Spanish animal protection group says Queen Sofia intervening to help depressed elephant

September 13th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Scores of elephants statues are to come up in a memorial park here in the Uttar Pradesh capital city at a cost of tens of crores of rupees. But for creation and maintenance of a special elephant reserve, the state government can spare only Rs.50 lakh.

September 3rd, 2009 Union says firefighters forced to bathe elephantNEW YORK — A firefighters union says a New York City engine company had to close its firehouse for 30 minutes to bathe a circus elephant on city orders. The Uniformed Firefighters Association says Brooklyn's Engine Company 245 didn't want to participate in the photo opportunity with circus elephant Suzie, part of the Ringling Bros.

September 3rd, 2009 Software mogul attacked by elephant during safariSAN JOSE, Calif. — Silicon Valley billionaire Tom Siebel says he's recovering from broken ribs and legs after an elephant charged at him and a tour guide in the Serengeti a month ago.

September 3rd, 2009 NY engine company shuts firehouse to wash elephantNEW YORK — A firefighters union says a New York City engine company had to close its firehouse for 30 minutes to bathe a circus elephant on city orders. The Uniformed Firefighters Association says Brooklyn's Engine Company 245 didn't want to participate in the photo opportunity with circus elephant Suzie, part of the Ringling Bros.

September 1st, 2009 PATNA - An elephant Wednesday trampled a young man to death in a village in Saran district of Bihar, police said. Madan Thakur, in his 20s, was killed by the elephant near Chamrahiya village in Saran.

August 24th, 2009 DPA HANOI - Vietnamese customs inspectors have discovered more than two tonnes of elephant tusks hidden in a shipping container full of snail shells from Kenya, an official said Monday. Bui Hoang Duong, head of the customs inspection department at the northern port of Haiphong, said inspectors opened the container Friday as part of enhanced scrutiny of shipping from Tanzania, due to recent cases of ivory smuggling.

August 20th, 2009 Thai elephant damages newly fitted artificial limbBANGKOK — An elephant fitted with an artificial limb 10 years after stepping on a land mine has had a minor setback, damaging the device attached to her left front leg. Soraida Salwala of the private group Friends of the Asian Elephant said Thursday that 48-year-old Motola bent the prothesis when she lay down on it.

August 15th, 2009 KOLKATA - An adult female elephant was killed after getting entangled in electified fencing at an army cantonment in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district late Friday night, a forest department official said Saturday. "An elephant was electrocuted when it entered an army cantonment near Binnaguri forest area and got entangled in electrified fencing.

July 21st, 2009 Group says LA Zoo was fined in elephant's deathLOS ANGELES — An animal rights group says the Los Angeles Zoo was fined $3,281 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failing to provide adequate veterinary care in the 2006 death of Gita the elephant.

July 5th, 2009 First Asian elephant born in Australian zooSYDNEY — A 265-pound (120-kilogram), big-eared and long-nosed bundle of joy was welcomed in Australia as an important step in helping to save the endangered Asian elephant. The male calf — so far without a name — was born in Sydney's Taronga Zoo early Saturday and was healthy and generating many curious responses from among its herd, zoo officials said.

June 23rd, 2009 Indonesian elephant fossil opens window to pastBANDUNG, Indonesia — Indonesian scientists are reconstructing the largest, most complete skeleton of a prehistoric giant elephant ever found in the tropics, a finding that may offer new clues into the largely mysterious origins of its modern Asian cousin. The prehistoric elephant is believed to have been submerged in quicksand shortly after dying on a riverbed in Java around 200,000 years ago.

April 22nd, 2009 MADRID - Visiting Indian President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil has expressed hope about the relationship between India and Spain getting a new face. "We are keen to strengthen our bilateral relations with Spain and I have no doubt that the city of Madrid will play an increasingly larger role, be it in the trade, economic and financial aspects or in the cultural, educational and scientific spheres," Patil said.

April 21st, 2009 MADRID - Jose Bono, the President of the Spanish Congress, on Tuesday, expressed solidarity and sympathy with the people of India over the terror attack that struck Mumbai in November last year, claiming 179 lives and injuring more than 300. Addressing a packed house here on the occasion of the first visit of an Indian President to Spain, Bono said: "Both countries suffered the horror of the terrorism.

April 21st, 2009 MADRID - Indian President Pratibha Patil was Tuesday welcomed by Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia after arriving Monday for the first official visit by an Indian head of state to Spain. The four-day visit was expected to focus on stepping up trade relations, investments, and on the fight against terrorism, diplomats said.

April 21st, 2009 MADRID - President Pratibha Patil Tuesday stressed India's interest in boosting relations with Spain, where she became the first Indian head of state to make an official visit. Bilateral trade had increased rapidly, rising to $4.5 billion in 2008, Patil said during a visit to Spanish parliament after attending official welcome ceremonies with King Juan Carlos.