Jumbled Jumbo

An entire family of Indian Elephants was run down by a speeding train near Jalpaiguri, West Bengal recently. The national heritage animal definitely deserves to be treated better than this. Railway tracks cut across the most crucial of elephant habitats and migration routes and clashes like these are becoming a frequent affair, particularly in Eastern India.

This cartoon appears in Sanctuary Asia.

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Opossums in school

Opossums make up the largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere.“Playing dead” is a defense mechanism adopted by the opossum and many other animals. To escape a predator, an opossum lies on its back and pretends to be dead. Most predators prefer live prey, and hence spare the opossum which they presume to be dead. When the opossum feels that he is no longer in danger, he will revive himself and move on.

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Little Bullies

Why are whales such gigantic creatures? One possible explanation for the ridiculously enormous size of whales is that their large size helps them keep warm in the cold marine environments by providing greater muscle mass, more calories and more blubber. Of course, defense against predators might be another reason. What do you think?

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