Mapping of elephant routes necessary: Experts (via The Daily Star) (Bangladesh)

A comprehensive mapping of routes and corridors of elephants is essential to carry out development works in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) averting human-elephant conflicts in elephant ranges, said experts.

Read more here. 

Softbank's Yahoo! Japan refuses to take down unethical ads selling elephant ivory, whale products (via Eco-Business)

Ignoring calls from international environment organisations, the Japanese mobile communications company retains advertisements of elephant ivory, whale and dolphin products on its affiliated search engine website.

Read more here. 

The Hard Life of Celebrity Elephants (via The New York Times Magazine)

One hot morning in Kerala, a tropical sliver of a state along the southwestern coast of India, I took a ride to Maradu, a town of nearly 45,000, to meet an elephant named Mangalamkunnu Ayyappan. He’s a leading-man type: darkly handsome, a bit of a rogue, the star of two feature films. During Kerala’s festival season, which nowadays stretches from December to May, he never gets a day off, parading in more than 200 festivals a year. As the tallest elephant among seven at Maradu’s annual function, he would be granted the honor of carrying a golden idol that evening.

Read more here. 

The war on African poaching: is militarisation doomed to fail? (via The Guardian)

African countries and private game reserves are engaging in an increasingly sophisticated arms race against poachers, yet the slaughter of elephants and rhinos continues. Some experts argue that the battle must be joined on a far wider front that targets demand in Asia and judicial dysfunction in Africa.

Read more here.

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Every 15 minutes, an elephant dies at the hand of poachers (via TreeHugger)

It's said that elephants never forget -- but given current poaching trends, in a little over a decade the iconic species will itself be just a memory.

Read more here. 

Big animals crucial for soil fertility: study (via International News)

The mass extinction of large animals in the Pleistocene era caused today's dearth of soil nutrients, scientists said Sunday, and warned of further damage if modern giants like the elephant disappear.
Read more here. 

Is This Year's World Elephant Day the Last Chance for Elephants? (via Huffpost Impact)

By Philip Mansbridge, CEO of Care for the Wild International

It's hard to imagine that anyone reading this blog isn't already aware that right now elephants are in crisis. For many years, leading global conservationists and charities have been doing all they can to stop the killing of elephants to fuel the illegal ivory trade - some behind the scenes and some in the public eye, but all fighting a common cause. Read more here. 

Manila Elephant to Stay Put, Despite Push by Powerful Pals (via The Wall Street Journal)

Mali, a 39-year-old elephant in a Manila zoo, has very powerful friends. Including the ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. 
But a push by McCartney and many other animal lovers hasn’t succeeded in persuading the mayor of Manila to send Mali to a Thai sanctuary, which has already said she’s welcome and would have elephant friends. One animal rights group has even offered to spring for her plane ticket.
Read more here. 

Thailand urged to deliver on promise to shut down ivory trade (via Bangkok Post)

Wildlife protection groups on Monday - World Elephant Day - urged the Prime Minister to deliver on her promise earlier this year to shut down the country's ivory trade. 
Read more here.