died after a prolonged illness here on Monday. As the news spread, a sombre mood engulfed the zoo. The staff prayed for the departed soul before the body was laid to rest. The elephant was around 44 years and was suffering from arthritis for many years. Jambi was brought from West Germany in 1976. Six years ago, Jambi was attacked by a male elephant Tim...
2009-03-09 - Seoul, South Korea. Ser Myo-ja, JOONANG DAILY
Giant, an Asian elephant known to be the oldest animal in Korea, died on Sunday at the age of 58, Seoul Grand Park said yesterday. According to the amusement park, located south of Seoul, the late Samsung chairman Lee Byung-chull brought Giant from Thailand in 1955 and offered him to the Changgyeong Palace zoo, Seoul Grand Park’s predecessor. Giant was famous for his energy and was adored by many fans, the zoo said. He was known for his unusual habit of rarely sitting or lying d...
2009-03-07 - Hanoi, Vietnam.
Vietnam customs officials have uncovered up to five tonnes of elephant tusks smuggled in from Tanzania, state media said Saturday. The tusks were found Friday hidden in around 114 boxes of plastic waste after being transported from Africa through Malaysia to Vietnam's northern Hai Phong port, said the Tuoi Tre newspaper. The Thanh Nien newspaper quoted Dang Tat The, a national wild animal expert, as saying the tusks were from African elephants. It was not yet clear if the tusks were for selling ...
2009-03-07 - Indianapolis, United States.
Indianapolis fire officials say a dozen children and an adult have suffered minor injuries when a circus elephant knocked over a portable stairway at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Indianapolis Fire Department spokeswoman Rita Reith (RIGHT') said none of the injured needed to go to a hospital after the incident Saturday at the Murat Shrine Circus. Reith says the elephant was giving rides to children when it bumped the stairway where adults and other children were standing.
2009-03-06 - , Germany.
The zoo Amnéville is the new homeland of elephant cow Goni. On Wednesday Goni was brought to this week with many patience and light tranquilizers to go into a transportation crate which was then shipped by crane on a low loader. Subsequently, was direction Amnéville, where they probably-keep meanwhile arrived. Gonis future herd consists of two adults cows and a bull. In April 2004 the then eleven-year old Goni came from the zoo Rostock to Osnabrück and from the outset dominated it the ...
2009-03-05 - Atlanta, United States.
An outbreak of community-associated methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus occurred among caretakers of an elephant calf, U.S. health officials said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, released Thursday, warns that people working with animals in zoo settings should perform proper hand hygiene before and after animal contact and use personal protective equipment -- gowns, gloves, and masks -- when working with ill or infected animals.
2009-03-03 - Washington, United States. Nedra Pickler, AP
The head of the company that owns the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus acknowledged in federal court Tuesday that all his elephant handlers strike the animals with metal-tipped prods, but he said it´s necessary to keep the huge animals under control and doesn´t harm them. Feld entertainment Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Feld said the circus probably couldn´t have elephants without the prods - called bull hooks - and chains that are at the center of a trial i...
2009-03-02 - Emman, Netherlands.
Film showing the female asian elephant Annabel in Emmen Zoo, Netherlands, after she fell down in the in the dry moat and could not get out by herself. After several attempts to help, zoo staff brought in a crane to lift her out. Unable to stand and in shock, the decision was made to euthanize the zoo's oldest elephant.
2009-03-01 - Emmen, Netherlands. RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE
A breakdown truck was called to Emmen Zoo on Sunday to rescue an elephant that had fallen into a ditch. The 42-year-old Annabel fell into the dry ditch that surrounds the elephant compound at 4.00 p.m. She landed on her side and was unable to climb back out by herself. After she was lifted out of the ditch by the breakdown truck, her rescuers couldn't immediately turn her the right way up. A vet said she was in a state of shock. Although elephants regularly fall into the ditch surrounding their ...
2009-03-01 - Columbus, Ohio, United States. Kathy Lynn Gray, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Think your pregnancy was tough? Imagine it lasting 22 months and ending with the delivery of a 300-pound baby. That's the reality for Phoebe, the Asian elephant who's about to deliver her second calf at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. But although the gestation period is long and the baby huge, Phoebe's not unlike pregnant humans in many ways. She has gained a bit too much weight, for one thing, said assistant curator Harry Peachey, who is in charge of the elephants. A...
2009-02-28 - Kinshasa, Congo.
I was 14 years old when I went elephant hunting for the first time with my uncle. This was during the boom in ivory prices in the early 80s. We hunted mainly inside the Salonga National Park (west of TL2). My ethnic group, the Libinza , are renowned hunters and, alas, were one of main groups to decimate the Park’s elephants. My uncles were traditionally fishermen or hunters of monkeys and some large mammals including buffalo, bongo and hippopotamus. But when the price of ivory went up, the...
2009-02-26 - Washington, United States.
The federal trial against Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act will determine whether the circus can continue using bull hooks and chains to train and control its Asian elephant herd. But the implications of the trial go far beyond what devices elephant handlers can wield. If the animal rights plaintiffs succeed against Ringling Bros., they will also succeed in a dramatic reshaping of the ESA itself.
2009-02-26 - Salt Lake City, United States. Jessica Eyre
The 40-acre zoo at the mouth of Emigration Canyon has some great exhibits. The Elephant Encounter exhibit features a large canopy next to the view of the elephants. Although it was quite chilly the day we were there, I can imagine this being a welcomed shady area in which to escape the heat. Hogle Zoo now has the oldest african elephant in North America, Dari, who turned 48 on June 14, and another is pregnant.
2009-02-26 - Copenhagen, Denmark.
Evaristti’s labels show pink-coloured weapons whose combustible parts have been ‘castrated and rendered harmless’, then replaced with elephant trunks symbolising ‘peace and harmony’. The mascot for the project is a pink elephant. And conveniently enough, the elephant has also been Carlsberg’s leading symbol since 1901, when the famous granite elephants were built on the brewery’s Valby site.
2009-02-26 - London, United Kingdom. Dea Birkett
When I was a little girl, once a year, the park where I played on the seesaw and swings was transformed into a world of wondrous, exotic people and beasts. I saw men walking on stilts and wobbling on a high wire, clowns squelching through custard pies, horses teetering on their hind legs and an elephant strolling around a sawdust ring. The circus had arrived. So entranced was I by this spectacle that I resolved to run away and join the circus.
2009-02-26 - Dak Lak, Vietnam.
“Elephant culture” are the words the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dak Lak Province, Truong Bi, used to talk about the benefits that Dak Lak gain from elephants. According to Truong Bi, Don village currently has four old elephants which can’t participate in the upcoming elephant festival. Two others have been shot dead by wood thieves. He said that in five years, Don village would not have any elephant left. Elephants give Dak Lak a distinct cultural c...
2009-02-26 - Ayutthaya, Thailand. Tibor Krausz
Dok Mak is old enough to be Goh’s great-grandma and her head alone dwarfs the boy. She eats his weight for breakfast and can easily lift a tree trunk many times his size. Right now, though, on the pint-size boy’s command, the matronly pachyderm obediently lifts a leg – with Goh standing on it. Goh grabs Dok Mak’s droopy ear and hoists himself astride her bulky neck. He rides the elephant down a well-trodden dirt path to the nearby river for her afternoon bath.
2009-02-26 - St Louis, Missouri, United States. Malcom Gay, NEW YORK TIMES
Zookeepers here feared the worst when they noticed that Jade, a 2-year-old elephant calf, was acting sluggish this month. The calf was limping slightly, her appetite was down, and the keepers, wary of a deadly herpes virus prevalent in the country’s Asian elephant population, sent a blood sample to a laboratory for analysis. “That’s pretty much the first thing we do when we see something amiss with our Asian elephant calves,” said Martha Fischer, curator of mammals at the...
2009-02-25 - Kaziranga, India.
Hardly a month after the elephant festival to counter the man-elephant conflict, a villager was trampled to death by a wild elephant in the outskirts of the Kaziranga National Park on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Gopal Barua who trampled to death in his home at Hatikhuli village by the tusker which got separated from its herd and strayed out of the national park at Hatikhuli village. The forest department sources said the department is taking measures to drive the tusker back to the p...
2009-02-25 - San Diego, United States. Tony Perry
Sunita, the oldest elephant at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, was euthanized this morning by animal keepers after a long battle with ill health, zoo officials said. A 60-year-old Asian elephant female, Sunita came to the zoo in 1974. Her death leaves the Wild Animal Park with four Asian elephants and 11 African elephants. Sunita had a number of health problems associated with old age, including a fast-moving infection. She had also broken a tooth and had refused to eat in recent days.
