Indian elephants electrocute themselves in drunken rampage

[LeadMagnet]

Article

The elephants are known to have a taste for rice beer brewed by tribal communities across north-east India.

But this is the first time some of them have died after consuming the drink.

A herd of about 20 to 25 elephants went on the rampage in a remote area in the West Garo Hills district earlier this week after getting high on the beer.

As panicky villagers fled for cover, leaving behind their freshly brewed beverage, the elephants drank to their heart's content.

The inebriated elephants then struck an electric pole and brought it down.

But their trunks took the brunt of the shock from the high-tension wire.

Four of the elephants were killed instantly.

Assam's elephant expert Kushal Konwar Sharma, a lecturer, said these elephants frequently consume rice beer and cause devastation when they become intoxicated.

Wildlife officials say in the last two years elephants have killed at least 180 people in Assam and Meghalaya.

And more than 200 elephants have been killed by angry villagers during the last six years in the two states, in what is developing into a fierce conflict between man and beast.

Article

 

[Bowfinger]

I'm confused about these drunken Indian elephants. Please clarify. Was Bush personally involved, and since when did the Republicans start outsourcing themselves to India?

 

[sMiLeYz]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'm confused about these drunken Indian elephants. Please clarify. Was Bush personally involved, and since when did the Republicans start outsourcing themselves to India?

LOL!

 

[conehead433]

I think I may have the answer to this problem- Quit giving the elephants beer, you fffkknng morons.

 

[Jhhnn]

Yeh, well, conehead, asian elephants apparently like beer, a lot, and can smell it brewing from some great distance. It's done outdoors in big vats... Other accounts I've read over the years describe the elephants as sneaking in during the night, slurping it up while the villagers sleep. They're apparently pretty mean drunks...

Habitat loss is a big problem for asian elephants, and even for their domesticated kin. The males generally lose their sex drive in captivity, so fertilization from wild males has always been required.... no wild males, no baby domesticated elephants, either...

 

[conehead433]

"Yeh, well, conehead, asian elephants apparently like beer, a lot, and can smell it brewing from some great distance. It's done outdoors in big vats... "

Yeh, well, maybe they should try brewing it somewhere where the elephants can't get to it. Maybe inside buildings......they do have those there you know.

 

[Jhhnn]

I don't think you quite understand, conehead. the beer needs to be vented to ferment, and the elephants will smell it, anyway.

And we are talking about elephants- if they locate the beer inside a building, they'll do whatever they need to do to get at it...

These small villages in remote rural areas aren't known for heavy construction, either... they're really quite primitive, and the people are dirt poor...

So, yeh, they'll do their best to keep the elephants out of the beer, but it doesn't always work. Once they're drunk, the only sensible thing to do is stay out of their way...

 

[conehead433]

All I can say is that it's a shame that the elephants are being killed because of this.

 

[Mardeth]

Dead elephant: "Well, it was fun while it lasted."

 

[0roo0roo]

i wonder if they can eat the 4 that died. pre marinated elephant meat

 

[etech]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'm confused about these drunken Indian elephants. Please clarify. Was Bush personally involved, and since when did the Republicans start outsourcing themselves to India?

You should have stopped at "I'm confused". It was the only part of your post that made any sense.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: etech

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'm confused about these drunken Indian elephants. Please clarify. Was Bush personally involved, and since when did the Republicans start outsourcing themselves to India?

You should have stopped at "I'm confused". It was the only part of your post that made any sense.

I forgot, you don't grok humor. Elephants are the symbol of the Republican party. Bush is a Republican. Outsourcing jobs to India has been in the news lately, and is controversial. It is mostly advocated by Republican businessmen. Put them all together . . .

 

[beyoku]

this happens all the time, it happened 2 times last year. IT was in the BBC.

 

[etech]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: etech

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'm confused about these drunken Indian elephants. Please clarify. Was Bush personally involved, and since when did the Republicans start outsourcing themselves to India?

You should have stopped at "I'm confused". It was the only part of your post that made any sense.

I forgot, you don't grok humor. Elephants are the symbol of the Republican party. Bush is a Republican. Outsourcing jobs to India has been in the news lately, and is controversial. It is mostly advocated by Republican businessmen. Put them all together . . .

I grok humour, what you posted is just partisan bs.

Nice to see you read Heinlein though.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: etech

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: etech

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'm confused about these drunken Indian elephants. Please clarify. Was Bush personally involved, and since when did the Republicans start outsourcing themselves to India?

You should have stopped at "I'm confused". It was the only part of your post that made any sense.

I forgot, you don't grok humor. Elephants are the symbol of the Republican party. Bush is a Republican. Outsourcing jobs to India has been in the news lately, and is controversial. It is mostly advocated by Republican businessmen. Put them all together . . .

I grok humour, what you posted is just partisan bs.

Whatever you say

Nice to see you read Heinlein though.

Glad to see we have something in common.

 

[etech]

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: etech

Originally posted by: Bowfinger

Originally posted by: etech

Originally posted by: Bowfinger
I'm confused about these drunken Indian elephants. Please clarify. Was Bush personally involved, and since when did the Republicans start outsourcing themselves to India?

You should have stopped at "I'm confused". It was the only part of your post that made any sense.

I forgot, you don't grok humor. Elephants are the symbol of the Republican party. Bush is a Republican. Outsourcing jobs to India has been in the news lately, and is controversial. It is mostly advocated by Republican businessmen. Put them all together . . .

I grok humour, what you posted is just partisan bs.

Whatever you say

Nice to see you read Heinlein though.

Glad to see we have something in common.

I am surprised that with the political leanings that you have displayed on this board that you would appreciate Heinlein. Your viewpoints and his seem to be in direct contrast.

 

[Gaard]

Heinlein? I was thinking Farside.

 

[etech]

Originally posted by: Gaard
Heinlein? I was thinking Farside.

If you are saying that Bowfinger's politics resemble something from a Farside comic, well, I wouldn't disagree with you.

 

[Wag]

Hrmm. Beer? Elephant? Beer? Elephant?

In situations like this I think, "What would Homer Simpson do?"

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: etech
I am surprised that with the political leanings that you have displayed on this board that you would appreciate Heinlein. Your viewpoints and his seem to be in direct contrast.

I think that has a lot to do with people making assumptions about my broader views instead of reading my actual words. I don't know how many times someone claimed I said "xyz" when, in fact, I actually made a different statement that people associate with saying "xyz" (if that makes sense). The most blatant recent example was the Wal-Mart thread where some insisted I said all sorts of things I simply did not say.

I'm a strong believer in the rights of the individual and accepting personal responsibiltiy. I find many aspects of Libertarianism attractive, including the general concept of limited government. However, I also firmly believe the rights of the powerful end when they start hurting others, and I believe government exists to serve the masses, not just the powerful, be they wealthy individuals or corporations. I also strongly believe government is accountable to the people and that everything government does must be fully open to public inspection with extremely narrow exceptions for information directly and materially affecting national security. In short, I believe George W. Bush works for me, not the other way around.

I could go on for paragraphs, but those are some highlights. What parts of Heinlein do you see as contrasting mine?