Hannah Osborne is the planet Earth and animals editor at Live Science. Prior to Live Science, she worked for several years at Newsweek as the science editor. Before this she was science editor at International Business Times U.K. Hannah holds a master's in journalism from Goldsmith's, University of London.
Asian elephants bury their calves with their legs poking out of the ground, researchers have observed. The calves were 1 year old or less and were transported to premade burials of sorts — irrigation drains on tea estates in India — by herd members, before being placed in holes and covered in soil.
Researchers have previously observed African forest elephants performing burial practices, in which herd members cover their deceased companions and family members with branches and leaves. The new study provides the first record of Asian elephant burials and is the first known case of elephants using soil in burials, as well as specifically positioning the body.
The elephants live in landscapes including fragmented forests, tea estates, agricultural lands and human settlements. Kaswan and Roy discovered the deceased elephant calves were carried by the trunk or legs over long distances,— in some cases traveling for 48 hours — to tea estates, where people had dug irrigation drains up to 26 inches deep.
He added that the elephants may also prioritize the head being buried, and to avoid the carcass being eaten by a carnivore.
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