Elephant calf settling into Aussie life Jul 4, 2009
It's believed that only 34,000 Asian Elephants remain across their range in Asia. Australian National University animal expert Professor Colin Groves said the birth is significant and the calf will quickly become a popular attraction. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Chestnut, Kobayashi ready for showdown Jul 3, 2009
As a lead-in to the main event, Major League Eating on Friday will hold a first-of-its-kind "cross-species" eating contest between three competitive eaters and three Asian elephants. MLE's Shea described it as the realization of one of his two lifelong dreams, the other being a scenario in which a dozen competitive eaters eat the entire contents of a convenience store. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- More)
Peer Pressure Plays Major Role In Behavior Jun 30, 2009
17, 2009) New data released by the Wildlife Conservation Society and Malaysia's Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) reveals that a population of endangered Asian elephants living in a Malaysian. (Dec. (Science Daily)
Giant Prehistoric Elephant Discovered Jun 24, 2009
And scientists believe the elephant was much bigger than modern-day Asian elephants. SOUNDBITE (Indonesian) Fahroel Aziz, Bandung Geology Museum: "The significant part of this discovery is that the elephant fossil that we found is of enormous size. Just imagine that the length from its feet to pelvis is more than two meters, maybe around 2.3 meters.". (National Geographic)
Guide to law for every social situation Jun 22, 2009
The offence is compounded if caught hunting endangered species such as antelopes, black buck, sea turtles, leopard, wild goat, black bear, Asiatic lion, rhinoceros, Asian elephants, Hispid hare, Barasingha, deer, etc. Smart Living. (India Times)
Worldwide Demonstrations June 20 Will Highlight Elephant-Sized Controversy at Zoos Jun 19, 2009
The latest science () shows zoos drastically shorten the lives of both African and Asian elephants. (A zoo industry attempt to undermine these findings was recently rejected by the journal Science. (PR Newswire)
Activists decry expanded elephant displays Jun 19, 2009
But zoos that are expanding say they are contributing to public awareness, acting as ambassadors for these majestic animals and aiding conservation efforts for endangered Asian elephants and threatened African elephants ... The groups accuse Feld Entertainment of keeping 54 Asian elephants in chains and using bull hooks, whips and other coercive means to train them. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Elephant-size loopholes sustain Thai ivory trade Jun 19, 2009
The report also raises concerns that legal provisions governing trade in domesticated elephants are providing cover for illegal trade in wild-caught, highly-endangered Asian elephants from both Thailand and neighbouring Myanmar. TRAFFIC's survey documented over 26,000 worked ivory products for sale in local markets, with many more retail outlets dealing in ivory products than were observed during market surveys carried out in 2001. (EurekAlert!)
Circus Arrives in Las Vegas Amid Controversy Jun 18, 2009
Faso has long argued it is inherently cruel to endangered Asian elephants to force them into the life of a traveling carny, and the proof is in their feet. Some of the most pointed testimony to emerge in a six week federal trial focused on the feet of Ringling elephants. (KLAS-TV.com, NV)
San Diego Zoo sleepover May 29, 2009
Nearby were reticulated giraffes, a few fringe-eared oryx, a regal-looking defassa waterbuck, several African crowned cranes and, atop distant hills, African and Asian elephants. Closer in, near the dining patio, a couple of hulking white rhinos snuffled in the dirt. (AZCentral -- Travel)
PETA alleges abuse at Carson & Barnes May 29, 2009
He said the circus has 30 elephants that they keep in Oklahoma during the winter, and the circus founded the nonprofit Endangered Ark Foundation, which is for the conservation, breeding and scientific study of Asian elephants ... jbhiker wrote on May 28, 2009 12:10 PM:" I love a challenge people.. NY Times: future use of Ringlings emblem the elephant is threatened in United States District Court in Washington, ... under the 1973 Endangered Species Act, it is legal to chain the... (Lodi News Sentinel, CA)
EarthTalk Q&A: climate, peat and people May 21, 2009
The double whammy of poaching (illegal hunting) and habitat loss has led to a dramatic decline in populations of both African and Asian elephants in recent decades ... While Asian elephants were never as numerous as their African counterparts, their population numbers have also dropped precipitously, from an estimated 200,000 a century ago to less than 40,000 today. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Circus elephants in the legal spotlight May 21, 2009
and Barnum & Bailey Circus of abusing endangered Asian elephants ... treats its Asian elephants humanely but that it is a world leader in preserving the species ... The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, a coalition of more than 1,000 government and research organizations, calculates that there are about 50,000 Asian elephants left in the world. (MSNBC -- Environment)
