One of the best parts about being an African elephant is enjoying the succulent benefits of the marula tree. Named “The Elephant Tree,” (3) (1) for the herds’ dedication to making the trek each summer to savor the “sacred marula fruit” (3) at peak harvest, these special trees attract the elephants. Their remarkable olfactory systems, …
Name: SEEK Name Origin/Meaning: “…named after the indigenous ‘seeki’ tree that is ‘so strong’ the wood is used for ‘walking sticks’ for the community’s elders”. (2) Gender: Male Age When Rescued: one year old Date of Rescue: 31 December 2020, New Years Eve Location of Rescue: Nanyuki Where Now: RETETI ELEPHANT SANCTUARY Namunyak Wildlife …
Ireland has long held a tradition that, on St. Patrick’s Day, in celebration of their global presence and friendships with other nations they take part in the “greening of an iconic structure” (1) within that nation to symbolize their unique bond. In 2016, in Kenya, the sculpture of Ahmed the Elephant was one of those …
‘Look out!’ Marvin cries to the herd. ‘The machines are coming!’ ‘What do we do?!’ cry the elephants. ‘They’ve got Dirk!’ ‘Wait. What’s that sound? It sounds like…’ ‘Machines.’ ‘I can’t get free!’ shouted Dirk ‘Help me!’ “Amelia screams from the launch pad. Waaaaahhhhhhhhhooooo!’ ‘I can do …
In a perfect world all of our elephants would live as elephants in the wild and have the peace of knowing they were not hunted for what is basically their ‘upper incisors,’ albeit ivory.(1) If there were no demand for ivory, there would be no reason for poaching elephants. All reasonable humans realize that. The …
Artist: Addison Size: 2.5 X 3.5 ACEO Medium: Watercolor Colors: light & dark brown teddy bear, with black nose & eyes, red heart, blue green shadow Featuring: Teddy bear with heart on foot! Title: Heart Bear, Original Watercolor by Addison: ACEO Original Watercolor Teddy Bear Painting About the artist: “Hello, my name is Addison Quirk. I like to place …
In the southeast Asian country of Myanmar, formally called Burma, the birth (in July 2022) of a white elephant is being celebrated. With eyes the color of pearls, and the characteristic ‘big ears, plantain branch-shaped back, white hair, distinctive tail, auspicious plot signs on the skin’ and the unique number of ‘claws, five …
In the port town (3) of Dikson, the ‘northernmost settlement’ in Russia, lived a little polar bear named Monetochka. She found herself in serious trouble when an empty tin of condensed milk became stuck in her mouth as the ‘lid clamped down on her tongue’. She had become emaciated as she was unable to eat …
The male elephant was able to tolerate his time in captivity as long as he had his female companion, Saheli. But suddenly one day Saheli died and Kaavan was never the same again. They had spent 22 years together in the Islamabad Zoo and at that age elephants are in the prime of their lives. …
As Elephant Spoken Here turns five today,12 August 2020, our passion for elephant conservation has not abated. For our elephants need us, even more. Over the past several years poignant demonstrations have taken place across the globe in cities like Toronto (Canada), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Johannesburg (South Africa) Nairobi, (Kenya, Africa) and in NYC (USA). …
The Circus Cruelty Prevention Act: California State Senate Bill 313 Elephants & most other wild animals have been included in a new bill (SB313) signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to ban all but dogs, cats and horses from performing in circuses and having to endure the horrendous training that such performances entail. Facing a … Continue reading »
Questions remain as to why the elephant family had wandered so close to the edge of the aptly named Hell’s Fall in the first place (causing their baby to tumble over and setting off such a heartbreaking tragedy). It is believed that recent drought conditions in Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park drove the elephants, in … Continue reading »
They tried desperately to rescue the baby elephant who had fallen off of a ridge overlooking the infamous waterfall, known in Thailand as Hell’s Fall, but, in the process, the five other little Asian elephants also lost their lives. It was a small herd of elephants, blocking the road leading to the waterfall, that had … Continue reading »
Rescuer’s Tried To Reunite Baby Elephant With Her Wild Elephant Family It was 4 April 2019 when a baby elephant, who came to be known as Chabakeaw, was discovered in Bueng Kan,Thailand all alone and stuck in a mud hole. From the moment of her rescue she was taken in and “hand-reared” by the wild … Continue reading »
In response to the poisoning of “seven jumbos,” left to die by villagers in yet another occurrence of human elephant conflict, the Sri Lankan government has “announced harsher penalties” for those breaking laws designed to protect elephants in this island country. Tougher sanctions, promised by John Amaratunga who is the Wildlife and Tourism Minister of … Continue reading »
A horrific discovery in West Borneo Indonesia was recently made when two orangutan were rescued from a fire in what was their habitat, their only home. Not only were the apes, named Bara & Arang by their rescuers, International Animal Rescue traumatized by the fire but one simian had actually been shot, “a bullet still … Continue reading »
Orphaned elephants from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust , Ithumba Unit, are featured in this BBC video narrated by cameraman Gordon Buchanan as he films a short video from his “Elephant Family and Me” series. (“Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan travels to the spectacular Tsavo wilderness in Kenya to try to get closer than ever before … Continue reading »
Feisty Little Elephant Just like her mama (Galana) before her, Gawa the elephant’s “feisty spirit” drives her ambition as she contemplates her most intimidating stance in preparation for her mock charge. When you’re still a little squirt any talents one has should be used to one’s advantage. Don’t you think? See Gawa with “her enchanting … Continue reading »
A compromise was reached at the latest CITES meeting in Geneva regarding the issue of protecting African elephants , saving elephants from being captured in the wild and sold to zoos and other venues whose purpose is to hold them captive for display or human entertainment. As the governing body on “global wildlife trade,” the Convention … Continue reading »
For those of us who love elephants, and are always researching or writing about them, we have never failed to understand their intelligence or doubted their human-like qualities. So when we discovered this gem of a video, portraying the science behind an elephant’s “encephalization quotient,” explaining their memory & intelligence in such a fun way … Continue reading »