2009-02-25 - Amboseli, Kenya. Nicholas Wadhams
Poachers on the hunt for ivory have stepped up their use of poison arrows and spears to kill elephants in southern Kenya, according to conservationists who say the techniques are harder to trace than gun attacks. The surge is part of a nationwide increase in attacks on the animals, according to a report issued earlier this month by the Amboseli Trust for Elephants.
2009-02-25 - Nairobi, Kenya.
Kenya's major wildlife park has seen a surge in elephant poaching, an increase officials attribute to last year's large-scale ivory sale -- authorized by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in the face of fierce criticism. Five elephants were killed in six weeks at Tsavo National Park, home to 11,700 elephants, Kenya's largest single elephant population. Officials fear the sale and subsequent spike in poaching could lead to the return of slaughter on the scale witnesse...
2009-02-25 - Kruger National Park, South Africa. Jeffrey Barbee
A new form of contraception may help to solve the problem of an overpopulation of elephants in South Africa's national parks. Here, Smelly, a 27-year-old female, stands with her 18-month-old son, Stinky, at Makalali, a private game reserve. Smelly had for several years been on an innovative vaccination which prevented her from becoming pregnant. Then the process was reversed and she successfully conceived and gave birth to Stinky.
2009-02-25 - Nairobi, Kenya. Michael McCarthy
There has been an "unprecedented" surge in elephant poaching in one of Kenya's principal national parks since a large-scale ivory sale late last year, which gave a renewed boost to the international ivory market. The sale was of more than 100 tonnes of legal ivory from four southern African countries whose elephant populations are not threatened, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
2009-02-24 - Nairobi, Kenya.
Five elephants have been poached in the last six weeks in the Tsavo ecosystem of Kenya, alarming authorities and conservationists alike. The elephants, whose tusks had been hacked off, were found in three separate parts of the protected area. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers arrested two suspected poachers and one middleman from their hideout in the park, and recovered two AK-47 rifles and 38 rounds of ammunition. The middleman had already sold off the tusks to other dealers in the illegal i...
The Kenya Wildlife Service has arrested two suspected poachers and a middleman from their hideout in the park for allegedly killing five elephants in the last six weeks in Tsavo ecosystems of Kenya, a government wildlife official has said. The poaching incidents come barely three months after the auctions of 112 tonnes of ivory stocks from South Africa, Bostwana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
2009-02-24 - Bangkok, United States.
A drunken tourist staggers about as he repeatedly drops his bags of elephant feed on Bangkok's Soi Cowboy boulevard. Beneath the neon lights advertising Thailand's bars and bargirls, the man teases the two-year-old elephant as the beast tries to coax a few sugarcane snacks from his shaking hands. Finally the distressed elephant lets out a cry and her handlers pull her down the street to the next group of paying tourists. "They get beaten because they're tired, they don't want to walk, it'...
2009-02-24 - Siliguri, India.
An injured makna (male elephant without tusks) roaming the forest of Apalchand near Malbazar has put the forest staff on alert. The 9.5ft tall elephant is around 30-35 years old and has been spotted in Compartment IV of the forest, 50km from here, with injuries on its left knee and shoulder. “We had informed the wildlife wing which sent us two trained elephants and two vets,” said Sailesh Anand, the divisional forest officer of Baikunthapur.
2009-02-23 - St. Louis, United States.
Officials at the Saint Louis Zoo announced on February 23 that Jade is showing some signs that she is responding to treatment. The Zoo's animal care team of curators, veterinarians and zookeepers have been working around the clock monitoring Jade's condition closely and aggressively treating her illness. "We are beginning to see some changes in Jade's laboratory results that suggest for the first time that she is not just holding her own against this illness, but may be making some progress in o...
2009-02-23 - Sukau, Indonesia. Niluksi Koswanage
Deprived of access to his favorite food, a pygmy elephant trumpets furiously and charges at wildlife officials, a manifestation of this rare species' battle against Malaysia's key palm oil industry. Some herds of pygmy elephants, an endangered species according to conservation body the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), are thriving on the fruit of palm oil plantations that encroach on their domains on Borneo island.
2009-02-23 - Salford, United Kingdom. Louise Gray
Elephants in zoos are at risk of depression, according to a new study that found captive animals are unhappy kept alone or in small groups. The research found that most elephants in zoos are kept in groups of four or smaller. Scientists say this is unnatural for the herd animals. It not only means young elephants cannot learn important socials skills but many begin showing "abnormal behaviour" that suggests depression such as swaying on the spot or pacing in circles. Animal welfare specialist Dr...
2009-02-23 - London, United Kingdom. PAUL SIMS
A circus show billed as the first British elephant act in a decade is caught up in a row with animal welfare campaigners. Just days before it is due to begin a nationwide tour, the Great British Circus found itself at the centre of attempts to ban the use of the creatures in performances. The Born Free Foundation, an international animal welfare charity, is concerned about plans to take African and Asian elephants on the tour.
2009-02-23 - Rangoon, Myanmar.
THIRTEEN years ago, Dr Tin Thein took a small group of foreign tourists into the mountains west of Taungoo. They were interested in seeing Myanma Timber Enterprise elephants clearing trees in the Bago Yoma, and he had the local connections to make it happen. Dr Tin Thein saw a future in the elephant camp trips – and a way help the poor communities who work in the timber industry.
2009-02-23 - Hwange, Zimbabwe. Fortunate Muzarabani
MARAUDING elephants have left a trail of destruction on what promised to be a bumper harvest for villagers in c, it has been learnt. Villagers who spoke to Sunday News last Monday indicated that the worst destruction of crops was witnessed in Bhayebaye, Masuswini, Mlagisa, Somkhaya and other surrounding villages in Ward 4 under Chief Mathupula.
2009-02-22 - La Brea, United States.
Most rare of all is a well-preserved male Columbian mammoth fossil, about 80% complete, with 10-feet long intact tusks found in an ancient river bed near the other discoveries. This latter fossil is the first complete individual mammoth to have been found in Rancho La Brea. In recognition of the importance of the find, paleontologists at the Page Museum have nicknamed the mammoth “Zed.”
2009-02-22 - Midnapore, India.
Farmers of Dantan in West Midnapore were livid after a herd of elephants entered the Tararoi gram panchayat area and ransacked a paddy field on Saturday morning. Also, forest officials were allegedly late in reaching the area despite being informed early in the morning. A herd of 70 elephants with eight calves entered near Singhda in Dantan and rampaged a huge paddy field, said a villager. "The herd damaged more than a few hundred bighas of boro paddy field at Singhda, Tarorai and Kusturia villa...
2009-02-22 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.
A herd of wild elephants trampled to death two hikers who were part of a 10- member group returning from a trek to Agasthyarkoodam peak in the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary in Nedumangadu taluk on Saturday evening. They were identified as Anuroop, 25 and Jayakumar, 27, of Neyyatinkara. S. Bijukumar, 30, who narrowly survived the attack, told reporters that the attack occurred in the forest midway between Thankayanvacha Kovil point and the Bonacaud Forest Picket station, almost 2 km. downhill.
2009-02-22 - Hanoi, Vietnam.
Soaring demand for ivory from local and foreign consumers and a restriction of supply sent the prices of illegal ivory skyrocketing in Vietnam last year, an international survey released Monday said. The survey, An assessment of the illegal ivory trade in Vietnam, conducted by the wildlife trade monitoring organization TRAFFIC, said illegal ivory prices in Vietnam could be the world's highest with tusks reportedly selling for up to US$1,500 per kilogram and small, cut pieces selling for up to $1...
2009-02-22 - Eugene, United States.
A University of Oregon geology professor has donated his collection of fossils to the university's Museum of Natural and Cultural History. Greg Retallack picked up his first fossil as a 6-year-old boy on vacation at a beach in Coledale, Australia. His collection now exceeds 9,000 items, stretching back through the ages, from 13,000-year-old woolly mammoth hairs found in Siberia to 3.5 billion-year-old limestone unearthed in Western Australia.
2009-02-21 - Collioure, France. Regina Marler
Hussein is the story of a Muslim mahout (an elephant keeper for the British Raj) whose bravery and curiosity lead him on a series of lively adventures. After a scandal involving a hated rival, a deadly curse, and a beautiful woman, Hussein is forced to leave government service and make his way as an itinerant snake charmer and storyteller. His stories open into other stories, which connect with the action of the novel, and eventually our hero finds himself in a situation in which, like Scheheraz...
2009-02-21 - Melbourne Zoo, Australia. Eleni Hale
Bong Su, the elephant responsible for impregnating Melbourne Zoo's new mother Kulab, now could father dozens of calves across the globe after keepers developed a method of exporting his sperm, thanks to the donation of a sperm-freezing machine from the German Government. The Asian elephant, 36, who keepers describe as "easygoing" and "extremely attractive", has a mind-boggling sperm count of up to 2.5 billion per millilitre compared with the average of 800 million per millilitre.
