Circus coming to Mid-America Center June 6-8 May 31, 2008
Dogs fly, Asian elephants skip, hop, and groove and one courageous man stands eye to eye with a pack of powerful Bengal tigers, all at the 138th Edition of The Greatest Show On Earth which runs June 6 through June 8 at the Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs. From the renowned Cossacks' unbelievable equestrian stunts to the Flying Caceres high-altitude feats on an enormous double-decker trapeze, the 138th Edition of Ringling Bros. (Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, IA)
Seven killed by Indian elephant May 30, 2008
Northern areas of India contain large numbers of Asian elephants. A rampaging elephant has killed at least seven people and injured 24 others in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, wildlife officials say. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Tigers, Elephants Returning to War-Torn Cambodia Forest May 28, 2008
Now, with Cambodia finally at peace, small but growing populations of animals including Indochinese tigers, Asian elephants, and critically endangered species such as the giant ibis are returning to one of Southeast Asia's last remaining dry forests. And Kha, now 45 years old, is helping to protect them as a head ranger supported by the international conservation group WWF.. (National Geographic)
Saint Louis Zoo to make upgrades through 25-year strategic plan May 25, 2008
The Asian elephants, spectacled bear and Malayan sun bear will also benefit from new or updated homes. The Zoo plans to improve its South entrance and parking lot to ensure more safety and better accessibility. (St. Louis Business Journal, MO)
Endangered Species Day marks stories of success May 16, 2008
Some notable species are Bornean orangutans, white rhinos, Sumatran tigers, Arabian oryx, Asian elephants, Grevy's zebras, African wild dogs, Mexican wolves and mhorr gazelles. Also, two California condors are in recovery at the zoo. (AZCentral)
Zoo says elephant pregnant Apr 20, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium says 1 of its Asian elephants is pregnant. Zookeepers said Friday that Phoebe is scheduled to deliver next March at the end of an almost 2-year pregnancy. (FOX19.com, OH)
Presumed Extinct Javan Elephants Found? Apr 18, 2008
Their looks and behaviour differ from other Asian elephants and scientists have questioned why they never dispersed to other parts of the island. But a new paper published supports a long-held local belief that the elephants were brought to Borneo centuries ago by the Sultan of Sulu, now in the Philippines, and later abandoned in the jungle. (Science Daily)
Borneo's pygmy elephant last survivor: WWF Apr 18, 2008
The paper says the Borneo pygmy elephants have smaller bodies than mainland Asian elephants ... 5 meters while Asian elephants can reach up to three meters ... They are also less aggressive than other Asian elephants. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
Buffalo Zoo's elephants make temporary move to Ohio Apr 15, 2008
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Three female Asian elephants from the Buffalo, N.Y., zoo have taken up temporary quarters in central Ohio while their home undergoes remodeling ... The three Buffalo elephants will not be exhibited with the Columbus Zoo's four Asian elephants. (FOX19.com, OH)
Winky the elephant dies in San Andreas Apr 9, 2008
Born in 1952, Winky had outlived the 45-year life expectancy of captive Asian elephants. According to PAWS, she was one of the oldest elephants in the United States. (The Union Democrat)
FEATURE - Rubber Trees For Tyre Industry Shrink China Rainforests Apr 8, 2008
Besides endangered Asian elephants, tigers, green peacocks and monkeys live in the rainforest. "Bird species richness has also decreased with the conversion of the tropical rain forest into rubber plantations," the 2006 research paper said. (Planet Ark, United States)
Winky, former Detroit Zoo elephant, euthanized at Calif. refuge Apr 8, 2008
Winky was one of two Asian elephants moved in 2005 to the santuary in the Sierra Nevada foothills because of arthritis and foot problems. PAWS officials say the pachyderm was unable to get back on her feet after sliding to her hindquarters over the weekend, forcing veterinarians to euthanized her. (Fresno Bee -- State)
'Jumbo is a big story that sheds light on famous creature Apr 7, 2008
Asian elephants had been displayed in London and Paris for quite some time, but when Jumbo stepped ashore, it was the first time in 2000 years that an African elephant had touched European soil. Jumbo was first displayed at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, but when the exhibit suffered from overcrowding, the scrawny, sickly young elephant was sold to Regent s Park Zoo in London. (Westerly Sun, RI)
A slice of Africa in Asheboro Apr 5, 2008
