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Samuel Mphepo, Malawi

Elephant Rock

A prodigious pachyderm lurks among Malawi’s inselbergs.
An 1870 painting by Jean-Paul Laurens depicts the infamous "Cadaver Synod," when a papal corpse was put on trial.
conspiracy theories

Atlas Obscura’s Juiciest Pope Drama

Lost body parts, dirty paintings, and an ill-fated elephant.
Andrew Coletti January 30, 2025
Oquawka, Illinois

Norma Jean Circus Elephant Monument

A memorial dedicated to a traveling circus elephant killed by a lightning strike in 1972.
Charlotte, North Carolina

Grave of John King

An elephant is carved onto the gravestone of a man who was crushed by one.
Gifting animals, games, and cakes.
games

5 Tales of Bizarre Holiday Gift-Giving

From elephants and hippos to fanfiction and sheep-shearing cake—what are you gifting this year?
Roxanne Hoorn December 5, 2024
Inzai, Japan

Futago Park

This park was once home to now-extinct Naumann's elephants, and what might have been a real Banksy.
Xiangliab, Laos

Tham Nang Ene Cave

Mythological depictions of Laos’ national animal make this cave sacred.
This detail from the 12th-century Aberdeen Bestiary shows a dragon wrestling an elephant.
zoos

That Time Portugal’s King Gifted an Elephant to the Pope

Hanno the elephant suffered much at the hands of power-hungry Europeans.
Devon Field August 21, 2024
Graz, Austria

Der Kleine Elefant

This small, easily-overlooked sculpture recalls the first time Graz saw a live elephant.
Royal Leamington Spa, England

The Elephant Wash

This river ramp was once used by the elephants of a local circus.
Bern, Switzerland

Elephant of Murten

The skeleton of a 19th-century elephant that was executed by cannonball.
Hyenas and crocodiles dined on a waterside carcass together, caught via camera trap.
science

You Never Know Who Will Turn Up at an Elephant Carcass

Researchers in Kenya spied some unexpected guests at these “carrion bonanzas”
Roxanne Hoorn August 16, 2023
To reduce the risk of conflict between humans and elephants, scientists are looking at the situation from the animals' perspective.
animals

To Reduce Conflicts With Humans, Get Inside an Elephant's Head

Understanding how the giant mammals weigh risk and reward could help prevent clashes with people.
Mridula Chari June 5, 2023
Elephant Head Rock, silhouetted.
Gerlach, Nevada

Elephant Head Rock

A remote, little-known natural arch in granite in the desert of northwestern Nevada.
Moultrie, Georgia

Nancy the Elephant Tombstone Monument

A life-sized baby elephant tombstone marks the grave of a circus owner at a country church in southern Georgia.
Dowden's Ordinary "ghost tavern"
Clarksburg, Maryland

Dowden's Ordinary Park

This suburban park recalls the history of a famous tavern. Despite the name, it's no ordinary place!
Halldórsskora (Elephant Rock)
Heimaey, Iceland

Halldórsskora (Elephant Rock)

On an island south of Iceland, a large volcanic rock formation resembles an elephant.
Elephants, such as these in South Africa's Kruger National Park, are highly social—and loud.
earthquakes

Can We Track Elephants With Earthquake Detectors?

Low-cost seismometers could give rural communities an alert system, or begin to decipher elephant communication.
Robin George Andrews February 8, 2021