2009-02-21 - Port Townsend, United States.
How do whales and elephants use sound? And how important is sound to their survival? Researcher Jason Wood will present information about the importance of sound to both African elephants and southern resident orcas during a lecture today (Saturday). His presentation, "Whales and Elephants: Using Sound to Save Species," will follow the Port Townsend Marine Science Center's annual meeting at 4 p.m. in Fort Worden State Park's Building 204. After a brief meeting, Anne Murphy, the science center's ...
2009-02-20 - Bangkok, Thailand. Desmond Morris
Is it true that elephants are artists? Can they really paint pictures of flowers, trees and even other elephants? Are they the only animals on Earth, apart from human beings, that can create pictorial images? Last summer my friend, the scientist Richard Dawkins, asked me to look at a video clip on the internet, taken in Thailand, that showed a young female elephant called Hong painting a picture of an elephant running along, holding a flower in its trunk. He wanted to know if I thought it was a ...
2009-02-19 - Melbourne, Australia. ABC NEWS
An elephant breeding program at the Melbourne Zoo has had another success, with the announcement of a second pregnancy. Kulab, a 10-year-old Asian elephant, has been artificially inseminated and will give birth next spring. The conservation program has resulted in four pregnancies, two at Melbourne and two at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. The pregnancy resulted from an artificial insemination procedure carried out in late November, with the zoo's bull elephant Bong Su the donor. Environment Minister Ga...
2009-02-18 - St. Louis, United States. Diane Toroian Keaggy
Maliha, another Asian calf at the St. Louis Zoo, has tested positive for the potentially deadly strain of herpes that struck 2-year old Jade more than a week ago. However, Maliha shows no symptoms of the disease and her blood values are normal. Maliha is Jade’s 2 1/2-year old cousin. The Zoo tested the rest of its eight-elephant herd after tests confirmed Jade had elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, or EEHV. The disease has killed 20 percent of calves born in American Zoos.
2009-02-18 - Los Angeles, United States. Dan Whitcomb
The nearly complete skeleton of a massive Columbian mammoth who died during the last ice age has been dug out of a construction site near the La Brea Tar Pits in downtown Los Angeles, a remarkable find even in the fossil-rich area, scientists said Wednesday. The mammoth, dubbed "Zed" by researchers at the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, likely died in his late 40s some 40,000 years ago and was found near an unprecedented treasure trove of fossils that workers stumbled upon while digging the...
2009-02-14 - Sayaboury, 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.
2009-02-13 - Rishikesh, India. Raja Murthy
Raja, a 19-year-old elephant with grimy ivory tusks, sways morosely from side to side while standing chained under an asbestos-roofed shed in the Rajaji National Park, a last major refuge of the Asiatic elephant roaming the Himalayan foothills in eastern India. Raja has every reason to be disturbed. He was part of a family of six wild elephants struck in a train accident seven years ago on the rail track cutting through the wildlife reserve. Raja was the sole survivor. Forest officials rescued t...
2009-02-13 - Kochi, India.
A four-year-old elephant died in Neryamangalam forest of Kerala's Idukki district after it chewed a fire cracker left by people living on the forest fringes to kill wild boars. The elephant, which was found on Tuesday with an infected mouth, died on Wednesday morning. Workers cutting bamboo inside the forest saw the elephant lying on the ground and informed forest guards. Conservator of forests (Kottayam high range circle), Bennychan Thomas, said the cause of the injury which led to its death wa...
2009-02-13 - St. Louis, United States. Todd C. Frankel
The virus that has a 2-year-old St. Louis Zoo elephant fighting for her life is a medical mystery. Scientists do not know how it is spread. They do not have a proven cure. The virus is often fatal. It seems to target the young. Since 2000, it has killed about one in five elephant calves born in U.S. zoos, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. And because breeding elephants in captivity is so difficult and so important to the endangered species, the virus is especially troubling.
2009-02-13 - Tucson, United States. Tom Beal
Complete fossil skeletons of two ice age mammals — a woolly mammoth and woolly rhino — are being erected in the atrium of the state office complex Downtown at 400 W. Congress St. You can visit them for free. Heck, you can buy them if you've got the cash. The exhibit is sponsored by the Tucson office of the Arizona Geological Survey and supplied by a natural history museum in Siberia that sells its fossils to raise money. It's not illegal, but it's certainly not condoned, say U.S. museum offi...
2009-02-13 - Koorg, India. KALYANI CANDADE
He froze, trunk poised in mid-air, and looked straight at me. I turned around to see what had disturbed him. Nothing, except a mahout leaning lazily against the wall with a slight smile playing on his face. We were in Coorg, at the Elephant Interaction Centre of the Dubare Wildlife Sanctuary. I was fascinated at how much interaction was possible, with opportunities for even getting into the water and giving a massive hind quarter a good scrub! But the highlight for me was watching the feeding.
2009-02-13 - Kaziranga, India. Apem Kamadoang
Due to the increasing inflow of tourists at the Kaziranga National Park located in Assam, the state forest department has engaged private elephant owners for elephant safaris in the park. Because of increasing tourist arrivals, the park authorities are engaging private elephant owners to cater to the tourist rush. “At present, we are having around 52 departmental elephants at the Kaziranga National Park and about 19 elephants from private sector who are participating for the visitors.
2009-02-13 - London, United Kingdom. Emily Welch
The World Wildlife Fund has launched an online campaign themed for Valentine’s Day in order to push people to adopt Asian elephants as gifts for the holiday. The United Kingdom campaign has appeared on web portals such as MSN and Yahoo in order to attract an audience to the Asian elephant site, urging people to adopt an elephant as an unusual gift for Valentine’s Day.
2009-02-13 - Bogor, Indonesia. Lindsay Barnett
The Sumatran elephant, a subspecies of the Asian elephant, is imperiled -- but its numbers (estimated by the World Wildlife Fund to be between 2,440 to 3,350) just got a much-needed, if tiny, boost. This little guy is 2 days old and lives in Indonesia's Safari zoo. While he's sure to grow substantially, Sumatran elephants are the smallest of the Asian elephant subspecies, of which there are four (the others are the Indian elephant, Sri Lankan elephant and Borneo elephant).
2009-02-13 - Hambantota, Sri Lanka. Raja Waidyasekera
A three year plan will be implemented in Hambantota district to minimize human-elephant conflict. The Department of wildlife will implement the project till 2011. Rs. 527 million has been allocated for the project. Under the plan mooted by the Department of Wildlife the existing electric fence in extent of 1,336 kilo meters will be maintained, wild elephants that roam about in villages will be rehabilitated. Plots of land will be allocated for elephants.
2009-02-12 - Jalpaiguri , India.
Two elephants were found dead in a tiger reserve here, an official said today. The carcass of a tusker was found in a river in Rajabhatkhawa forest running through the Buxa Tiger Reserve (West), Field Director of the reserve, Ashok Prasad Singh said. The reason for its death has not been ascertained, he said while ruling out any involvement of poachers. An elephant cub was also found dead in the reserve. Its post-mortem report has revealed a heart ailment, the official said.
2009-02-12 - Barnstaple, United Kingdom.
N 1845 shards of tusk and teeth from the straight-tusked elephant, which became extinct between 100,000 and 400,000 years ago, were found in a field where Summerland Street, Barnstaple, now stands. Some of the remains are in the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon but the teeth were sold on privately. Now Barnstaple town councillor Simon Harvey wants to reunite the remains for Elephant Day, an event first staged last year to mark the unusual 19th century find. The teeth are now held at the Natu...
2009-02-11 - San Diego, United States.
The San Diego Zoo has begun a project to study the movement of elephant herds over a 50,000-square-mile area encompassing the African nations of Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The study is meant to monitor the impact of herds on various habitats from desert to riverine. So far, 60 elephants have been outfitted with global positioning system collars to track their movements.
2009-02-11 - St. Louis, United States. Diane Toroian Keaggy
Jade, a 23-month-old Asian elephant at the St. Louis Zoo, has been diagnosed with a potentially fatal strain of herpes. Jade is receiving antiviral medication and round-the-clock care from the veterinary and keeper staff. Jade had been acting lethargic Sunday. A blood sample submitted to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park’s elephant herpes research laboratory Monday showed the presence of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV).
2009-02-11 - Maungdaw, Myanmar.
The number of wild elephants have been increasing in the Mayu Range, located on the Mayu Peninsula between the Naff and Mayu Rivers in western Burma, as elephants from other parts of Burma including the Indian and Bangladesh borders have been moving into the area this cold season, said an official from the forest department.
