With 3 to 4 meters high and a large force, the elephant is normally a docile animal, and only attack when threatened.

The elephant is big, not only in size but also in intelligence and affection. Its prodigious memory, never forget anything! They have a high concept of family and dedicated to their protection they offer, and how we humans, too 'cry' and remember their ancestors, returning repeatedly to the place where they were buried, and it is rare to see such behavior in an animal wild. Are special no doubt, have the most expressive eyes of the animal kingdom and their eyes reflect well all his wisdom and tenderness, and as someone said, not missing even speak!

Sad fact that the closer that the children will come from an animal, will be watching the adventures of Bindi on Discovery Kids.

A reasoned perspective amidst the PeTA hysteria one usually finds online. Thank you.

amen. well said.

Thank you, Jami. The biggest lie in the world right now is that leaving animals in the wild is the best thing for them. Adaptation is – evolution is – both animals and humans have to adapt to changing planetary conditions or they die. Animals and humans learning to live together is an adaptation that must happen if we want magnificent animals like Asian Elephants to survive and thrive.
People have to stop living in an ivory tower about a wild that no longer exists.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit the Ringling Bros retirement home for elephants in central Florida as an invited guest of the media. I never saw a more compassionate group of people than those caring for these creatures and the elephants had plenty of room to roam and feed and be around their friends. We should all be so lucky in our old age.

Did you just transitively argue that it's OK for elephants to be bullhooked, wounded, and even killed (as the lawsuit alleges) because that means at least our kids can love them? There is a difference between making one's peace with animals in captivity who are treated humanely and not. Photos and humane captivity can lead to beloved animals as well. It doesn't only come from sequins and tricks.

Im beginning to think the stand the Republicians are making are not thestimulus package, but President Obama himself. He tried to reach across the isle but no one seems to want to come half way.As an American I would think that they the republicians can put aside thier differences and think about us the American people. When GM came for help look how they treated them. Presisent Obama has an idea and look whats going on. Where's thier idea? The American people needs help, I thought that is what we put them in off for,maybe i was wrong. President Obama I say to you keep trying, maybe when thier cars,homes, and electric isgetting cut off or taken away, they will see the light.

The Concerned American
P.S. I watch CNN more than I ever
keep up the good work

Jamie

I've only seen elephants up close and personal as they say at the zoo and at the circus. I preferred the zoo because then I could see them behaving just as elephants – no tricks. I read a study not long ago that female elephants remember where water holes are especially in a drought. So in the packs of elephants with females who had already survived one drought those packs knew where to go for water and lost less young to the drought than the packs who didn't have females who had weathered a drought before. I thought it was a fascinating way to test the old "elephants remember" saying.

Elephants are dangerous.

Good blog! i agree.

Jami: I have mixed feelings on this. I will never forget as a little girl when I visited a local zoo and saw an elephant with his foot chained to a cement block as though he was a criminal being locked up. I'd be lying if I said seeing an elephant for the first time like that was a good experience for me. I appreciate zoos, especially those that endorse conservation and education but what does a circus really do but entertain people. Do Asian elephants really deserve to be trained? Should be an interesting trial. Please keep us updated with key outcomes and/or the ruling. Thanks.

If you want the elephants to be around in the future we need to crack down on China which kills every living animal in it's country then goes around the world to decimate elephants for ivory sharks for soup and you know the list goes on and on!! The chinese don't care about the rest of the world it's all about them!!

Rich

In Thailand, more often you will see elephants roam around the city like Bangkok with their owners. The sad thing is they come to the city because they could not survive in the wild any more, according to the owner.

They would walk on foot from the north of Thailand, for so may miles, to big city with a roller of ice and sugar cane cut into pieces or sugar cane juice in the bottles. People would pay for a piece of sugar cane and feed it to the elephant right on street.

Some people pay the owner to walk through under the elephant belly. They believe if you do that, it will bring you good luck. (I think if you can do that without getting kicked or stumped, that "is" already your luck.)

Unfortunately, some elephants do not have that good luck for themselves. A lot of elephant in the city got hit by city vehicles. Some were in bad case of mulnutritional. A lot of elephant I saw was still a baby. With city tempurature, no real food, and super hot concrete surface they walk on, my heart sank everytime I saw them. I rather love to see them in a wild than up close in those kind of conditions.

With global warming escalating it's advisable to ride on mother nature own JUMBO jet!

Elephants are a great animal – period.

jumbo!!! give me a hand, cant hold her anymore

Unfortunatley for the elephant, their future lies in the hands of humans that can hardly take care of themselves.