Elephants

Mammoths had a distinctive version of a gene known to play a role in sensing outside temperature, moderating the biology of fat and regulating hair growth. That bit of DNA likely helped mammoths thrive in cold weather, scientists say.

Checking DNA Against Elephants Hints At How Mammoths Got Woolly

7:55am July 03, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

A clump of a mammoth's fur bought on eBay led scientists to a long list of ways the extinct species was special. One specific gene likely played a role in helping mammoths thrive in icy weather.

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Customs officers in Hong Kong stand guard near several tons of ivory tusks seized during an anti-smuggling operation in 2012. The tusks and other ivory items had been shipped inside two containers from Tanzania and Kenya.

DNA Tracking Of Ivory Helps Biologists Find Poaching Hotspots

5:40pm June 19, 2015

by Christopher Joyce

To stop elephant slaughter in Africa, zoologist Sam Wasser spent years extracting DNA from elephant dung and tissue. Much of the world's poached ivory, he discovered, comes from just two hotspots.

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Scientists used a relatively new technique called DNA metabarcoding to analyze the diets of impala and other herbivores in southern Kenya.

Grass Gourmands: A Herbivore Food Mystery On The African Savanna

6:04pm June 02, 2015

by Sujata Gupta

A new study sheds light on a longstanding ecological question: How do so many species like impalas and elephants co-exist when they're all feeding on the same limited foods?

Elephant acts at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be phased out by 2018, the circus' parent company said today. The elephants will retire to a conservation center in Polk City, Fla.

National

Ringling Bros. Says No More Circus Elephants By 2018

2:45pm March 05, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The "Greatest Show on Earth" has been under pressure for years from animal rights advocates over its use of Asian elephants in its 5,000 annual shows.

Raju the elephant enjoys the water. An Indian court has ruled that the elephant, who was chained for 50 years, can remain with the group that rescued him in July.

World News

Indian Court Says Elephant Who Was Chained For 50 Years Is Free

5:15pm December 02, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

Raju the elephant appeared to shed tears last July when he was freed from his shackles. He will now be allowed to remain with his rescuers. His previous owner had wanted him back.