2009-02-11 - Raipur, India.
Twenty-three persons have died due to elephant attacks in Chattisgarh during the current financial year till January 20, 2009, the assembly was informed on Wednesday. The forest minister Vikram Usendi today informed the assembly that the state government has given compensation of Rs 34,50,000 to the family members of the deceased. In his written reply to a question of Congress MLA Dharmajit Singh, Usendi informed the House that seven persons were injured and 775 houses were damaged by the eleph...
2009-02-11 - Thiruvananthapuram, India.
Every year a tragedy unfolds in Kerala -- a land of festivals. The festival season (February-April) has just started and two persons have already been trampled to death by temple elephants trained to participate in the festivities. A partially blind tusker ran amok at the Ernakulam Shiva temple last Friday, trampling a woman to death and injuring 15 others seriously. Two days later a mahout (trainer) was killed by another jumbo in Kunnamkulam near Thrissur.
2009-02-11 - Miami, United States.
Miami Metro Zoo is accepting applications for an elephant keeper position. The zoo currently houses both Asian and African elephants in a protected contact program and is in the initial phases of expanding our program and conservation efforts. We are seeking an energetic, team oriented, and outgoing person to join our staff as we move the program forward. The ideal candidate will possess a 2 year degree in a science related field, at least 2 years of elephant handling experience, and a strong ba...
2009-02-10 - Kruger National Park, South Africa. Schalk van Schalkwyk
Tourists watched in tears as an elephant bull bade farewell to its "friend", the deceased bull Alexander. The bull tried to chase vultures and hyenas away from Alexander's carcass and even tried to pick Alexander up. Alexander, one of the Kruger National Park's largest elephants and a familiar sight in the area around the Mopani Rest Camp, died on Saturday, presumably of a heart attack. Tourists parked near the carcass watched as an elephant bull arrived there and tried to lift up its friend. Th...
2009-02-10 - Bangalore, India. T G Prem Kumar
The Forest department has just concluded an operation to capture wild elephants in the Kodagu forests. With this, the department has succeeded in capturing three rogue elephants that wreaked havoc on crops in Dubare, Maldare, Avaregund, Karadigodu, Anekadu, Meenukolli, Attur and villages bordering the Jenukallubetta Reserve Forest limits.
2009-02-10 - , United Kingdom. Paul Bradley
A LOVE-struck elephant has fallen head over heels – or should that be trunk over heels – for her zoo keeper. Five, an African elephant, fell for her 30-year-old keeper, Lawrence Bates, when he was given the task of looking after her at the West Midland Safari Park. And workers at the zoo think it must be the world’s biggest ever crush. The romance first blossomed when Lawrence joined the Bewdley-based park in 2006. Since then Five, who is 17, has showered him with thousands of wet kisses a...
2009-02-10 - Mysore, India.
If it is an ordeal in wilderness for a tusker, it is a question of practicality for the wildlife division officials. For the past several days, a tusker injured in its legs and hips, is staying in the backwaters of Kabini reservoir. According to villagers, the pachyderm aged between 40 and 45 years is suffering silently. At times, it comes out of water to graze. The villagers feel the forest department officials of Nagarahole National Park and wildlife division have failed to come to the rescue ...
2009-02-09 - Golaghat, India.
The seventh elephant festival would begins on Monday in Assam's Kaziranga National Park, a world heritage site and home to the highly endangered one-horned rhinos. Organised jointly by state Tourism and Forest department and Golaghat district administration, 50 elephants would be on display during the four-day event. The organisers said the highlight of the festival, to be attended by a host of foreign and domestic tourists, would be the "harmony procession" to focus on the topic of man-elephant...
2009-02-08 - Kathmandu, Nepal.
It was the first nation to end its monarchy by a bloodless vote and the first to introduce a unique calendar with 11 Picassos of the Jungle (Poster courtesy: Indigo Gallery) months. Now the new republic of Nepal will launch another revolutionary concept – art exhibitions by elephants. The sensational event will be inaugurated at the Indigo Gallery in Kathmandu owned by American James Giambrone, who has helped other expatriate activities like an Obama ball to celebrate the victory of new US Pre...
2009-02-07 - Chicago, United States.
Author John Frederick Walker, who spent five years researching his latest book, Ivory's Ghosts, shares the fascinating and sometimes savage story of ivory’s enormous impact on both human history and that of its most important source—the majestic African elephant. Join John Frederick Walker for an exploration through ivory’s troubled past and its uncertain future—the future of elephants themselves.
2009-02-07 - Nairobi, Kenya. Claire Wanja
A Chinese national was Saturday morning seized with four bangles of ivory at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Mr Zhang Zhong, 37, who was on transit from Guinea to Uganda's Entebbe Airport, was arrested at 8am by Customs and Kenya Wildlife Service officials. The suspect is being held at the JKIA police station and is expected to be charged with possession of wildlife trophy without a permit at Makadara Law Court on Monday morning.
2009-02-07 - Howletts, United Kingdom.
The latest African elephant calf to be born at Howletts has gone out into the paddock and is adjusting well to her surroundings, her keepers have said. Etana, which means "strong one" in Swahili, brings the size of the herd at the Kent wild animal park to 14. Head of elephants, Dave Magner, said: "The baby is adjusting very well to its new surroundings and family.
2009-02-07 - New Delhi, India. Dhananjay Mahapatra
The National Highways Authority of India says it will build the world’s first flyover corridors for elephants over the highway and railway line that cut through Rajaji National Park to link major pilgrim towns of Hardwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. Detailing the elevated elephant corridor project on Friday before a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia, senior advocate Ramji Srinivasan said it would solve the technically insurmountable pr...
2009-02-07 - Ubud, Indonesia.
A nine-day-old baby elephant sticks with his eighteen-year-old mother Tini at the Safari Park in Gianyar, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on February 2, 2009. The male Sumatran elephant baby, the 31st at the park, was born on January 24 to become the first baby elephant born on Bali island.
2009-02-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Some of you may have visited the Elephant Transit Home (ETH), Eth Athuru Sevana, at the Udawalawe National Park. If you have been there, you would know just what a joyful experience it is to observe at close range all the elephants, especially the little ones, who reside there.
2009-02-07 - Boreas Pass, United States. Mary Ellen Gilliland
Boreas Pass (el. 3499 m./11,481 ft.) is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. Storytellers say that when the P. T. Barnum circus came to Breckenridge, the heavily-laden circus train failed to make it up to the pass. With the lions roaring from hunger and schedules unmet, officials unloaded the train’s bulkiest passengers to assist. And so, the circus elephants pushed the train to the Boreas summit.
2009-02-06 - Barcelona, Spain.
A Spanish animal rights group has launched a campaign to have Susi, the only elephant in Barcelona's zoo, moved to a parkland, saying she could otherwise die of sadness. The Barcelona-based group Libera says Susi's "life is in serious danger" from the depression she is reportedly suffering since her female companion, Alicia, died last year. Libera says Susi is 36 years old and was born in the wild in Africa.
2009-02-06 - Zirakpur, India.
Visitors to the Chhatbir Zoological Park were in for a treat on Thursday. They got to see Rajbir, a male elephant born at the zoo about one and a half years ago, who was put on display for the first time. Rajbir, who was seen playing with his mother the whole day, became the centre of attraction for the visitors, especially the children. The zoo authorities had made special arrangements to capture Rajbir’s movements through video recording.
2009-02-06 - Kochi, India.
A woman was killed by an elephant at a temple here, triggering a stampede which left at least 19 others injured. The elephant caught hold of the woman by its trunk and flung her in the air. The others were injured in the subsequent stampede. Of the injured, the condition of three women is stated to be serious, police said. As part of the festivities in the temple, seven caparisoned elephants had been lined up at the temple grounds.
2009-02-05 - Washington, United States.
The plaintiffs claim to be interested in protecting the welfare of circus elephants. But in a similar case in 2003, the same plaintiff’s attorney trying this week’s case—representing some of the same animal rights groups—argued that her clients would rather see African elephants killed than imported to the United States to be raised in captivity.
2009-02-04 - Washington, United States. Paul Courson
A federal judge began hearing a lawsuit alleging the abuse of circus elephants, including the use of heavy chains, tethers and sharp tools called bullhooks. Defense attorneys for Ringling Bros. deny any abuse and hope the trial will disprove what they call years of "misinformation" about the treatment of circus elephants. Lawyer Michelle Pardo told CNN "the agenda of these animal special rights groups are that they want elephants out of captivity but they are starting here with the circus.
2009-02-04 - Washington, United States.
Embedded video from CNN Video
2009-02-03 - Windhoek, Namibia.
