homeWelcome, sign in or click here to subscribe.login
     


 

 

News


Subscriber content preview

January 22, 2016

Strange But True!

Q. Elephants have a life expectancy of about 70 years, select mates for life, provide collective care for their young, and imbibe alcohol (if given the opportunity). What other surprising ritual do they perform?

A. Like humans, elephants “bury” the dead, including other species. One encounter with a lion found it trapped and unable to retreat, recounts Dale Peterson in “Elephant Reflections.” Perhaps as an act of desperation, the lion leaped onto the shoulders of the matriarch, who using her trunk, ripped him away and dashed him against the ground. Then she and other group members pulled off nearby branches and placed them over the carcass.


 
. . .


To read this story in full login or purchase a subscription.



Previous columns:



Email or user name:
Password:
 
Forgot password? Click here.