"You've got to have that emotional attachment that leads the child to become the young conservationist."There are 284 elephants in 79 accredited American zoos, about half Asian elephants, the other half African, like those at the N.C. Zoo, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. With the pressure on elephants in the wild from poaching and habitat destruction, no more elephants are expected to be captured for the purpose of being put on display. (News & Observer)
Tourists extend lifeline to Laos elephants Apr 2, 2008
Poaching and habitat loss from logging, agriculture and hydroelectric projects has caused a major decline in the number of both wild and domesticated Asian elephants in Communist Laos ... The World Wide Fund for Nature estimates as few as 25,000 wild and 15,000 captive Asian elephants may be left in the 12 countries where they live. (India Times)
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey to Ring The NASDAQ Stock Market Opening Bell Mar 24, 2008
Dogs fly, Asian elephants skip, hop, and groove and one courageous man stands eye to eye with a pack of powerful Bengal tigers, all a the 138th Edition of The Greatest Show on Earth(r). Source: The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.. (Primezone Releases)
Where Are Asia's Endangered Wild Elephants? Mar 17, 2008
About 15,000 Asian elephants live in captivity as work animals, mostly in India, Myanmar and Thailand. By contrast, there are only about 500 captive African elephants, mostly in western zoos, and a wild population of 400,000-660,000 animals. (Planet Ark, United States)
Coffee And Some Meadow Muffins Mar 15, 2008
Starbucks calls its program "Grounds for your Garden." Woodland Park gathers the ordure left behind by its Asian elephants, Malayan tapirs and red-flanked duikers, and sells it (for $4. 95 a pint) as "Zoo Doo.". (AdWeek)
VIDEO: Elephants, Rhino Freed in India Mar 5, 2008
March 4, 2008 Two young Asian elephants and a young greater horned rhino were released into the wild in India. 2008 National Geographic; video courtesy IFAW. (National Geographic)
Five die in attack on office of former Aceh rebels Mar 2, 2008
The Sumatran elephant, the smallest of the Asian elephants, is facing serious pressures. URL: http://www. (AlertNet)
Gloves off as Dhoni stands accused Feb 25, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. the reinforcement in Dhoni's glove seems apparent when he celebrates the dismissal of Adam Gilchrist with Shantha Sreesanth. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Ford men crash and clash Feb 25, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. Pivotal moment ; Craig Lowndes crashes out after slight contact from James Courtney. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Sport)
Gloves off as Dhoni stands accused Feb 25, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. the reinforcement in Dhoni's glove seems apparent when he celebrates the dismissal of Adam Gilchrist with Shantha Sreesanth. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Doubts cast on elephants' origins Feb 25, 2008
RENEWED doubts over the legality of Taronga Zoo's importation of nine Asian elephants have been raised overseas, with documents from Thailand suggesting that up to half may have been snatched from the wild ... Legality of Taronga Zoo's importation of nine Asian elephants in question. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Europe warned of Taliban return Feb 25, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. Alliance on display the US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, left, at the Australian War Memorial yesterday with its director Steve Gower. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
All hands on deck for final blow wave Feb 25, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. Lynne Boyce on her yacht as the QE2 visits Sydney for the last time. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
River rescue under threat Feb 25, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. A canal joins a meandering creek in the marshes. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Serbia accuses US of reigniting Balkan tensions Feb 25, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. BELGRADE: Serbia went back on the offensive over Kosovo's independence by blaming the United States for a crisis in the Balkans, while its ally Russia accused the Americans of destroying "world order". (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Virgin jet's biofuel trip a stunt, say critics Feb 25, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson is seen speaking on screens, before the world's first commercial biofuel flight with a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 aircraft. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Feb 24, 2008
