WTF? GABORONE, BOTSWANA —  The Botswana government responded to criticism from an anti-hunting activist, saying the number of elephants legally killed by hunters since the lifting of a hunting ban in 2019 is negligible. South Africa-based activist Adam Cruise recently published a report titled “Trophy Hunting in Botswana: a tale of declining wildlife, corruption, exploitation and impoverishment.” In it, Cruise, who is among the leading campaigners pushing for a ban on trophy hunting, said that the killing of elephants and other large animals threatens Botswana’s wildlife. Additionally, he said that hunting impoverishes communities because they do not benefit from revenue generated from the sport. Thato Raphaka, permanent secretary in Botswana’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism, described Cruise’s report as malicious and misleading. Raphaka, in a statement, said that the allotment of hunted animals is approved by international conservation body CITES, and that the nu

Elephants take revenge after trophy hunter shoots herd member dead WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT The elephant was shot at close range by a trophy hunter but as soon as it was fired and the dying animal fell the herd starting charging towards him Elephant takes revenge after hunter shoots a herd member dead Kelly-Ann Mills News Reporter  12 Sep 2023 A hunter who shot dead a majestic elephant from close range, turned and ran away when the animal's herd started charging towards him. In the distressing footage a man can be seen taking aim as the herd of young and old elephants walk by . Another man can be heard saying: "Hit it between the eyes." The man open fire , hitting the animal twice, before his guide shoots the animal a third time, and he falls to the floor. But as the dying animal falls, some of the herd tur

Ancient Elephant Teeth Evolved to Suit a Changing Diet Those that evolved survived extreme climate changes from about 23 to 11 million years ago. By Elizabeth Gamillo Sep 5, 2023 (Credit: Beth Zaiken (https://bethzaiken.com/) Fossilized cheek teeth have helped paleontologists learn a lot about what ancient elephants ate millions of years ago. Turns out, those with a less picky diet and more adaptability to changing environments survived. And those who stuck to a grass-based diet went extinct when there were extreme fluctuations in the climate. “This supports the hypothesis of such regions as 'species-factories' where evolutionary adaptation to changing environmental conditions first centered around," said Juha Saarinen, a paleontologist at the University of Helsinki and lead author, in a statement . Details on the study were published in Nature Ecology & Evolution . Vegetarian Diets Chewing grass is more demanding on teeth than feeding on other types of plan

  Study Reveals Risk of Infection and Injury at Sham Elephant Sanctuaries In Asia—notably Thailand and India—the public is often allowed to touch, feed, and bathe elephants at sham sanctuaries . At other tourist attractions, captive elephants are forced to give rides. In Africa, however, most tourist experiences that involve elephants are strictly observational and only allow visitors to watch them roam in their natural habitat. The study pinpointed the following three concerns with “hands-on” elephant interactions. Why You Should Never Touch an Elephant 1. Elephant Welfare The research published by the International Journal of One Health indicates that several studies have shown that abuse is prevalent at elephant camps and temples, where the animals often endure psychological and physical torment through beatings, chaining, and social deprivation, among other stressors—and that they suffer in poor conditions with untreated wounds, skin infections, musculoskeletal

  TUFTS COLLEGE in Boston has a mascot JUMBO Did you know elephants can get herpes and die from it?   Herpesviruses are a very broad family which can infect a wide range of animals, and Asian elephants are one of them. But despite nearly two decades of research, the elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus remains largely unknown. However, scientists have finally discovered where the deadly virus replicates in the body and can now move on to studying the disease in cell cultures. A huge win for an endangered species threatened by more than just this virus.   When you think herpes, your thoughts don’t immediately go to elephants, and for a reason. Herpesviruses are very common within human populations, causing cold sores and fever blisters on various parts of the body. In the US, about half of human adolescents and adults under the age of 50 are infected with the herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1, and about one in eight are infected with HSV-2.  So, when you first encounter

Animals have never been meant for human entertainment. While an educational nature documentary or an afternoon of bird-watching is harmless, festivals, events, and circuses often abuse animals for the sake of entertainment.  That being said, many animals are part of festivals because they represent an aspect of a culture. During what appears to be the Elephant Festival in Kerala in 2011, one elephant had enough.  Whether it was the massive crowd, loud drumming, or four people riding on top of the animal , it quickly gave the crowd a reaction they were not expecting. In a matter of seconds, two out of the four riders fell off the gentle giant. Elephants in circuses are often beat with rods to perform. ©Andrea Izzotti/iStock via Getty Images People all around started to back away, in fear of being trampled. An individual walks up to the elephant, perhaps to try to calm the animal down, only to be tossed to the side by the elephant’s trunk!  Eventually, the second rider slid

 WHAT? African Elephants May Use Names For Each Other, A First Outside Of Humans The elephants seem to address each other with individual vocal labels, and not by simply copying each other’s calls. Laura Simmons Think only humans give each other names? You might need to think again. Image credit: MPH Photos/Shutterstock.com N ames are universal throughout human cultures and across different languages. They form a huge part of our identity and help us communicate with each other, but personal names are considered a uniquely human thing. Now, new research has suggested that wild African elephants could address each other with individual specific calls – the equivalent of a name –   with fascinating implications for the evolution of language. The new research, which has been posted as a preprint and has not yet been certified by peer review, analyzed calls from wild elephants in two areas of Kenya: the greater Samburu ecosystem to the north, and the Amboseli National Park to the

In November 2020, after five years of working on his release through her charity Free the Wild, Cher flew out to Pakistan for the relocation of Asian elephant Kaavan who had been kept in captivity for 35 years, the last 8 in solitude, he became known as ‘the world's loneliest elephant’.  He’s now flourishing in a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia.  We’re also joined in the studio by Cher’s Free the Wild co-founder Mark and son Sagan Cowne to tell us about getting the call from Cher to help, and the death threats he received during the five-year battle to free Kaavan.  Mark can also talk about his support for a Bill going through Parliament (committee stage in the Lord’s tomorrow 5th September). The Bill would prohibit the sale and advertising of activities abroad which involve low standards of welfare for animals - such as elephant rides and tiger cub selfies.