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  • 29
    Dec
    2011
    7:39am, EST

    Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters

    Mahouts ride on elephants as they return after collecting food from Chitwan National Park at Sauraha in Chitwan, Nepal, on Dec. 29, 2011.

    Elephants' journey

    Related content: 2011 was 'worst year ever' for elephants

    1 comment

    I always liked elephants , too bad hunters do too.....

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  • 15
    Nov
    2011
    12:04pm, EST

    Decorating elephants for the Sonepur Mela

    Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images

    A caretaker looks on as 7 year old elephant Laxmi rubs plays with her daughter 13 month old Rani during the Sonepur Mela on Nov. 15, 2011 in Sonepur near Patna, India. The cattle fair, held in the Indian state of Bihar, has its origins during ancient times, when people traded elephants and horses across the auspicious river Ganges. The mela used to attract traders from places as distant as Central Asia. It is one of Asia's largest cattle fairs and lasts for a fortnight.

    Kevin Frayer / AP

    An Indian women combs the hair of another after taking a holy dip in the Ganges River at the site of the Sonepur Fair, in Sonepur, India, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. The fair, which is held annually, was originally a cattle and animal market where traders bought and sold livestock on the holy river Ganges.

    By Natalia Jimenez, NBC News

    If you are looking to trade an elephant or purchase cattle and other livestock, it seems the Sonepur Mela is the place to be. Continuing a longstanding tradition, elephants are beautifully decorated to attract potential customers coming from all over Asia to attend the fair.

    Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images

    An elephant is painted in decorative colors during the Sonepur Mela on Nov. 15, 2011 in Sonepur near Patna, India.

    Previously on PhotoBlog: Thousands of animals are traded at the Pushkar camel fair

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  • 10
    Nov
    2011
    6:11am, EST

    Elephants join clean-up effort after Thailand floods

    Sukree Sukplang / Reuters

    Mahouts ride on elephants to clear dead bushes and twigs from the ruins of a temple following floods in Thailand's ancient capital Ayutthaya on November 10.

    Rungroj Yongrit / EPA

    Volunteers clean a reclining Buddha statue after floodwaters drained away at Wat Yai Chaimongkol ancient temple in the world heritage historical park in Ayutthaya province on November 10.

    Sukree Sukplang / Reuters

    A Mahout rides on an elephant to clear a log which was left in the grounds of a temple after floodwaters receded in Ayutthaya on November 10.

    See more images of the flooding affecting Thailand on Photoblog and read our latest story on the ongoing effects of the flood.

    3 comments

    for all THAILAND people , since my father god was sent you a message , but still the THAILAND country never understood, be hold & prepare , my father god , king of the universe in the heaven hi will sent again & again a message not only flood way . if you are all believe to my father god, ki …

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    Explore related topics: thailand, asia, animals, flood, elephant, world-news, ayutthaya
  • 22
    Sep
    2011
    4:31pm, EDT

    Dai Kurokawa / EPA

    Rangers of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) winch up an elephant who had just been shot with tranquilizer darts fired from a helicopter to prevent suffocation near Narok town, some 150 kilometers northwest of the capital Nairobi, before being put in a truck to be transported to the Maasai Mara game reserve, about 100 kilometers south from Narok, 22 September 2011. The KWS aims to relocate some 200 elephants from Narok area to the Maasai Mara game reserve in a bid to protect animals from from escalating conflict with humans and ease the human-wildlife conflicts caused by increased farming and human settelement, and subsequent loss of elephant habitat. Out of the 9,299 human wildlife conflict cases reported in the last 10 years, 5,052 (54 per cent) are attributed to elephants, the KWS said in a statement. The 10-day operation to relocate elephants would cost 31 million shillings (230,000 EUR), the KWS Director Julius Kipng'etich said.

    Rangers in Kenya move tranquilized elephant

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  • 12
    Sep
    2011
    3:04pm, EDT

    Damir Sagolj / Reuters

    An elephant is seen during the the 10th annual King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in Hua Hin, roughly 99 miles south of Bangkok on Sept. 6. Twelve international teams rode Thai street elephants during the September 5-11 tournament.

    The eye of a Thai street elephant

    .

    1 comment

    Looks more intelligent that the "owners!"