See exotic animals, including Asian elephants, Royal Bengal and white tigers. Gasp at jaw-dropping stunts, high-wire high jinx, adrenaline-pounding trapeze and more. (FOX19.com, OH)
Jumbo row erupts over young pregnant elephant in Australia Feb 15, 2008
She was part of a group of Asian elephants imported from Thailand two years ago. Bookmark with. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Young Sydney elephant's pregnancy sparks protests Feb 14, 2008
Thong Dee was a part of a group of 8 Asian elephants imported from Thailand in November 2006. The group arrived amid protest from animal welfare groups who criticized their captivity. (Scientific American)
Forty-year-old elephant dies while giving birth Jan 26, 2008
Only three Asian elephants were born in North American animal facilities last year, zoo officials said ... Asian elephants, which are endangered in the wild, weigh 3 tons to 6 tons and are up to 12 feet tall, and females have small tusks that seldom protrude beyond the lip. (KHOU.com, TX)
Help save the wolves Dec 27, 2007
Alaskan Wildlife Expert wrote on Dec 26, 2007 10:28 PM:" There are 20-30 major wildlife conservative organizations. Probably over 100 total. Just do a Google search and youll see how many. It seems to me the wolves are a non-issue. Wolves will never be extinct. I wish these organizations would focus on animals that are truly in danger of becoming extinct; e.g., African and Asian Elephants, Rhinos, Asian and Siberian Tigers, Panda Bears, the Great Apes, and the list goes on and on to include... (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
Fun is Serious for Asian Elephants' Struggle to Survive Dec 27, 2007
Unlike larger African elephants, which have never been domesticated in large numbers, Asian elephants have worked closely with humans for millennia ... "Asian elephants are somewhat the poor relation ... We really don't know how many elephants there are in Asia. In some countries we don't even know where the elephants are". (Planet Ark, United States)
Circus roars into town Dec 27, 2007
and Barnum y Circus rolls into the South Florida Fairgrounds with its newest show, "BOOM A RING." The action-packed event features a crossbow demonstration, acrobats, a gravity-defying performance on the Wheel of Steel, high-wire acts, white Bengal tigers, Asian elephants and a dachshund act and more. Show starts tonight and continues through Monday. (The Palm Beach Post)
Are circuses inhumane? Dec 27, 2007
To see an extensive array of germane video footage in less than eight minutes, you could hardly do better than watching the award-winning piece on Ringling and its abuse of Asian elephants by television journalist Leslie Griffith, who has won nine local Emmys and two Edward R. Murrow Awards, It's at ... The allegations detail the routine abuse and neglect of Asian elephants. (The Palm Beach Post)
Baby Elephant is Holiday Gift to Struggling Herd Dec 27, 2007
Endangered Asian Elephants Welcome Baby to Their Family ... On Dec. 11, 2007, "World News with Charles Gibson" correspondent Nick Watt introduced us to the World Wildlife Fund's Flying Squad a group of five trained elephants that are working to help save the endangered Asian elephants in Tesso Nilo National Park in central Sumatra ... Wild Asian elephants and coffee beans had become unlikely competitors in this rapidly shrinking wilderness. (ABC News)
FACTBOX-How do you domesticate an elephant? Dec 24, 2007
Dec 24 (Reuters) -- Unlie African elephants, wild Asian elephants have been hunted, captured, and trained for use in war, commerce and transport for around 4,000 years in countries such as Thailand. Today about a thousand tamed Thai elephants work in the modern tourist trade, while three thousand endangered wild elephants remain in the country's forests. (AlertNet)
Elephants get some more space Dec 22, 2007
Earlier, speaking at a workshop on Securing elephant corridors for long-term conservation of Asian elephants in India , Executive Director of Wildlife Trust Vivek Menon said it took some time to convince conservationists to invest money in India where availability of land is scarce. The Trust has been successful in offering a better deal to people, including tribes, who have been displaced from the forest. (Hindu)
Wildlife Corridor Gives Endangered Elephants In India Passage Between Reserves Dec 21, 2007
Vivek Menon, Executive Director of WTI and elephant biologist, said: "This is a great step forward for elephant conservation in India, and a model I hope other wildlife groups will follow. One of the greatest threats facing Asian elephants today is the shrinking and fragmentation of their habitat. Protecting corridors that link these "inland islands" is vital to ensuring the species survival." ... Today, there are approximately 35,000 to 45,000 Asian elephants remaining in the wild ... 21, 2005)... (Science Daily)
Indian 'elephant corridor' scheme Dec 20, 2007
