New Yorkers Bid for Elephant Polo Glory
New York Blue, America’s elephant polo team, is heading to Nepal to compete in the World Elephant Polo Tournament. Since elephants aren’t available in New York, they have been practicing on top of SUV’s. I think the players will be in for a rude awakening when the climb onto one of the elephants.
What do you think of this “sport”? Do you think the elephants enjoy it? I tend to think it makes a spectacle of them much like the circus does.
“Elephant polo, played in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand by a wealthy few to the rules of horse polo but on a smaller field, is uniquely challenging. So is clinging to the roof of an SUV in a gale with practice mallets fashioned from paint roller handles and plumbing parts. “
(via)The Times of India
photo credit: the_millers
November 30, 2008 No Comments
Ideas and Changes at Eleblog
I’ve moved Eleblog to it’s own domain name, eleblognews.com. If you have bookmarked or linked to this page, please update. If you are subscribed to the RSS feed, your feed should still work without any problems.
You can see that I’ve added a new theme and some additional advertising. I’m going to be designing my own theme soon but for now, I needed to get the site moved. I am not trying to make any money from the ads - just pay for some of the hosting costs. If you see an offensive ad, please let me know and I will block it. I’ve already blocked a couple that were selling ivory.
I’ve been gathering elephant news for over 6 years now and there are almost 4,000 entries. I’ve been feeling, however, that this site is lifeless; that it doesn’t have a community.
I’m going to start writing features once or twice a week, adding photos and videos, and continue posting the news. I’ve also added the Elephant Bookstore, which includes books, movies, and music about elephants. If you see anything in which you are interested, visiting through my link will assist in supporting this site.
What other additions would you like to see to create a community? A forum? Activism resources? Guest posts? I know that I am going to be more responsive to comments, am going to add a contact form so it is easier to reach me, and am going to work at creating more interesting content.
Please post your ideas in the comments. I love elephants and I believe they and my readers deserve more than what I’ve been providing.
photo credit: Carmelo Aquilina
November 29, 2008 6 Comments
Elephants could play key role in bringing mammoths back to life
Scientists believe they could bring mammoths back to life. They now have the complete genetic make-up and think they could resurrect the species by implanting an egg in an elephant. Do you think this should be done? What would we do with the extinct creature? Wouldn’t it be lonely?
“Stephan Schuster, a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and the project co-leader at Pennsylvania State university, said the discovery could give clues to why the mammoth became extinct while elephants survived. He said: “By deciphering this genome we could, in theory, generate data that one day may help other researchers to bring the woolly mammoth back to life by inserting the uniquely mammoth DNA sequences into the genome of the modern-day elephant. “
(via)Independent.ie
photo credit: Travis S.
November 29, 2008 2 Comments
Man trampled to death
“A man was trampled to death and a home destroyed after sixteen wild elephants rampaged through a village on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, officials said on Wednesday.” - The Straits Times
December 1, 2008 No Comments
Elephant exhibit underway at L.A. Zoo raising a ruckus
“Now, Councilman Tony Cardenas has asked that the project be scrapped. Cardenas said that after talking to experts and reviewing veterinary medical records that came to light during a recent, unsuccessful citizen lawsuit to stop elephant-keeping at the zoo, he believes the council made the wrong decision. (He voted for it too.)” - Los Angeles Times
December 1, 2008 No Comments
Kenya records a rise in the number Elephant, grevy zebra
“The elephant population in the expansive Northern Kenya has increased by 5 per cent since the last count in 2002, according to the latest census report released Saturday.” - Africa Science News Service
November 30, 2008 No Comments
Cameroon: Largest ever elephant tagged
“Over the years WWF in collaboration with the North Carolina Zoo has been deploying satellite collars on elephants in the Southeast and other parts of Cameroon. The collars provide information via satellite on the movement pattern of elephants essential for the conservation of this charismatic mega vertebrate.” - AfricaNews
November 30, 2008 No Comments
British woman wins safari lodge action over elephant attack
“Kenya’s high court on Friday awarded a British woman 65 million shillings (£533,000) in damages after she was attacked and seriously wounded by an elephant while staying at a safari lodge in 2000. ” - (via) Telegraph
November 30, 2008 No Comments
The secrets of elephant polo
This article includes a video about the Scottish Elephant Polo Team who are hoping to win the world cup.
“A team from Scotland hopes to reclaim glory in the Elephant Polo World Cup.”
- BBC NEWS
November 30, 2008 No Comments
Memphis Zoo gets new adult elephant
“Memphis Zoo curator Matt Thompson says his tourist site is the new home of a 25-year-old African elephant and soon will welcome a newborn elephant. ” - UPI.com
November 29, 2008 No Comments
Documentary on elephant-human conflict makes waves in IFFI
“Noted Assamese wildlife filmmaker Gautam Saikia’s documentary on elephant-human conflict has won rave reviews at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here.” - Nhatky
November 29, 2008 No Comments
Gorkhaland activists burn down forest office after elephant attack
“Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) supporters burnt down a portion of the forest beat office at Kalabari in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district after one of their leaders was attacked and injured by a wild elephant here Monday night, the police said Tuesday. Three rooms of the beat office were gutted while the mob also beat up a forest guard, said district forest officer Kurseong Y.T. Aden.” - Thaindian News
November 29, 2008 No Comments
Classical music: Elgar helps calm zoo elephants
“Playing Elgar, Puccini and Beethoven to the animals reduces abnormal behaviours such as swaying, pacing and trunk tossing” - guardian.co.uk
November 28, 2008 No Comments
Wild elephants destroy Kandaketiya crops
“A group of wild elephants who escaped from the Randenigala reserve forest have destroyed a large number of crops in the adjoining villages of Kandaketiya, Kirivehera area last week, terrorising the local people in the area. ” - Daily Mirror Online
November 27, 2008 No Comments
Elephant dung sell like hot cake as mosquito repellent
“Elephant dung is selling like hot cake at the famous annual cattle fair here for use as a mosquito repellent and also as fuel. ” - RxPG News
November 27, 2008 No Comments
Injured elephant dies
“A day after an elephant was rescued by villagers from a pit, an injured elephant calf died in a jungle near Sujan Sahi of Khalikote forest range in Ganjam district today, official sources said here.” - outlookindia.com
November 27, 2008 No Comments
Miracle pregnancy for elephant
“A Thai elephant has become pregnant after IVF treatment, boosting hopes in the species’ fight against extinction. ” - Yahoo! News UK
November 27, 2008 No Comments
Regenerating a Mammoth for $10 Million
“Scientists are talking for the first time about the old idea of resurrecting extinct species as if this staple of science fiction is a realistic possibility, saying that a living mammoth could perhaps be regenerated for as little as $10 million.” - NYTimes.com
November 27, 2008 No Comments
