Study suggests Asian elephants bury dead calves

Elephants, especially cow elephants, are known to be highly social animals caring deeply about their herd (read: family). Scientists have been studying these intelligent giants for many years now, but the surprises do not seem to be ending anytime soon. As a study carried out in India and published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa in February claims, Asian elephants bury dead calves. If true, the act suggests heightened understanding of life and death. This...

What’s in a name? Lions don’t care, but some people do

It was supposed to be a simple animal exchange for a zoo, but alas! It turned into a circus. The names Akbar and Sita were assigned to a lion and lioness, respectively. That was enough for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), an organization claiming to speak for Hindus worldwide, to take offence and approach the court seeking justice. Yes, you read that right. They moved the circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court in Jalpaiguri...