Held under the auspices of the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), Namibia recently hosted a once-off ivory auction for international bidders. The ivory auction was part of a sale that included large amounts of elephant tusks put up for auction in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Earlier this year, the Cites Secretariat visited these four countries and verified that the declared ivory stocks had been properly registered and that they were of legal ori...
2009-02-02 - Memphis , United States.
We have 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).
2009-02-02 - Waikiki, United States. Brooks Baehr
In mid-January Stephen Walker, who spent 30 years at the Tulsa Zoo, took over as Zoo Director in Waikiki. He is still getting to know the 80 people on his staff and the 600,000 who visit the zoo annually. Walker will oversee changes at the zoo including construction of a new $6.7 million elephant facility.
2009-02-02 - Chiang Mai, Thailand. Andrew Davis
The non-profit sanctuary, in the forests of Mae Taeng Valley in northern Thailand, doesn’t offer rides or show the animals swinging hula hoops on their trunks -- standard fare at many Thai elephant camps. Founded in 1996 by Sangduen “Lek” Chailert, 47, who sold her car and other possessions to open the park, the area also tries to educate tourists about the fate of Thailand’s “tamed” and wild elephants.
2009-02-02 - Alipurduar, India.
A wild elephant lifted up a five-year-old girl by the trunk, brought her outside the hut and for almost half-an-hour held the screaming child in between its fore legs as her father watched helplessly from a distance. The girl was unhurt, but there were no witnesses to narrate how the elephant let her go since Gobinda Das had, by then, fallen down unconscious. The father had been hit by a stone hurled at him by the elephant.
2009-02-01 - West Midlands, United Kingdom.
Salt and Sauce were the strange names of britains most famous elephants. They were part of George Lockharts "Cruet", topping the bill in music halls and circuses, but by 1904 a tragedy at Walthamstow station left their owner crushed to death and the reputations of the elephants forever the part of an infamous legend.
2009-01-31 - Taipei, Taiwan. The China Post Staff, THE CHINA POST
Grandpa Lin Wang, the world’s oldest Asian elephant in captivity died in Taipei yesterday. He was 86. The old pachyderm was found dead in his pen pond at the Taipei City Zoo at Mucha at 200 a.m. “He died in dignity from extreme weakness due to old age,” a zoo spokesman said. Lin Hua-ching said the grand old elephant, brought here by former Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Army Sun Li-jen in 1947, showed signs of frailty after the Chinese New Year holiday early this month. Lin Wang (Forest...
2009-01-30 - Garden City, United States.
Lee Richardson Zoo is currently looking for a knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and motivated individual to join the animal department staff. Elephant experience as well as willingness to work under protected contact conditions required. Applicants should have a four year degree in a biology related field with some animal experience, an associate degree with two years paid experience in an AZA accredited institution, or 5 years paid experience at an AZA accredited institution.
2009-01-30 - Colchester, United Kingdom. RODDY ASHWORTH
It turned out to be a case of “Who's the (big) daddy?” Because today it emerged that an elephant credited with siring a yet-to-be-born calf had nothing to do with the pregnancy. Yesterday Colchester Zoo announced that Opal, a cow elephant at the Stanway attraction, had become pregnant thanks to its bull elephant Tembo. Tembo, who has been at the zoo with Opal for 10 years, is already a father of four - Kito, Jambo, Abu and Thabo-Umasi. But it transpires that when Opal was artificially insemi...
2009-01-30 - Polk City, United States.
On behalf of the entire Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® family, I’m thrilled to announce the birth of our first Asian elephant born as a result of artificial insemination. A healthy male born on the inaugural eve of our 44th President of the United States, the calf named Barack, is a living tribute of our ongoing commitment to help save this magnificent yet endangered species.
2009-01-30 - Bronx, New York, United States. Christine Romans and Jennifer Bragg, CNN
Layoffs for sea lions? Furloughs for frogs? Is there no job security, anywhere? State budget cuts mean New York's 76 zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums will lose $9.1 million in funding. The recession may be coming to a zoo near you. State budget cuts mean many zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens will lose crucial state funding for their exhibits. New York's 76 zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens will lose $9.1 million in state funds next year. "We're faced with this...
2009-01-30 - Winston, United States.
2009-01-29 - London, United Kingdom. Jason Palmer, BBC
A study of wildfires after the last ice age has cast doubt on the theory that a giant comet impact wiped out woolly mammoths and prehistoric humans. Analysis of charcoal and pollen records from around 13,000 years ago showed no evidence of continental-scale fires the cometary impact theory suggests.
2009-01-29 - Kiev, Ukraine.
MOSCOW, January 29 (RIA Novosti) - The mayor of Ukraine's capital Kiev said he sacked the head of the city's zoo after he failed to find a "wife" for a male elephant, Ukrainian media reported on Thursday. Kiev Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky said he sponsored the elephant through Kiev zoo's sponsorship program, and his deputies are also involved in the project. "Today... I remembered that I feed the elephant 100,000 hryvnas ($13,000) per quarter or per month - I don't remember exactly," ...
2009-01-29 - Surabaya, India.
A spate of recent deadly animal attacks in Indonesia has thrown the spotlight on growing conflicts between humans and animals triggered by the rapid dwindling of the country's forests
The mayor of Ukraine's capital Kiev said he sacked the head of the city's zoo after he failed to find a "wife" for a male elephant, Ukrainian media reported on Thursday. Kiev Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky said he sponsored the elephant through Kiev zoo's sponsorship program, and his deputies are also involved in the project.
2009-01-28 - Los Angeles, United States. Rick Orlov
In what looks like the final chapter of the Battle of Billy, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday rejected entreaties from Hollywood stars and animal-rights groups and voted to resume the Los Angeles Zoo's controversial elephant project. With celebrities such as Cher, Bob Barker, Robert Culp, Tippi Hedren and Lily Tomlin urging them to shut down the $42 million, 3.6-acre project, council members voted 11-4 to move ahead with the long- planned Pachyderm Forest.
2009-01-28 - Houston, United States.
The Houston Zoo and Baylor College of Medicine are teaming up to find a vaccine for elephant herpes, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday. In November, a 2-year-old Asian elephant named Mac at the Houston Zoo died from the virus. His death prompted the two organizations to spend the next three years studying the virus in an effort to protect elephants in zoos and those in the wild. "Very little is known about it," Dr. Alan Herron said. "We don't know how it is spread from elephant to elephant." The p...
2009-01-27 - Colchester, United Kingdom. Roddy Ashworth
AN elephant acquired by a zoo after its original owner was prosecuted for animal cruelty has become pregnant for the first time. Opal the elephant became pregnant by fellow herd-member Tembo at Colchester Zoo through artificial insemination and is expected to give birth in the spring of next year. The move comes on the 10th anniversary of the prosecution of Mary Chipperfield and her husband for the abuse of a number of animals in their travelling circus. The unhappy conviction paved the way for ...
2009-01-27 - Vienna, Virginia, United States. Amy McWethy
January 27, 2009 -Vienna, VA) – The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® proudly announces the birth of a healthy male Asian elephant – marking the twenty-second birth in what has proven to be the most successful Asian elephant breeding program in the Western Hemisphere. Most importantly, this is the first calf in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey assisted reproduction program born as a result of artificial insemination (AI). Born on Jan. 19, the inaugur...
2009-01-26 - Portland, United States.
Samudra, the Oregon Zoo’s celebrated Asian elephant calf, turns 5 months old today, and according to keepers he is more playful and inquisitive than ever. Samudra is the first third-generation elephant to be born in the United States. “It appears he’s developed some athletic ability,” said Bob Lee, senior elephant keeper at the zoo. “He loves playing with a blue ball, knocking it around with his trunk soccer-style.” The Oregon Zoo has a renowned breeding program for Asian elephants. ...
2009-01-26 - Bristol, United Kingdom. Haakonsson JE, Semple S. Bristol Zoo Gardens
Behavioural lateralisation has been widely investigated in vertebrates. Most studies in this area have focused on laterality in paired organs such as hands, limbs, and eyes. Fewer studies have explored side preferences in unpaired organs such as tails or trunks. We investigated laterality of trunk use among captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), quantifying side preference in four different trunk movements: feeding, sand spraying, self-touching, and swinging. We found evidence for significan...
2009-01-26 - Asheboro, North Carolina, United States.
The North Carolina Zoo has on its staff some of the best and most experienced exotic animal veterinarians in the country. But sometimes even the best zoo doctors need assistance from other experts. That was the case recently when specialists from the North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine were called upon to help repair a broken tusk for a young female Elephant Zoo chief veterinarian, Dr. Mike Loomis, tells us more about the case. The elephant that broke t...
