Predation upon the curious, is that it?

https://piefed.social/c/[email protected]/p/2313742/hark-next-time-you-see-a-bot-post-shit-post-asking-what-the-closest-relative-is-to-a-hy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Rai_Khing

https://itsbetterinthailand.com/activities/wat-ban-rai-the-elephant-temple-in-nakhon-ratchasima/

https://itsbetterinthailand.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/gallery-1.jpg

Evidently this image dates to the 15th century, and is found in the manuscript "Morgan 1045," from the backside of leaf 22, in the Morgan Library & Museum.

It seems that this book was partly intended for amusement and educational value, but this specific image may also be based on misunderstandings about what elephants were actually like, given their general non-existence in Europe. Then there's the castle, which may be an attempt to represent a "howdah" (i.e. elephant saddle), or may even have a chess-like implication. For example, precursors to chess arose in India, such as chaturanga / chaturaji, and elephants were major pieces in that game.

More quirkiness of this kind can be found here:
![email protected]

Another guest post from ![email protected] as I slowly make my way through the archives...

This is a 25-foot statue of the Hindu deity Ganesha, meticulously crafted entirely out of green bananas. Created by the Natraj Club in Sambalpur, Odisha, India, the sculpture utilized over 5 tons of bananas. The banana sculpture is designed to be eco-friendly, with the fruit distributed to devotees and the needy after the festival concludes. --courtesy of the Evil Empire

And remember-- next time you take a photo of something to be shared on the internet, place a Banana-Ganesha next to it to help add scale. :D

It was suggested I cross post this here, I hope you like it.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/48516438

I think she likes you!

Timelapse: https://bsky.app/profile/ballshapedman.bsky.social/post/3mow6eb4cac2n

Another guest post from ![email protected]. These two are Asian Elephants at the Albuquerque, New Mexico zoo. Things start rather indifferently, before a switch gets flipped around the 0:45 minute mark.

IIRC from a separate video, musician Allan McKenzie later donated his instrument to the zoo in honor of the performance and pachyderm reaction. Assuming anyone's able to play it, of course. My personal experience with a didgeridoo is that it requires extraordinary breath control to play continuously... indeed, I understand that one must inhale through one's nose as one exhales (and plays) through one's mouth(!)

Here's a guest post from ![email protected], encouraged by @[email protected].

I've had to speculate on this shot (as seen in the title), as information was limited. There are also versions of this pic in 'setting sun' colors, so this may indeed be color-shifted a bit. In any case, I find the new color scheme quite lovely!

Btw, the African bush elephant is the largest land animal in the world, with adults weighing in at ~7 short tons.

cross-posted from: https://aussie.zone/post/29899976

Source: https://zooborns.com/2025/08/26/pairi-daiza-celebrates-the-birth-of-a-second-asian-elephant-calf-in-2025/#more-21

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/52344871