Rhino Poacher Trampled By Elephant, Devoured By Lions

(image via Flickr/WhippetsChriChri)

No sympathy whatsoever.

From The New York Times:

A man suspected of being a rhino poacher was killed last week by an elephant and his remains devoured by a pride of lions at a South African park, officials said.

Rangers at Kruger National Park and other searchers found only a human skull and a pair of pants, the park said in a statement dated Friday.

Four of the dead man’s accomplices were arrested, the authorities said.

The man’s accomplices told his relatives that they had been in the park to poach rhinos on Tuesday night when he was killed by an elephant, according to the local authorities.

Since 2008, more than 7,000 rhinos have been hunted illegally, with 1,028 killed in 2017, according to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs.

"an angry elephant surprised them as they stalked endangered rhino and stamped their friend to death giving them a chance to run for safety." https://t.co/mRCwW4UfN1 You don't have to run faster than the elephant, just faster than your fellow poacher.

— Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) April 7, 2019

Endangered rhino poacher gets trampled to death by an elephant before being eaten by lions https://t.co/5T0xmrL7Xu pic.twitter.com/JbH0sIUURL

— LADbible (@ladbible) April 6, 2019

Rhino poacher gets trampled by elephants and eaten by lions at South African national park. https://t.co/ZWKwOfDkIi pic.twitter.com/zwSDqzeKen

— Complex (@Complex) April 7, 2019

Video: Baby Elephant Takes First Steps

In light of the Trump administration's decision to end a ban on elephant trophies, folks on Twitter are encouraging people to call the White House.

Trump Administration ENDS the BAN on #Elephant Trophies! Please Help Protect Elephants by calling the @WhiteHouse at: 202-456-1111

And, as if you needed any other encouragement to make that call, just think on how the White House's decision would affect this little guy.

#Breaking

Trump Administration ENDS the BAN on #Elephant Trophies!

Please Help Protect Elephants by calling

the @WhiteHouse at:

202-456-1111

Please Retweet!

💥🐘 💥🐘 💥🐘 💥🐘@USFWS @potus @SRuhle #WednesdayWisdom #ThunderSnowpic.twitter.com/5TuuRE3okt

— Tom Hall ☘ (@TomHall) March 7, 2018

Baby Elephant Finds Love & Empathy With Other Orphan Elephants

Thanks to reporter Yashar Ali for pointing up this story.

Elephants are imminently watchable. Intelligent, empathetic and extremely communicative.

But many baby elephants can die from loneliness. They need the love of a herd to live.

Ndotto, born prematurely, was rescued by Sheldrick Wildlife when he was just 2 days old .

He became attached to his keepers and didn't want to play with other orphans, until Mbegu, an older orphan, came along.

Watch this beautiful story below.

Sound On: Baby elephants can die from loneliness..they need the love of a herd to live. Ndotto was rescued by @DSWT when he was just 2 days old (born premature). He became attached to his keepers and didn't want to play with other orphans, until Mbegu, an older orphan, came along pic.twitter.com/blLeXFnkW4

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 1, 2018

Ellen Makes A Pitch For The Majestic Pachyderm After Trump Reverses Course On Elephant Trophies

In light of the Trump administration reversing course on an Obama era ban that kept hunters from bringing elephant trophies from the African countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia back into the Untied States, Ellen DeGeneres used her opening monologue yesterday to highlight and celebrate the incredible qualities of elephants.

“I love elephants. And if you take the time to learn about elephants, you would love elephants too.

“Elephants show compassion, sympathy, social intelligence, self-awareness. They’re excellent at learning abilities...all the things I have yet to see in this president."

I consider myself a southern gentleman most of the time, and I rarely use vulgar language. But when I heard about the Trump administration's decision, my reaction was to take to Facebook and post, "I'm sorry, but f*ck this shit."

You'll notice I did at least begin with an "I'm sorry."

Elephants are, as Ellen correctly points out, majestic creatures. All Trump's decision will do is encourage more American hunters to kill more elephants.

Watch Ellen's eloquent pitch for pachyderms below.

I’m determined to do something about this. #BeKindToElephants pic.twitter.com/0dGkx4vNzD

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 17, 2017

Please retweet & use #BeKindToElephants, and for everyone who does, we’ll make a donation to The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. @DSWT pic.twitter.com/Fckx9iblci

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 17, 2017

Happiness: Baby Elephant Chasing Birds

Because who doesn't want to see a baby elephant chasing birds?

Baby Elephants Just Want To Be Lapdogs

I can hear my hubby Michael now - "Honey, we should get a baby elephant...."

Viral Video: Baby Elephant Takes A Bath

Impossible not to smile while watching this. Serious cuteness ensues.

Happy Friday!

Post by Meetville.

Ringling Brothers Will Retire Elephants From The Circus

 

After 145 years, Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus' have announced they will retire elephant acts from their line-up over the next three years. From USA Today:

Calling the decision "unprecedented,'' the circus' parent company, Feld Entertainment, announced Thursday that it will phase out the performances by 2018. Members of the public have voiced concerns about how elephants and other animals are treated in circus acts. The 13 elephants that are now part of the Ringling Bros. shows will be sent to the circus' Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida by 2018, joining over 40 others. In a statement, Kenneth Feld, Chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment said "this is the most significant change we have made since we founded the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in 1995. When we did so, we knew we would play a critical role in saving the endangered Asian elephant for future generations, given how few Asian elephants are left in the wild . . .This decision was not easy, but it is in the best interest of our company, our elephants and our customers." Other animals, however, will still be seen under the big top. The 145-year-old circus says that it will continue to showcase, horses, dogs, tigers and other animals in its performances.

Ingrid E. Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals responded to the news:

"For 35 years PETA has protested Ringling Bros.' cruelty to elephants,'' she said. But she added that the 2018 deadline is too far off. "Three years is too long for a mother elephant separated from her calf . … too long for an animal who roams up to 30 miles a day in the wild to be kept in shackles. If the decision is serious, then the circus needs to do it now.''

(via JMG)

Baby Elephants In The Pool

From the Houston Zoo:

Baylor (weighs more than 1100 pounds) and Tupelo (weighs more than 600 pounds) now get a family size pool which is 120 inches in length and holds both calves. It is a lot more durable. Apparently, the calves more "baby" sized pool would only last about five minutes before popping.

This size pool lasts for about 5 uses before it has to be replaced. Playing in the pool is a fun enrichment activity for the babies and the pool is given to them when the weather allows. Pool time is unannounced and unplanned.

Don't miss Tupelo getting back in the pool at the :22 mark.

Sporting event: Hunt elephant, shoot elephant in the face, celebrate with champagne

For some reason, NBC Sports Network has been airing an NRA-sponsored hunting show called Under Wild Skies, on which gun-humping .

Above is a highlight reel from this week's episode of NBC Sports Network's Under Wild Skies. In it, NRA lobbyist Tony Makris shoots elephants in the face.

He is led into the Botswana wilderness by a hunting guide. They hide behind a bush, about 20 feet away from an unsuspecting elephant. Makris shoots at the elephant twice, but does not kill it. The elephant, terrified, runs away. Makris catches up to the elephant and shoots it again, killing it. Everyone goes home to drink champagne.

Hunting elephants is currently legal in Botswana, but sharp declines in wildlife populations due to trophy hunting have led to an all-out ban that won't go into effect until 2014.

(via Raw Story)