2009-01-25 - San Diego, United States. Jeanette Steele
American zoos have decided to go big or give up when it comes to housing elephants. The San Diego Zoo is one of five nationwide with plans for larger exhibits, while at least 11 are getting out of the elephant business. The $45 million Elephant Odyssey, set to open in June in San Diego, will be the first supersized elephant home to debut after zoos have taken years of criticism from animal welfare activists about cramped quarters for the world's largest land mammals.
2009-01-25 - Mysore, India.
Vedavalli, a resident of Bangalore, has adopted two elephants of Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens here under the adoption of animals scheme. The elephants, one male and another female, will benefit for a period of one year under the scheme. Known to be a lover of animals, Vedavalli adopted Aishwarya (8-year-old) and Madesha (1-year-old) in a simple function at the Zoo on Saturday in the presence of her family members.
2009-01-25 - Ranchi, India.
Villagers poisoned a wild tusker to death in Khuti district of Jharkhand after it wreaked havoc on their standing crop and houses, said a forest official Sunday. “Primary investigations reveal that the wild elephant was poisoned Friday. We have taken the elephant’s body in our possession,” the forest department official told IANS. According to him, “the wild tusker had wreaked havoc in Torpa area of Khuti district.”
2009-01-24 - Galt, United States.
Minnie, our 54 year old circus retiree whose vocalizations and sweet disposition charmed everyone at ARK 2000, died peacefully in her barn with Rebecca, her long time companion, and Pat Derby, Ed Stewart and her keepers at her side. Her peaceful posture and the serenity with which she slipped away were a great comfort to all of us. Minnie, who had endured years chained in railroad cars died tranquilly among her old friends.
2009-01-24 - Salt Lake City, United States.
The Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City is hoping a new addition later this year will boost attendance. An elephant calf is expected to be born late this summer. The zoo hopes the birth could increase visits, which numbered nearly one million in 2008. Christie the elephant is pregnant. Her calf would be the first African elephant born at Hogle Zoo. But zoo Director Craig Dinsmore said there are a lot of potential problems with elephant births in zoos.
2009-01-24 - Los Angeles, United States.
Acknowledging that traditional elephant exhibits are inadequate to the point of cruelty -- small, spare, with foot-punishing floors -- zoos have chosen divergent directions. Some, including the Chicago, San Francisco and venerable Bronx zoos, are closing or making plans to close their elephant exhibits altogether. The Los Angeles Zoo has chosen the latter approach. Its planned $42-million, 3.6-acre Pachyderm Forest was $12 million into construction when Councilman Tony Cardenas called instead fo...
2009-01-23 - Salt Lake City, United States.
The Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City is hoping a new addition later this year will boost attendance. An elephant calf is expected to be born late this summer. The zoo hopes the birth could increase visits, which numbered nearly one million in 2008. Christie the elephant is pregnant. Her calf would be the first African elephant born at Hogle Zoo. But zoo Director Craig Dinsmore says there are a lot of potential problems with elephant births in zoos. Elephant stillbirths are common and infant mortality...
2009-01-23 - Belfast, United Kingdom.
One of Belfast Zoo's most iconic animals, 44-year-old Tina the elephant, will shortly be getting more company - some being former Big Top 'performers'. Tina is being joined by other non-breeding female elephants to enjoy 'retirement' and the Zoo has confirmed that some of the elephants arriving in Belfast will be from a 'circus background'.
2009-01-22 - Cambridge, Canada. African Lion Safari & Game Farm Ltd
The fifth international workshop hosted by the African Lion Safari in cooperation with the Leibniz Institute of Zoo- and Wildlife Research with the unique opportunity to learn first hand about reproductive biology, management, pathology and assisted reproduction technologies in the 3 Megavertebrae species; elephant, rhinoceros and giraffe.
2009-01-22 - Jaipur, India.
Julia Roberts came holidaying to the picturesque Indian city of Jaipur with her husband and kids, went sightseeing and enjoyed elephant and camel cart rides. Roberts, who arrived in the city Tuesday afternoon, was staying at the luxury resort of Oberoi Rajvilas. She spent two days in the historic city.
2009-01-22 - Los Angeles, United States.
The LA Zoo’s Elephant Keepers held a press conference at the Zoo on Sunday January 11 2009 to release an Open Letter to the LA City Council calling for completion of the “Pachyderm Forest,” a cutting edge but controversial exhibit planned as home to Asian elephant Billy and a breeding herd. Seventy-seven of their LA Zoo colleagues also signed the letter. The LA City Council will vote later this month on whether to continue funding the exhibit, which was approved by 79% of voters and is two...
2009-01-22 - Los Angeles, United States. The Elephant Keepers and colleagues at the LA Zoo
We know Billy and we know elephants. From 71 years experience with elephants including Billy we know that Billy’s best chance at a happy, natural life is a completed Pachyderm Forest at the Los Angeles Zoo. Here he can father calves with a herd of cows and make his own family. We know Billy. His favorite food is banana plants. We feed him bales of hay, bushels of produce and tree trimmings daily. We hide bananas and oranges in his yard for exercise and enrichment. We walk him miles, scrub his ...
2009-01-22 - Little Rock, United States. Doug Smith
The Little Rock Zoo seems to be at another turning point, large questions being raised by public officials and animal lovers about what sort of zoo there should be, and even, in some quarters, whether there should be much of a zoo at all. Zoo officials think that certain improvements would allow Little Rock to make that leap to world-class. The most dramatic of these would be the establishment of an elephant breeding program, something that no other zoo in the area has — not Memphis, not St. L...
2009-01-22 - New Delhi, India. Harish Bhat
Vladimir Putin, Russian prime minister, received a tiger cub as his birthday gift. Before you conclude that this is the wildest gift you've heard of, listen to my small story. My uncle, who lives in Kerala, once received an elephant as a gift. An elderly priest gifted it to him. It was a noble female elephant. My uncle named her Preethikutty and tethered her to a coconut palm in his backyard. There she rested a couple of days.
2009-01-22 - Seattle, United States.
A U.S. study shows the negative effects of African elephant poaching persist for decades after the killings. Kathleen Gobush, a research ecologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who led the study, said African elephants rely heavily on matriarchs to lead groups and keep families together. Before the 1989 ban on ivory trade, nearly 75 percent of all elephants in Tanzania's Mikumi National Park were killed, many of them females with large tusks.
2009-01-21 - Jim Corbett National Park, India. Vipul Goel
Jim Corbett National Park, Jan 21 (ANI): Elephants in Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand have been installed with microchips, which will act as their identification proof. Installed with the help of a syringe, these chips will help the authorities identify the elephants from among the wild ones. The chips would provide a unique identification number to the elephants, which would enable the wildlife authorities at the park, to keep a track on these elephants through the means of a digital r...
2009-01-20 - COIMBATORE, India.
Jaunty jumbo rides in the zoos, yes, but what about a power lunch and a gallant walk with wild pachyderms in the forests? Tourists at the picturesque Top Slip in Anamalai range on Monday were treated to a rare jumbo party out in the jungles on Monday. Called the "elephant Pongal," the Forest department unveiled treated 200-odd tourists to an exciting saunter and snack session with the elephants. As many as 17 trained elephants, including six tuskers, from the Kozhikamudi camp near Top Slip were ...
2009-01-20 - Windhoek, Namibia. Wezi Tjaronda
Tired of elephants that da-mage water infrastructure, homesteads and make people live in fear, communities in the Omatjete area want the elephants relocated elsewhere. “We want them out of this area. We don’t think they are from this area. They were chased away from villages in upper Ugab in the Kunene Region,” said a councillor in the Zeraua Traditional Authority, Fabianus Uaseapuani. He said around 1991 and 1992, the area had a few elephants, which would come and go back to areas around ...
2009-01-20 - Mt. Cameroon, Cameroon. Janet Molisa
On January 8, 2009, WWF Coastal Forests (SAWA) Programme Limbe, with technical assistance from the North Carolina Zoological Park, and funds from WWF Sweden, succeeded in collaring a third elephant on Mt. Cameroon. A collar, (radio-collar) is a satellite device attached around an elephant's neck that provides geographic information used in mapping the animal's movement pattern in the forest.
2009-01-20 - Mikumi National Park, Tanzania.
An African elephant never forgets – especially when it comes to the loss of its kin, according to researchers at the University of Washington. Their findings, published online in the journal, Molecular Ecology, reveal that the negative effects of poaching persist for decades after the killing has ended. “Our study shows that it takes a long time – upwards of 20 years – for a family who has lost its kin to rebuild,†said lead researcher Kathleen Gobush, Ph.D., a r...