A bird that keeps the beat May 7, 2009
From watching the videos, the scientists observed that only animals that imitate sounds, including 14 parrot species and Asian elephants, accurately moved in time to music. Patel suspects that the ability to keep time with music is connected in the brain to the ability to imitate sounds. (Science News for Kids)
Birds show off their dance moves May 1, 2009
YouTube footage suggested Asian elephants can dance. To test whether this might be the case, the researchers turned to a vast resource of animal footage - YouTube. (BBC News -- Science)
WEEK IN PHOTOS: Gorilla Rescue, Swine Flu Scan, More May 1, 2009
Asian elephants are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and they number only between 25,000 to 32,000 worldwide. Photograph by Anupam Nath/AP. (National Geographic)
LETTERS: NCT, April 29, 2009 Apr 29, 2009
" Thus, the theory of global warming is still conjectural in contrast to matters of actual fact.Ralph "Pete" PetersEncinitasDon't mention a movie you haven't seen!Charles Bagwell makes the same mistake many other global-warming deniers have made on this page: He mentions Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" in a negative way without seeing the movie! Please, folks, whether you support Al Gore's campaign to do something about this threat or not, don't comment on a film you have not seen. You only... (North County Times)
Diet Secrets Of Elephant Family Named 'The Royals' Apr 16, 2009
16, 2007) Scientists are creating a photographic archive of individual Asian elephants. The researchers have developed a unique "photographic capture-recapture" survey method that identifies individual male. (Science Daily)
Circus to showcase feats of strength Apr 14, 2009
The Asian elephants in the show go through a muscle-building program before they perform in the circus. In order for an 8,000-pound elephant to stand up on its hind legs and put all of its weight on its lower abdomen, it must develop specific muscles, according to promotional information from Carden. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Zoo celebrates 18-year-old elephant's birthday Apr 13, 2009
The celebration was also used to highlight the plight of wild Asian elephants ... Soundbite: Ye Wei, Changsha Zoo Asian Elephants are in danger of extinction ... Soundbite: Ye Wei, Changsha Zoo We will introduce Asian Elephants and African Elephants to Pamai. (Xinhuanet, China)
I-Team: Animal Activists Hope Lawsuit Protects Circus Elephants Apr 10, 2009
He told the court his circus earns about $100 million a year and his endangered Asian elephants are the big draw ... It took eight years for animal welfare groups to haul Ringling Brothers Circus into federal court to face accusations of cruelty to endangered Asian elephants. (KLAS-TV)
A benefit for the Bob Apr 9, 2009
This year s touring films include Losing the Elephants, which looks at habit loss among Asian elephants and their relationship with people. Via Bearzi gives tribute to a climber who died on an expedition in the Alps, while Shikashika looks at Peruvian girls who sell the sweetest snow cones carved from glacial ice. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
TOUR’S TOP 5 FLICKS Apr 9, 2009
These Asian Elephants (of which 35,000 are left on earth, half in captivity) often live for seven decades; they recognize themselves in a mirror; relationships are important to them; and, of course, they don t forget. As elephant caretaker Olivia Daniel says, They are like people, but nicer. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Columbus Zoo Trumpets News of Elephant Birth Mar 28, 2009
The pairing of Phoebe and Coco was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan for Asian elephants ... In the past five years only nine Asian elephants have been born in six AZA zoos including the new calf at the Columbus Zoo ... An endangered species, Asian elephants are represented by an estimated 38,000 to 51,000 individuals living in fragmented populations in the wild. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Sri Lanka's National Parks Mar 24, 2009
In September and October each year, Minneriya hosts the largest gathering of Asian elephants in the world, with hundreds of the giant creatures congregating at the exposed edges of a shrinking lake bed. Highlights of Minneriya National Park include. (Suite101.com)
Pink elephant is caught on camera Mar 21, 2009
" Documented evidence Albino elephants are not usually white, but instead they have more of a reddish-brown or pink hue. While albinism is thought to be fairly common in Asian elephants, it is much less common in the larger African species. Surviving this very rare phenomenon is very difficult in the harsh African bush Dr Mike Chase, Elephants Without Borders Ecologist Dr Mike Chase, who runs conservation charity Elephants Without Borders, said: "I have only come across three references to... (BBC News -- Science)
Mammoth Evolution Mar 18, 2009