India contains large numbers of Asian elephants ... "One of the greatest threats facing Asian elephants today is the shrinking and fragmentation of their habitat.". (BBC News -- South Asia)
GORE-TEX(R) Hong Kong Team Comes to The Rescue of Zoo Elephants in Need of Special Shoes Dec 17, 2007
HONG KONG, Dec. 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The GORE-TEX(R) Hong Kong team came to the rescue of two of Singapore Zoo's Asian elephants in need of special footwear. The intensive year-long effort by the zoo and W. L. Gore iates, creators of the legendary GORE-TEX(R) fabric, recently culminated in the elephants being presented with comfortable yet protective footwear to help with their ongoing foot problems. (PR Newswire)
* ART JOURNAL: Public affairs Dec 6, 2007
The museum currently features a special exhibit, A New Experience of Life Science, and displays toothed whales, baleen whales and Asian elephants - all accompanied by the sounds made by these giants. A bronze statue of a farmer points the way to the Agricultural Exhibition Hall. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
World's Biggest Asian Elephant Missing In Nepal Dec 6, 2007
There are about 250 Asian elephants -- an endangered species -- in the Himalayan nation, about 100 of them are domesticated and used for elephant polo and safaris in national parks. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Jonathan Allen). (Planet Ark, United States)
World's Largest Asian Elephant Missing, Feared Dead Dec 5, 2007
The giant bull is the national park's main attraction, though it does feature several other species as well as one of the last remaining wild herds of Asian elephants in the world ... Asian elephants, with about 60,000 living individuals both wild and domesticated, are far outnumbered by their larger African cousins and are considered an endangered species. (Fox News)
Zoo Atlanta elephant expecting -- in '09 Nov 20, 2007
There are almost 300 African and Asian elephants on display at North American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Of that number, 151 are African elephants. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Conference on Elephant Tuberculosis Research Establishes Action Plan at International Symposium on Elephant Conservation Nov 13, 2007
In 2005, IEF and the Houston Zoo initiated an Endotheliotropic Elephant Herpesvirus (EEHV) workshop to bring together medical and veterinary experts to find a means to diagnose, treat and prevent EEHV, perhaps the single greatest health threat to the Asian elephants in human care ... IEF funds specifically support the protection of African and Asian elephants in the wild, the protection of elephant habitats, scientific research, educational efforts, and improvement in captive elephant care. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Maggie ours no more Nov 3, 2007
The sanctuary houses Asian elephants as well, but co-founder and president of PAWS Pat Derby says they are much older than the Africans: "To put those two together would sort of be like sending a street gang into the senior center.". From a PAWS handler who has spent the last three weeks with Maggie, Derby expects Maggie to be a little ornery. (Anchorage Daily News)
Endangered tigers found in Indonesian jungle allocated to agriculture Nov 1, 2007
Using camera traps, they took pictures of an entire family of Asian elephants, a species currently classified as endangered by the World Conservation Union's Red List - fewer than 50,000 of these animals are left in the wild and they are at risk from the illegal trade in ivory. The team also found evidence of the Sumatran tiger, classified as critically endangered. (Yahoo News -- Environment & Nature)
Social Standing Influences Elephant Movement Oct 31, 2007
30, 2007) When resources are scarce, who you know and where you're positioned on the social totem pole affects how far you'll go to search for food. At least that's the case with African elephants, according to a study led by ecologists at the University of California, Berkeley, who collaborated with researchers at Save the Elephants, a non-profit research organization based in Kenya, and at the University of Oxford in England. (Science Daily)
A lot of hopes riding on this big bird Oct 26, 2007
Airbus has said that its giant jet could accommodate 35 million ping-pong balls or 57 Asian elephants. But it is other features, in particular the fact that it costs 20 per cent less per seat to operate than a 747, that has airlines excited. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Six elephants die after 'stampeding into electricity pylons' Oct 24, 2007
The north-east of India contains large numbers of Asian elephants ... North-east India falls in the great elephant corridor that stretches from northern Thailand to the foothills of Bhutan - a corridor used by hordes of Asian elephants to move back and forth in search of food. (BBC News -- Science)