2009-01-20 - Perris, United States. JULISSA McKINNON
What started as an afternoon of rockhounding in the riverbed behind his Perris home ended with Greg Riecke discovering a tusk that experts say likely dates back to the last Ice Age -- 16,000 to 2 million years ago. Upon inspection, an archaeologist and paleontologist from a Hemet museum believe the 4-foot long tusk belonged to either a mammoth or a mastodon, two extinct ancestors of the modern-day elephant. Riecke, a part-time plumber who regularly combs the flood channel for gold with a metal d...
2009-01-19 - Guwahati, India.
Non-release of funds by Dispur to the state forest department has hit elephant conservation work. Director of Project Elephant, A.N. Prasad today said non-utilisation of funds has become a major concern and the state government could well have lost over Rs 1 crore in the last three years. Prasad is in Guwahati to attend a national symposium on elephant healthcare and managerial practices.
2009-01-18 - Harare, Zimbabwe. Daniel Foggo
BRITISH hunters, including a prominent Harley Street surgeon, have been paying the Zimbabwean authorities thousands of pounds each to take part in a mass elephant cull. They are among groups of hunters who have been permitted to track and kill whole herds, including their calves, before taking photographs of themselves with the carcasses. Rumours that Zimbabwe was culling its population of 80,000-100,000 elephants have been circulating for some time, but definitive proof that foreigners have bee...
2009-01-18 - Samburu, Kenya. Brian Jackman
Samburu is elephant country. Arthur Neumann, the legendary Victorian ivory hunter, used to camp here in what is today the Samburu National Reserve, and now it is where Iain Douglas-Hamilton, one of the world's most distinguished biologists, conducts his research for Save the Elephants , the organisation he founded in 1993. A few miles downstream from Iain's headquarters lies Elephant Watch Camp, presided over by Oria Douglas-Hamilton, his Kenyan-born Italian wife. In a small park over-endowed wi...
2009-01-18 - Washington, United States.
I loved this book, based on a true story. Washington state, an old elephant (Hannah) and keeper, been together 41 years; old run down circus/wildlife park created by past eccentric, we get parallel stories of parks origins and eccentric's talks withthe elephant keeper over the years, but now the elephant keeper is ill and must retire; no one know's Hannah and can care for her the way keeper and his wife have. Bossy and rigid park manager, has odd ideas how to attract people to park, but brings i...
2009-01-18 - Berhampur, India.
The forest officials chased away the elephant, which was guarding the carcass of another elephant for over 48 hours, to the forest with the help of locals. For the past few days, a herd comprising over 12 elephants including a tusker was roaming in Digapahandi block. On Thursday night, the herd entered Bhramarapur and destroyed the paddy crop stored after harvest. The villagers guarding the crop ran for their life. Later, the villagers returned en masse and chased away the herd.
2009-01-18 - Dhenkanal, India.
A six-month-old elephant calf died in Nathua village in Sadar block after it fell in a pit and its body was recovered by forest officials on Saturday. According to villagers, jumbos raided houses of two persons - Jadumani Dehury and R Dehury - on Friday. They destroyed their houses and plantations such as banana and papaya and damaged their property. ACF S P Bisoi said the elephant calf might have died due to damage in brain after it fell in the pit. Its body has been sent for post mortem
2009-01-18 - , Zimbabwe. Daniel Foggo
2009-01-18 - , Mexico. Edith Martinez, THE UNIVERSAL ONE
Ciba surpassed the life expectancy of its species, arrived at the 70 years when the Asian paquidermos live between 40 and 45. Elefanta of the zoological one of San Juan de Aragon passed away east Friday because of the natural aging of its body, informed Juan González, director of this dependency. For four months, Ciba, that was characterized for being “arrogant and the dominant one” in the pair that Maid did with her companion, stopped being it and yielded its place in the h...
2009-01-17 - Bangkok, Thailand.
Thais are donning scarves, farmers are scrambling to save their rice crops and snakes are freezing to death. That is all because temperatures in this normally balmy country have dipped to their coldest in a decade. The country has been gripped in a cold spell that blew down from China earlier this month and is likely to last until February, the Thai Meteorological Department said Saturday. Chukiat Thaijaratsathian, an official in the department's forecasting office, said temperatures in the coun...
2009-01-17 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka.
The second zoological garden in Sri Lanka, which is currently under constructions, is scheduled to open by next June at Pinnawela in Kegalle about 80 km northeast of capital Colombo. Minister for Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge said that the first phase of the zoo will be to house the local mammals and the birds. The 77 acre Pinnawela Zoological garden is being constructed near the famous elephant orphanage in the area. According to the Minister eighty percent of construction works of...
2009-01-17 - Los Angeles, United States. Lindsay Barnett
L.A. Zoo animal keepers are the latest group adding their voices to the debate over Billy, the zoo's lone elephant. They appealed Monday to city officials to vote to complete the zoo's planned $42-million Pachyderm Forest. The keepers say they have Billy's best interests at heart and are firmly convinced that the zoo is the best place for him. (Construction on Pachyderm Forest was halted in early December; the City Council is expected to make a final decision on whether to continue the project ...
2009-01-17 - Nairobi, Kenya. Mike Pflanz
A female elephant is seen shoving her naughty son with her tusks for being mean to his little sister in extraordinary new BBC documentary footage showing behaviour never before witnessed. The everyday tale of family jealousy was captured on camera by a team of animal experts filming elephants in Kenya for a new documentary to be shown on the BBC tonight. The matriarch of the herd Harbattan had lost a calf soon after the birth and her only other son Buster had reached the age of six with no sibli...
2009-01-17 - New Delhi, India.
For almost six decades Indian elephants in elaborate headdresses have been part of the annual Republic Day parade through Delhi. This year, however, the bejewelled elephants that traditionally carry the winners of children’s bravery awards will be absent from the parade for the first time since it began in 1950. Because of concerns about safety and animal rights the 20 children in the parade will now ride in military vehicles. The Defence Ministry said that it had taken the step partly because...
2009-01-16 - Dresden, Germany.
It’s nice to know that if you do use a real, live pine tree at Christmastime it won’t necessarily be thrown on the waste heap. Over in Germany, Christmas trees are fed to the animals at Dresden Zoo. Elephant calf Thabo-Umasai joined camels, deer, and sheep in a traditional new-year feast of Christmas trees just after the new year. Each elephant received about five Christmas trees each. The pine trees’ unique oils are said to aid some animals’ digestion. Indeed, pine bark extract is being...
2009-01-16 - Cologne, Germany. Martin Junius
Zoo Cologne - Elephant Bars
2009-01-16 - Nairobi, Kenya. AMANDA CABLE
Harmattan is living on the edge of her nerves. Her teenage son Buster is straying away from home and picking fights with local gangs. Younger daughter, Breeze, is desperate for more independence, but Harmattan is still haunted by the death of her middle child, and is fiercely over-protective. She has an awful instinct that something terrible will happen, which may threaten the survival of her children. And she isn't wrong. It sounds like the same stresses faced by mothers the world over. But Har...
2009-01-16 - Guwahati, India.
Three people, including a five-year-old girl, were killed by a herd of wild elephants in Assam Friday, an official said. About five elephants entered Bhelapara village in Karbi Anglong district, about 260 km east of the state's main city Guwahati, and went on a rampage killing three people. "The elephants came from an adjoining hill in search of food and in the process trampled upon the three members of a tribal family,"the official said.
2009-01-16 - Mandrem, India. Nilkanth Pednekar
The campaign launched in Pernem taluka by the Forest department officials and locals to drive away rampaging elephants coming from the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka has met with success. Strict vigil is also being maintained to prevent the tuskers from entering villages of Hasapur, Phakirpatto, Ibrampur and neighbouring areas in the taluka. A couple of days back, the Forest department drove away a rampaging tusker towards Kas-Madura in Maharashtra.
2009-01-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.
A Wildlife Conservation Department survey has revealed that 2,241 elephants have died as a result of shooting, unknown reasons, electrocution, poisoning, accidents and natural and other causes from 1990 to 2007. The current elephant population is estimated at 3,500-4,000 and a gradual increase has been witnessed in Mahaweli and Wayamba regions during the last four decades. According to the survey, 100 elephants have died due to natural causes from 1990 to 2007 and a certain number of elephants t...
2009-01-16 - Berhampur, India.
The amazing spectacle of a elephant guarding the body of another and not allowing any human being to approach the dead one drew awe from villagers and forest officials at Saura-Mukundpur area today. Forest officials failed to take possession of the body of the elephant electrocuted to death as another wild elephant stood guard. The electrocuted elephant was a female of around 25 years old and the one guarding the carcass happened to be a female of over 40 years. Generally females in wild elephan...
2009-01-16 - Coimbatore, India.