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    Explore related topics: thailand, elephant, at, bangkok
  • 30
    Aug
    2011
    12:35pm, EDT

    Diptendu Dutta / AFP - Getty Images

    Indian army personnel use a backhoe during a rescue mission to save a wild elephant trapped in a water reservoir tank at Bengdubi army cantonment area some 25 kms from Siliguri on Tuesday, Aug. 30.

    Elephant rescued from reservoir tank in India

    According to AFP, a wild elephant cub fell into the water reservoir tank as a herd crossed the area. Army personnel of 16 Field Ammunition Depot along with wildlife elephant squad of Mahananda wildlife sanctuary joined forces to save the animal.

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  • 12
    Aug
    2011
    11:42am, EDT

    Sri Lanka counts elephants in hopes of saving them

    Sri Lanka began surveying its wild elephant population living in national parks as part of a conservation drive to protect the dwindling animals. The island's elephant population has dwindled to some 4,000 from a high of 12,000 recorded in 1900s, according to the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The two-day survey ends on August 13.

    Ishara S. Kodikara / AFP - Getty Images

    Sri Lankan wild elephants play at a wild life sanctuary in Minneriya on August 12, 2011.

    Ishara S. Kodikara / AFP - Getty Images

    Sri Lankan wild elephants walk through a field at a wild life sanctuary in Minneriya on August 12.

    Ishara S. Kodikara / AFP - Getty Images

    A lone Sri Lankan wild elephant plays in the sand at a wild life sanctuary in Minneriya on August 12.

     

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  • 13
    Jul
    2011
    10:01am, EDT

    Keeping cool at the Belgrade zoo

    Ivan Milutinovic / Reuters

    A zookeeper sprays water on a polar bear to help it cool down at Belgrade's zoo July 13.

    Ivan Milutinovic / Reuters

    Children watch as water is sprayed on an Asian elephant to help it cool down at Belgrade's zoo July 13.

    Ivan Milutinovic / Reuters

    A zookeeper sprays water on a hippopotamus to help it cool down at Belgrade's zoo July 13, 2011 as an intense heat wave sweeps Serbia with temperature reaching 104 degree Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

    By Phaedra Singelis, NBC News

    It must be hot for a polar bear in that kind of heat. I'm guessing zoos across the Midwest and Northeast United States will be doing the same thing today as a heat wave continues there.

    See more animals in our new Animal Tracks blog.

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  • 28
    Apr
    2011
    7:01pm, EDT

    Sue Ogrocki / AP

    An Asian elephant calf, born at the Oklahoma City Zoo April 15, is pictured with her mother, Asha, right, a 16-year old Asian elephant, and her aunt, Chandra, left, a 14-year old Asian Elephant, at the zoo in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 28.

    New baby elephant born at the Oklahoma City Zoo

    By Jim Seida

    You can go to the Oklahoma City Zoo's site and help name the baby elephant. She's definitely a contender for our 'cutest-thing-ever' list; you can see other nominees here. See more animal photos in our weekly slideshow, 'Animal tracks.'

    Comment

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    Explore related topics: oklahoma, zoo, asian, elephant, mothers-day, animal-tracks, cutest-thing-ever
  • 3
    Mar
    2011
    3:12pm, EST

    Baby elephant tortured into submission before illegal smuggling from Burma to Thailand

    By John Brecher

    I see almost 10,000 pictures a day, and many document some form of suffering. Some of that suffering is incidental as people try to survive, some happens in chaotic situations, and some is intentional. But in all of it, I've never seen an image of such a deliberate infliction of misery.

    What's particularly effective about this picture is the baby elephant's flinch. She knows it's going to hurt - you can see her shying away from the blow, which is the point: to cause enough pain to break her will.

    To learn how you can affect the situation, read on for a Q&A with photojournalist Brent Lewin, who won a Science/Natural History Award of Excellence for this image at the Pictures of the Year competition.

    Brent Lewin / Redux Pictures

    A baby elephant braces for a hit during a training session in a Karen village in Burma. The training session is coined the 'crush' as its goal is to break the elephant's spirit. Wild elephants are typically tied up and beaten for 3 days straight and left to starve. Burmese Karen mahouts near the Thai border operate a clandestine and illegal trade network smuggling elephants into Thailand to be sold to mahouts for the Thai tourism industry. Officials estimate that 1 Burmese elephant is smuggled into Thailand every week.

    Q: What led you to this story, and how did you manage to make this picture? What were any difficulties you experienced?

