zoo

11.23.09

'Gay Elephant' Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

A Polish politician, furious over a gay elephant, obviously hasn't been keeping up with the latest research on homosexuality in animals

By Christopher Mims Posted 04.15.2009 at 10:56 am 10 Comments

"We didn't pay 37 million zlotys for the largest elephant house in Europe to have a gay elephant live there," said Michal Grzes, a conservative councillor in the Polish city of Poznan, Reuters reported last Friday.

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READ MORE ABOUT > animal homosexuality, bonobos, elephants, giraffe, homosexuality, zoo

Blood Samples From Living Syringes

Drawing blood from zoo animals in a non-intrusive way can be difficult, for obvious reasons. A pilot project aims to enlist a blood-sucking insect to do the

By Matt Ransford Posted 06.16.2008 at 1:38 pm 0 Comments

Using animals to assist with human medical procedures is nothing new. Leeches can help heal skin grafts by restoring circulation in blocked veins and removing pooled blood under new grafts. Maggots will clean a wound by eating only the dead tissue, thereby aiding in preventing infection. Now, an insect commonly known as the kissing bug is being put to work in zoos in Germany and England as a living syringe.

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READ MORE ABOUT > blood, insects, Matt Ransford, medicine, zoo