The incidence of elephant attack on vehicles on the premier tourist path of Mettupalyam- Ooty National Highways is on the rise. Damages to the crops on the stretch by stray animals have also become common. On Wednesday, a herd of elephants stopped in the middle of the road on seeing a tourist car around 11 pm near Kallar railway gate on Mettupalayam- Ooty NH. The driver stopped the vehicle, a few feet away and waited. One of the elephants ran towards the vehicle and attacked the front glass and ...
2009-01-16 - Mandrem, India.
The campaign launched in Pernem taluka by the Forest department officials and locals to drive away rampaging elephants coming from the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka has met with success. Strict vigil is also being maintained to prevent the tuskers from entering villages of Hasapur, Phakirpatto, Ibrampur and neighbouring areas in the taluka.
2009-01-15 - Tokyo, Japan.
As always, a little about the film: This 2005 film stars Yuya Yagira (Tetsumu), of Dare mo Shiranai (Nobody Knows) fame - a role that earned him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival - as a young man who wants to become the first Japanese elephant trainer. I think the elephants scenes are the ones that I enjoyed the most~ xD THOUGH, the ending is not really happy…
2009-01-15 - Taman Negara, Malaysia.
A count of elephant dung revealed a surprisingly large endangered elephant population — more than 600 — in Malaysia's biggest national park, researchers said Thursday. The number of endangered Asian elephants had always been a mystery as researchers tried to visually count every one of the frequently shifting crowd in the dense jungle. But the new method of counting dung piles came up with an estimate of 631 animals living in Taman Negara National Park, the New York-based Wildlife Conservati...
2009-01-15 - London, United Kingdom.
BBC One's 'The Secret Life of Elephants', revealing the behaviour and emotional lives of elephants in Kenya's Samburu reserve, attracted 4.2m viewers on BBC One, according to unofficial overnight figures. The first instalment of the three-part series, which contrasted one elephant family's excitement when a new baby is born with a herd mourning the death of a female elephant, pulled in an 18.1% share of the 9pm-10pm audience.
2009-01-15 - Los Angeles, United States. Rick Orlov
Los Angeles County officials warned Thursday that the city would have to refund nearly $5million within 60 days if it abandons plans for a $42million elephant exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo. The City Council is expected to decide today whether to proceed with construction of the 3.6-acre "Pachyderm Forest," which would house Billy, the zoo's last remaining elephant. Under pressure from animal-rights activists who want Billy sent to a free-range sanctuary, the city halted work last month although...
2009-01-14 - London, United Kingdom. Christy Williams
There are no winners when elephants and humans compete for the same resources, says Christy Williams. But, he argues, intelligent buying by western consumers, and informed policies from governments in areas where elephants occur, could reduce the problem. To ensure elephant habitat isn't needlessly destroyed, buy Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber and certified coffee; and if you aren't sure whether a product has been sustainably sourced or not, then ask.
2009-01-13 - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India.
Finally, it was left to a goddess to speak up for the beleaguered elephant. Bhadra, the presiding deity of Kanichukulangara Devi Temple, when an ‘ashtamangalyaprasnam’ was conducted to know her mind, said henceforth her idol would be mounted, not on the back of a hapless elephant, but on the shoulders of men who had undergone fasting and penance for 40 days. Thus, at a time when temple festivals cannot do without elephants, the Kanichukulangara Temple in Alappuzha district has become the fir...
2009-01-12 - Auckland, New Zealand. IAN STEWARD
A jumbo-sized dispute has broken out over the living conditions of New Zealand's only circus elephant. Animal rights campaigner Save Animals from Exploitation (Safe) says Jumbo, an African elephant with the Loritz Circus which is currently in Christchurch, is being kept in conditions that break welfare codes for circus elephants. The circus has dismissed the campaigner's claims as "hysterical". Safe campaign officer Sacha Dowell said Jumbo was being kept tethered inside her trailer and was not b...
2009-01-12 - Panaji, India.
Posting of two elephants from Bondla zoo to help forest department staff patrolling Goa's border areas around Chandel and Hassapur has helped keep two pachyderms, which had destroyed crops in Mopa and Anconem, at bay for some time. "The tame elephants help better visibility as staff mounted on it can see far and wild ones are a little afraid of them," Shashi Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forest told TOI on Saturday. The elephants which had been straying into Goa at random have not been seen for a ...
2009-01-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi
As controversy surrounded preparations to transfer two “babies” from the Elephant Transit Home (ETH) at Uda Walawe to the Pinnawela Orphanage, opinion among activists was divided whether this was a good or bad move. “We are hoping to move ‘Atlas’ and another baby elephant from ETH to Pinnawela on Sunday (today) or this week,” said W.A.D.A. Wijesooriya, Director-General of the Department of Wild Life Conservation (DWLC), when contacted by The Sunday Times.
2009-01-10 - Hudson, United States.
Sure, it was huge, full of fun rides and oddball sights, and loaded with animals you'd usually have to leave the United States to see. But still, you'd think it would get old after a while, given it was so close by, right in our proverbial backyards. Not so. After all, this was "The Strangest Farm on Earth." Nobody, no matter how many times they'd been there, would ever turn down another stroll through the enchanted pathways and curious attractions of Hudson's famous Benson's Wild Animal Farm.
2009-01-10 - Harare, Zimbabwe.
A wildlife campaigner in Zimbabwe says members of the army are being given elephant meat for their rations because of a shortage of beef. A spokesman for the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, Jonny Rodrigues, says army contracts to supply beef have been cancelled, because it is easier and cheaper to provide elephant.
2009-01-10 - Dindigul, India.
Forest department is planning to put up watch towers at four places to monitor the movement of elephants in Palani forest areas in the district. Officials said the watch towers would be installed near Summer Water spots as the elephants would come there in search of water. The locations selected were Palaru and Porundalaru dams, Vaiyanturai and Kudiraiyaru.
2009-01-09 - Ebay, United States.
his is not a reproduction. Completely original and complete. From 1906. Contains a day by day account of the circus Elephant Keeper. Contains notes on what happened in different places as well as diary of his pay. Pages are yellowed and some are a little loose but overall very good condition for a notebook 100 years old. Approx 6 x 4 inches.
2009-01-09 - Baton Rouge, United States.
Includes but not limited to the supervison of animal care staff and management of hoofstock collection and exhibits. Also performs animal care duties as required. This position also oversees the elephant program. H.S. diploma and Associate Degree in Biology, Animal Science or related field. Three years experience in the care of exotic hoofstock. Supervisory experience. Valid drivers license.
2009-01-08 - Portland, United States. Oregon Zoo Press release
The Oregon Zoo's elephant program enjoyed a remarkable year in 2008, with Rose-Tu successfully giving birth to Samudra and local voters passing a $125 million zoo bond measure, of which $30 million will go toward expanding the current elephant exhibit and funding an off-site reserve. Rose-Tu stayed physically fit during 2008 through brisk walks and daily workouts with her trainers. The zoo's comprehensive exercise program helped prepare Rose-Tu for the difficulty of labor, and on Aug. 23 she gav...
2009-01-05 - Chester, United Kingdom.
Chester Zoo is one of the leading zoological collections in Europe with an international reputation for achieving its mission in conservation breeding programmes, research and education. We are currently recruiting for a suitably experienced and qualified Specialist Keeper to be the Second-in-Charge of our Asian Elephant programme at the Zoo. Applicants should have proven experience of working with a mixed elephant herd in protected contact.
2009-01-05 - Bogor, Indonesia. JP/Theresia Sufa
A 38-year-old Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis) named Linda and her unnamed newborn calf are seen at Taman Safari Indonesia animal park in Cisarua, Bogor, on Sunday. The calf, a female weighing around 90 kilograms, is Linda's fourth calf since her first was born in 1995.
2009-01-04 - Belvidere, United States. Carolynn Regan
Wallace Beery was an American Academy Award winning actor, best known for his portrayal of Long John Silver in "Treasure Island" (1934), who appeared in 200 movies over a 36 year span. Wallace Beery joined the Ringling Brothers Circus at age sixteen as an assistant elephant trainer. He left two years later, after being clawed by a leopard. Beery found work in New York City in musical variety and began to appear on Broadway. In 1913 he moved to Chicago to work for Essanay Studios, cast as "Sweedi...
2009-01-03 - Nairobi, Kenya. DANIEL WESANGULA
For the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the official custodian of the country’s wildlife, 2008 has been a year of mixed fortunes. Despite the violence that the country experienced at the turn of the year, KWS officials were optimistic that the wildlife population would increase with most of the national parks and game reserves not negatively affected.
2009-01-02 - San Diego, United States.
Move over Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, theres a new diet thats proving a success — and its fit for an elephant. San Diego's elephants no longer supersized
