Satao, one of the last 'giant tusker' elephants, killed in Kenya
A rare African elephant - one of the continent's oldest and largest - died in a suspected poaching incident, a conservation group has said. Satao II, a 50-year-old so-called "giant tusker" was found dead near the Tsavo National Park border. Conservationists at the park believe he may have been killed be a poison arrow, although the cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Read more
A mysterious bony growth found in elephants' feet is actually a sixth "toe", scientists report. For more than 300 years, the structure has puzzled researchers, but this study suggests that it helps to support elephants' colossal weight. Fossils reveal that this "pre-digit" evolved about 40 million years ago, at a point when early elephants became larger and more land-based. Read more
An ancient ancestor of the elephant from 37 million years ago lived in water and had a similar lifestyle to a hippo, a fossil study has suggested. The animal was said to be similar to a tapir, a hoofed mammal which looks like a cross between a horse and a rhino. Experts from Oxford University and Stony Brook University, New York, analysed chemical signatures preserved in fossil teeth. Read more
Nepal has hosted the fourth annual International Elephant Race. Organisers said they hope to draw the attention of tourists to Nepal's wildlife and show that it is so much more than just a land of mountains.