Let me start with a sad update on Mammal Monday 1: it already happened in April, but I only heard now that the little rock-climbing elephant and her sister have both died ofherpes. There is a very ugly story to tell about how the Berlin zoo elephants got infected, but that’s not for this place and time.
There’s a lot of ugly criticism of the zoo all over the comments to news articles, but most of that comes from people with, well, very little information and big opinions. What mostly pisses me off is people yelling for the blanket administration of drugs that have known strong side effects (and who knows what else they will do in elephants?). Here’s some info on the disease. It’s all not as easy as the rabid “animal rights activists” imagine it.
Now, finally, for a handful of happy mammal pics.
Przewalski‘s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) at the Berlin zoo in winter coat.
It is always a good idea to check out real species, not the monsters captive breeding has created. Some riding horses look cool, but they’d never function well in the wild. Above – that’s the read deal!
dinosaurpalaeo 