    A: I've been working on documenting the plight of the Asian elephant and their caregivers in Thailand since 2007. It started out with following mahouts and elephants that would beg on the street in Bangkok but as the story began revealing itself it started to become clear that the business that surrounds elephants is responsible for a lot of the problems. With elephant numbers on the decline for a long time in Thailand, the supply of elephants has been coming from smugglers across the border in Burma.

    I went to Burma specifically to try and photograph elephants being trained. I had a contact there from an organization in Thailand but it turned out to be a bust. We drove for hours on a motorbike through a dirt path in the jungle only to find out that training had finished a few days before. I started asking around and a local did some research and found out about a young elephant that was set to be trained. We set off on another path in the jungle and showed up and managed to sweet talk our way in. The young elephant's mother was tied up near the training device and became really uncomfortable when she saw what was about to happen. I've never heard an elephant scream like that before, it felt like the ground shook and she actually broke off her chain and charged at mahouts and myself. The mahouts eventually scared the mother into submission and tied her up again and then started training her baby. The baby elephant was terrified and started crying. The biggest difficulty I experienced was not being able to put a stop to it. There was a point when the elephant just resigned to what was happening and stood still, the life in her eyes disappeared. It was a look that was haunting.

    Q: How common is this practice?

    A: It's a very traditional technique and quite common but it can vary in terms of the level of violence. It's not all black and white either, some progressive camps use positive reinforcement instead of beatings. There was a time when foreigners could watch elephant training in Thailand but some negative images came out and it's almost impossible as a foreigner to see this now.

    Q: Are there organizations in the region working to prevent this treatment of elephants?

    A:There are some good organizations working to protect elephants in Thailand. Elephant Nature Park and Elephant Conservation Network are doing really good work.

    Q: How can tourists visiting Thailand either be part of the problem or part of the solution?

    A: Though they are rare, supporting progressive elephant tourism companies that have an interest in conservation is a good place to start. Try to avoid supporting tourism that uses elephants to perform circus tricks. These outfits almost always chain their elephants up all day separated from one another. If you see an elephant being abused speak out and tell the owner. I'm confident in the coming years elephant tourism will change in Thailand and offer an alternative model to the one in place now.

    Q: What has been the response to this image?

    A: Disbelief and horror.

    

    58 comments

    There are many times when I am ashamed to be a human animal....You think when you look at a photo you will not see anything worse and of course you do...this is disgusting surely this can be stopped!!!and these people deallt with??!!!

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    Explore related topics: thailand, world, animal, abuse, elephant, wildlife, torture, burma
  • 30
    Jan
    2011
    1:02pm, EST

    Josh Anderson / AP

    This Dec. 22, 2010 photo shows Elephant Sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais visiting with Shirley, one of the older elephants at the facility in Hohenwald, Tenn. An unexpected management change and a lawsuit might give the world a better glimpse of the refuge for elephants that have spent much of their lives in zoos and circuses.

    Elephant refuge starts anew after founder's firing

    Read the full story here.

    Comment

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  • 28
    Jan
    2011
    8:08am, EST

    How did the elephants cross the road? They went underneath it

     

    Jason Straziuso / AP

    Elephants exit Africa's first dedicated elephant underpass near the slopes of Mt. Kenya on Jan. 24. Conservationists say the tunnel connects two elephant habitats that had been cut off from each other for years by human development.

    Jason Straziuso / AP

    Elephants exit Africa's first dedicated elephant underpass near the slopes of Mt. Kenya on Jan. 24. Conservationists say the tunnel connects two elephant habitats that had been cut off from each other for years by human development.

    The 15-foot-high (4.5-meter-high) tunnel opened for elephant business around Christmas, and on Jan. 1 a bull elephant named Tony made the first crossing. Accompanied by two other young males, Tony moved through the underpass again on Monday as seen in these photos. Full story.

    Partners in the underpass project included the Mount Kenya Trust, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Save The Elephants.

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Natalia Jimenez

Natalia Jimenez is a multimedia editor at NBCNews.com. She was previously a photo editor at the Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J.

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is a Supervising Producer at NBC News.com Previously she worked as an editor at the New York Times and the Washington Post in addition to working as a photojournalist at numerous newspapers.

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Jim Seida is a senior multimedia editor at msnbc.com. Fourteen years ago, he helped create multimedia storytelling for an online audience as one of the core group of multimedia producers at msnbc.com. He thrives on field work and telling stories about people with video, still and audio gear.

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