Elephants Tell Human Friends From Foes By Scent And Clothing Color Oct 23, 2007
22, 2007) Elephants are remarkably perceptive when it comes to recognizing specific ethnic groups of people that vary in the degree of danger they are likely to pose, reveals a new study published online on October 18th by Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. Elephants in Kenya reacted with greater fear when they detected the scent of garments previously worn by Maasai warriors than by Kamba men, the researchers reported. (Science Daily)
Animal instinct isn't everything Oct 11, 2007
Similarly, researchers documented an African elephant, living with Asian elephants, that mimicked the higher-pitched, chirp-like sounds of his Far Eastern zoomates. While elephant culture probably doesn't place a high value on truck impersonation or cross-cultural karaoke in the wild, it's likely that elephants learn vocalizations from each other, and it's possible that elephants from different regions even have local dialects. (CNN -- Tech)
Two elephants and a ton of controversy Oct 5, 2007
Tina and Jewel are rare Asian elephants. With fewer than 50,000 and remaining in the wild, they are an endangered species and share the Leggett property with a third elephant named Boo when she s not on the road with handler, Will Davenport. (KHOU.com, TX)
Oregon Zoo elephant has a baby on the way Oct 2, 2007
There is a 40 percent infant mortality rate among captive Asian elephants ... An endangered species, Asian elephants are represented by an estimated 38,000 to 51,000 individuals living in fragmented populations in the wild ... Agriculture, deforestation and conflict with humans pose a constant threat to wild Asian elephants. (KGW Northwest NewsChannel 8, OR)
Maggie's bound for California elephant refuge Sep 15, 2007
It has four African and five Asian elephants -- though the species are kept segregated -- and has successfully relocated six elephants in the past three years. Earlier this week, Maggie was examined by an elephant expert from the San Diego Wildlife Park and was found to be in good health and ready to travel, Lampi said. (Anchorage Daily News)
Map: Biodiversity hotspots Sep 13, 2007
Important populations of Asian elephants, Indian tigers, and the endangered lion-tailed macaque are threatened as agriculture and logging intensify. Indonesia. (BBC News -- Science)
Circus Coming To City Sep 6, 2007
Along with these performers, 8,000 pound Asian elephants will perform tricks and tasks for the audience. All of the elephants were born in the wild and been trained since the age of three. (Fredericksburg Standard Radio Post, TX)
Recall of the wild Aug 31, 2007
BigStockPhoto and file photos Asian elephants are more closely related to North American mammoths than they are to African elephants ... Extant African and Asian elephants are reasonable surrogates for vanished mammoth species, Donlan said. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Ringling Brothers Will Stand Trial for Elephant Abuse Aug 24, 2007
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Judge Emmet Sullivan of the federal district court in Washington D.C. issued a major ruling rejecting the last-ditch attempt of Ringling Brothers and Barnum y Circus to avoid trial over charges that the circus abuses its Asian elephants in violation of the federal Endangered Species Act ... -- February 2003 - A unanimous panel of the federal appeals court in the District of Columbia finds that the plaintiffs have standing to sue Ringling... (PR Newswire)
Lawsuit Against Circus Cleared For Trial Aug 24, 2007
possession when Asian elephants were included in the Endangered Species Act in 1976. "The ruling dramatically narrowed the issues in the suit ... and validates the importance of our breeding program," said Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Ringling Bros. (CBS News -- US)
Circus stars to defy gravity at Gwinnett Arena Aug 19, 2007
But before white tigers, Asian elephants, clowns and stuntmen take the ring, head out for the free all-access pre-show to meet and greet animals and performers, try out a few stunts yourself, and get a taste of the action before the show even starts. Ringmaster Jason Gibson says watching the pros perform the trapeze act always gets him going. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
Wild elephants get photo IDs Aug 18, 2007
The project focused on male elephants because "unlike African elephants, where both males and females have tusks, only male Asian elephants have valuable tusks, so they are specifically targeted by poachers," said WCS researcher Varun Goswami, the main author of the study ... "The rigor of this technique can help us achieve real conservation success with the Asian elephants, which are threatened across their 13-country range," said Dr. Ullas Karanth, a co-author of the study. (The Advocate)