Asian elephants headed out of Africa, as did the mammoths, leaving African elephants alone on the continent. Mammoths specifically evolved from the African mammoth, (Mammuthus africanavus). (Suite101.com)
Tiger protection to be preached in mosques Mar 16, 2009
Wildlife fund officials say only 500 Malayan tigers still live in the wild in Malaysia - down from 3,000 in the 1950s - while about 1,300 Asian elephants remain on peninsular Malaysia, according to government figures. The World Wildlife Fund said it also hopes to work with local Islamic authorities in other states to distribute conservation sermons nationwide, dealing with each area's specific issues and animals. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Circus Defends Use Of Hooks On Elephants Mar 4, 2009
Animal rights groups are suing Feld Entertainment, saying the use of those instruments harms the company's 54 Asian elephants, an animal protected by the Endangered Species Act ... He said the company has the only sustainable herd of Asian elephants in the Western Hemisphere, with 22 elephants born since 1992 as part of its elephant breeding program. (CBS News)
Zoo Launches 'Poop To Power' Plan Mar 4, 2009
Asian elephants Mimi and Dolly weigh 10,100 and 7,600 pounds, respectively. They each produce 75 to 100 pounds of waste every day. (Click2Houston, TX)
Circus CEO defends striking of elephants Mar 4, 2009
Animal rights groups are suing Feld Entertainment, saying the use of those instruments harms the company's 54 Asian elephants, an animal protected by the Endangered Species Act. The trial, being heard by US District Judge Emmet Sullivan without a jury, has been going on for a month and is expected to last a couple more weeks. (Boston Globe)
News Briefs | Mar. 2 Mar 3, 2009
Asian elephants have been an endangered species since the 1980. (Becca Krock). (Washington University Student Life, MO)
SD Zoo euthanizes 60-year-old elephant Feb 26, 2009
Her death leaves the zoo with four Asian elephants and 11 African elephants. Three females and one male reside in the zoo's Wild Animal Park. (Fresno Bee -- State)
Asian Elephants Under Increasing Threat As Illegal Ivory Prices Soar Feb 24, 2009
In December 2008, TRAFFIC released a report that found evidence of widespread smuggling of live Asian Elephants and their ivory from Myanmar. Mammoth ivory from Russia was also used in small quantities, but no African raw ivory was found, although it was still being illegally imported into Viet Nam up to at least 2004. (Science Daily)
* Where the tiger makes its last stand Feb 19, 2009
Besides 160 tigers, the park supports hundreds of Asian Elephants, leopards, otters and some 600 species of birds ... Asian Elephants are really bad news because they often charge people who venture too close and will make sure that you die, she said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Rising ivory demand threatens Asia elephants: study Feb 16, 2009
An earlier TRAFFIC report found evidence of widespread smuggling of live Asian elephants and their ivory from Myanmar. The latest TRAFFIC study found that Vietnamese illegal ivory prices could be the highest in the world, with reports of tusks selling for up to $1,500 per kilogram and small, cut pieces selling for up to $1,863 a kg.. (Scientific American)
Elephant Abuse Under Big Top? Feb 8, 2009
An undercover video provided to CBS News by the Animal Welfare Institute shows Asian elephants kept by Ringling Bros ... Purported undercover video provided to CBS News by the shows Asian elephants kept by Ringling Bros. (CBS News -- Early Show)
Activists, circus square off over elephants Feb 7, 2009
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Welfare Institute and other activist groups say they will prove that Asian elephants are injured physically and emotionally by their treatment in the circus ... Feld Entertainment has 54 Asian elephants, 19 which travel and perform and 35 which live at the company's 200-acre conservatory in Florida. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Courts: Circus elephants case heads to trial Feb 7, 2009
The plaintiffs including the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Welfare Institute allege that trainers' use of sharp tools called bullhooks and the prolonged use of chains on the Asian elephants add up to an egregious violation of the federal Endangered Species Act. They seek an order from U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., halting these practices, which some activists hope would force Ringling Bros. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Bacon Explosion recipe exploding on Internet Feb 7, 2009
This manure method I would like to see the want-ad for these jobs came up with an estimated 631 elephants, making the park "one of the great strongholds for Asian elephants in Southeast Asia," Melvin Gumal, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's conservation programs in Malaysia said for this. Enumerating by excretion or counting the dung piles also is an internationally recognized technique and has been endorsed by U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, Gumal... (ESPN -- Outdoors)
