It’s a true crime what poachers are doing to endangered wildlife in Africa, Asia, and elsewhere. And it is driven by irrational demand for animal products that don’t actually help … [Read full article]
Tag: elephant
Zoologists Observe Elephant's 'Aha!' Moment in Problem Solving Test [VIDEO]
The broad intelligence of elephants has been fairly well documented — with some elephants passing the “red smudge” (mirror self-recognition) test indicating self-awareness — but how extensive the pachyderms’ problem solving skills are, compared to apes, has been a matter of debate; despite their high intelligence, elephants have “failed to exhibit insightful problem solving in previous cognitive studies.” But a recent experiment involving three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington D.C. has revealed at least one elephant successfully solving a problem to obtain food and experiencing that moment of intellectual breakthrough known as the ‘Aha!’ or ‘Eureka! moment.
Rhino Crisis Round Up: Pregnant Rhino Murdered, CITES Meeting Controversy & More
This week, the 61st meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was held in Geneva. Meanwhile, the carnage continued in South Africa with the brutal murder of a pregnant rhino.
Baby Elephant Sneezes, Scares Himself, Hides Behind Mom {VIDEO}
This is too cute :D. This little baby elephant apparently sneezes, scares him/herself (or gets scared by the people laughing.. or both), and then runs and hides behind his/her mother. Adorable. A good follow-up to our post yesterday on the charging baby elephant.
Baby Elephant Charging {VIDEO}
Too cute. This little charging baby elephant is either having a little playful fun or thinks s/he is a little bigger or more frightening than s/he is. 😀
Check it out & enjoy!
Animal Circuses to be Banned in UK after Animal Cruelty Exposed?
Well, here’s some good news out of the UK. As I shared on here recently and have from time to time, circus animals often live quite inhumane lives. Undercover footage (below) of the horrible treatment inflicted upon 59-year-old Asian elephant Anne, part of a UK travelling circus, brought this fact to the eyes of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Anne, who has been in captivity for 50 years, was recently kicked or hit hard with a metal pitchfork 48 times over the course of 3 and a half weeks a recent undercover investigation by Animal Defenders International found (and filmed). Northamptonshire police and the RSPCA subsequently investigated the situation as a result of this video. (Note that she is repeatedly beat in here back right knee — she has arthritis.)
LA City Council Votes to Keep Billy the Elephant Confined
Despite extensive opposition and the rallying of animal activists and Hollywood celebrities alike, Los Angeles City Council voted today to go ahead with a $42 million elephant exhibit. About $12 … [Read full article]
Ivory Poaching Decimates Elephant Herds in Chad's Zakouma National Park
The population of elephants in Zakouma National Park has been reduced by almost 2/3 in the last two years due to organized poaching for ivory. Only 1000 savannah elephants are … [Read full article]
Government in South Africa Earns Millions in Ivory Auction, Proceeds Go Towards Conservation
South African National Parks (SANParks) held a UN sanctioned auction on November 6th, where they sold off 47 metric tons of stockpiled ivory, earning the government conservation agency US$6.7 million. … [Read full article]