A beloved elephant in Kenya has died. Tim was one of the few remaining “tuskers,” elephants with big, fully developed tusks. His dramatic good looks and willingness to pose beautifully for wildlife photographers made Tim an international celebrity. He lived a long life and died of natural causes, a surprising fact since many African elephants are poached, or killed illegally, for their tusks when they are young. Listen to learn why local farmers feared Tim and how wildlife scientists helped them learn to appreciate him.
Story Length: 2:19
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August 23, 2019
5:40
Should some animals be considered “persons”? One lawyer is working to classify certain animals as “persons” so they can be protected under the law. Specifically, the lawyer wants to send three elephants from the “Big E” fair in New England to a sanctuary, where they will no longer have to give rides to customers. The fair owner disagrees and wants to keep the animals. Listen to hear the arguments on both sides of this complex animal rights issue and then debate: Should elephants be considered property?
Read MoreJuly 5, 2018
4:34
Most often, poachers illegally hunt wild animals like elephants for their tusks, but a recent case proves that plants can also fall victim to this crime. Succulents have become the target of poachers. Succulents are drought-resistant plants like cactus that retain water in their leaves. They are very popular now as house plants and that’s causing an underground trade of stolen succulents. Listen to learn more about this strange crime.
Read MoreDecember 23, 2015
7:18
Elephants roar and stomp and make loud sounds. They also make other sounds too low for humans to hear. Researchers are studying the secret signals of elephants by living among them in Africa. The audible calls are just a fraction of the elephants’ conversation. They have a longer ear canal, bigger eardrums and can hear much lower frequencies than people can. Researchers have matched the rumbling sounds with specific behaviors, such as looking for a baby elephant or greeting each other. Listen to hear more about the hidden language of elephants.
Read MoreAugust 11, 2015
5:48
Many people travel to Africa to see large, exotic, wild animals in their natural habitat. Others travel to hunt these animals as sport. Recently in Zimbabwe, an American dentist on a hunting safari killed a beloved, protected lion named Cecil. It sparked outrage around the world even though many other animals are killed in Africa and yet few people pay attention. Temple Grandin, animal science professor and author, provides insight into why people felt more connected to Cecil, including the fact that he had a name.
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