29th May 2009

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Photo of the week: elephant pedicure

Boy, a 39-year-old Asian elephant, gets a pedicure at home in Kiev, Ukraine.

Seen at: telegraph.co.uk

Tags elephantsgrooming

23rd May 2009

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Do animals have morals?

A bold new book argues that animals can exhibit empathy and understand the moral codes of right and wrong.

In “Wild Justice” (out May 30), Marc Bekoff, an ecologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, presents a case that species from mice to monkeys possess the tools to make moral judgments.

He presents examples in which animals from around the world appear to have displayed an innate sense of fairness, or have helped animals that are in distress. And, he says, the bonds of animal morality can extend across species.

“There are cases of dolphins helping humans escape from sharks,” he says, “and elephants that have helped antelope escape from enclosures.”

Bekoff’s ideas have met with skepticism from the scientific community, says the London Telegraph, but fellow researchers admit that animals share neurological characteristics that were once solely attributed to humans.

For instance, whales including humpbacks (above) have all been found to have spindle cells in their brains – large, specialized cells that play a role in human empathy and understanding the feelings of others. (See the Telegraph article for Bekoff’s examples involving wolves, coyotes, elephants, Diana monkeys, chimps, rats, mice and bats.)

Tags wolvescoyoteselephantschimpanzeesmonkeysratsmicebatspsychologyscientistsdiscoveries

9th May 2009

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These elephants went high tech

This week, part of the San Diego Zoo’s elephant population made the big move to new digs at the Elephant Odyssey exhibit.

Tembo, Sumithi and Devi were packed in crates, lifted onto a flatbed truck by a crane, and took a 25-mile drive from their old home at Elephant Mesa to their new, 7.5 acre, state-of-the-art habitat, which features rolling hills, a 137,000 gallon pool and mechanical trees that, depending on the day, can provide foraging activities, cool showers or heat. (The zoo has dubbed these “utilitrees.”)

They join four elephants that arrived two weeks ago, an impressively-tusked bull named Ranchipur (above, in his old exhibit) and three gals, Cookie, Mary and Cha Cha. All of the elephants are Asian except for Tembo, who is African. The elephants can be seen taking a dip in their new pool here.

Elephant Odyssey opens to the public on May 23.

Tags elephantshabitatsSan Diego Zoomeet and greets

30th April 2009

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These elephants prefer to roam

Hollywood legend Lily Tomlin has thrown her weight behind three elephants at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo.

Animal rights protestors have taken issue with the elephants’ exhibit, which confines them to a 2,200-square-foot barn. The facility meets the standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, but the zoo’s three pachyderms, Watoto, Bamboo and Chai (above), are nonetheless afflicted by chronic foot and joint problems.

Says Tomlin, “I don’t think anyone in their right mind would think that’s enough space for an elephant, the earth’s largest land mammal.” Bam.

Tomlin and other elephant liberationists have suggested that the animals be relocated to a sanctuary in Tennessee, where they can freely roam and essentially walk off their ailments.

Zoo management has faulted Tomlin for “her desire to have us truck our elephants 2,500 miles from their home … despite having no firsthand knowledge about the excellent care provided for our elephants.”

A side note: a fourth elephant at the zoo, named Hansa, died from complications related to a strain of herpes in 2007, the article neatly points out.

Photo by Eve Andersson

Tags elephantsWoodland Park Zoocelebshealth

26th March 2009

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Editorial: Elephant naming outrage

An update from San Diego about the naming of the baby elephant recently born to big mama Umngani: while a moniker still hasn’t been selected, the zoo has announced that tiny trunkster (r.) will be named after a zoo donor.

Okay. Now. I have the utmost respect for anyone who will hand over some $45 million for the building of something called “Elephant Odyssey,” which is set to open this summer. At the same time, all of lil’ pachyderm’s siblings and playmates have names like Khosi (his sis), Lungile, Ndula, Punga, Swazi, Mabu and Samba. And this little guy is going to end up named something like “Franklin” or “Chester.” Can you imagine the humiliation?

Tags baby animalsnamingopinionelephants

16th March 2009

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This elephant needs a name

This little guy was born Friday at the San Diego Zoo, the zoo’s twelfth elephant. He doesn’t have a name yet, but his mother is named Umngani and he has a big sister Khosi.

The birth comes a month after the death of Sunita, who had been the park’s oldest elephant, and had lived there since 1974. She was believed to be at least 60 years old.

Ooh, check the fact- and cuteness-filled slideshow on the SD Zoo site.

Tags San Diego zoobaby animalselephants