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Elephant Repellent Tested In India

Makarand writes "According to this article in the Hindustan Times (India) a joint team of American and Indian scientists is testing an elephant repellent in the southern state of Kerala in India. Perforated steel rollers were placed in the elephant herd's path to disperse the repellent. The repellents are ketones released by bull elephants during the mating season. A large number of elephants are killed by farmers defending their crops and an effective repellent may protect both elephants and crops."

37 comments

  1. uhh....... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I really feel like I should be impressed or even interested in this topic, because it's on slashdot ... but I'm actually quite underwhelmed.

    *however* if this technology can somehow be adapted to give human males elephant-sized penises, then they might really be on to something. but i didn't see anything about that in the article. it really just seems to be about keeping elephants out of farms or something.

    1. Re:uhh....... by illuvata · · Score: 1

      somehow i think the only reason this story was posted was because of timothy liked the when-shoo-shoo-isn't-enough dept.

    2. Re:uhh....... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I already have a penis the size of an elephant's.

  2. There's no elephants around here! by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: 3, Funny

    It works!

    Tim

    --
    Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
    1. Re:There's no elephants around here! by Neop2Lemus · · Score: 1

      Thats cuz theres mice in your house. Dum Dum

      --
      Needle Nardle Noo
  3. Male pheromones? by mnmn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now the farmers will only have to deal with thundering herds of giant horny female elephants.

    --
    "Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
    1. Re:Male pheromones? by Molina+the+Bofh · · Score: 2, Funny

      Worse than that. They'll have to deal with loads of spam like this:

      You Can Reppel Male or Female Elephants FAST Learn How

      Human Elephant Pheromone cologne/perfume is a brand new formula that contains Elephant Sex Pheromones scientifically designed and proven to reppel the opposite sex. Although we all naturally produce pheromones, 95% of us produce them in such a small amount they are not very effective, This is why wearing our pheromones will drastically improve your crop!! People wont even know you are wearing them. Just as animals use scents to attract the opposite sex, elephants respond to pheromones that can greatly increase your chances of repelling them, and getting the attention and intimacy you desire.

      --

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      Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
  4. The should have talked to the greeks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Turns out they found out, thanks to Hannibal, that elephants don't like the smell of horse blood, among other things. No, shortage of horses.

    1. Re:The should have talked to the greeks. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A family of indians were looking to buy a house in America.
      They talked to a real-estate agent about finding them a home. Above all the other requirements, the main floor had to be big.
      After awhile the real-estate agent finds a place, so the family decides to check it out and see if it's worth buying.
      The agent says "this house has more floor space than you can shake a stick at. Have a look around!"
      The father of the family walks into the living room and says "yes! There's enough room in here to keep an elephant!"
      "An elephant?!" asks the real-estate agent. "What are you going to do about the smell?"
      To which the father replies, "well, the elephant will just have to get used to it."

    2. Re:The should have talked to the greeks. by MrDolby · · Score: 1

      Wasn't Hannibal from Carthage?

  5. Male sent? by IANAL(BIAILS) · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I can see how this would repel the female elephants, but wouldn't male sent, especially that during mating season, attract the other males? I'd think that they would come looking for a fight and protect 'their' females... and wouldn't large ornary male elephants be the ones you're specifically trying to avoid?

    1. Re:Male sent? by pilot1 · · Score: 1

      Exactly!
      Not to mention the homosexual elephants that would be attracted...
      There are homosexual elephants, right? There must be.

    2. Re:Male sent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's scent you retard.

  6. Elephant talk by ptaff · · Score: 1

    A guy is alone in downtown Washington, holding a spraying bottle in his hand, vaporizing his stuff with great pride. One of his friends passes by:

    - Bob, what are you doing there?
    - I'm experimenting a new elephant repellent.
    - But, but, ... there's no elephant around here!
    - Proves that my stuff works!

    1. Re:Elephant talk by Nucleon500 · · Score: 1

      [long pause] Bob, I'd like to buy your elephant repellent.

  7. My suggestion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I bet minced mice might make an excellent elephant repellent. Bet, then again, I went to clown college.

    1. Re:My suggestion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Bet, then again, I went to clown college.

      I'll but.

  8. Aren't elephants a standard unit of weight? by NanoGator · · Score: 1

    Doesn't that mean they're testing anti-gravity?

    --
    "Derp de derp."
    1. Re:Aren't elephants a standard unit of weight? by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

      "Doesn't that mean they're testing anti-gravity?"

      Nope. Elephants are a measurement of weight, not mass.

  9. Slashdot Poll: Favorite Elephant Repellent by GuyMannDude · · Score: 1
    • Bull elephant ketones
    • Mice
    • Sprinkling peanuts everywhere outside the target area
    • I like elephants you insensitive clod!
    • CowboyNeal's cologne
  10. I know the source of the main component. by Libertarian_Geek · · Score: 0, Troll

    Kerry & Dean emit the essance of Elephant repellant in their sweat. Trace amounts have been found in John McCain's sweat.

    --

    www.facebook.com/DareDefendOurRights

    www.fairtax.org
  11. more info here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    1. Re:more info here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow that's the dumbest site I've ever seen. Lots of AIDS cases occur where large black and hispanic populations coexist with large Jewish populations. In other words, AIDS cases tend to cluster in major urban centers, which tend to have substantially higher concentrations of Jewish AND Black/Hispanic people. Talk about a waste of statistics there.

  12. Re:Male sCent? by understyled · · Score: 1

    From the article: "[Asian Elephant Research and Conservation Centre (AERCC) Director R Sukumar said] elephants were sensitive to smells, and the ketones were effective in driving away other bulls during the mating season.."

    stinky pharamones released by big fat stinky guys during mating season would drive me away too. but hey, i guess you might come across the gay elephant who likes that sort of thing..

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  13. rocko's modern life by mcryptic · · Score: 1

    This remind me of that episode were rocko was testing the wild giraffe repellent.

  14. Re:Forget repelling them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    What I want to know is if they've figured out how to make an elephant float.

    Root beer, an elephant, and two scoops of ice cream.

  15. Elephant Patrol by Jetboy01 · · Score: 3, Funny

    homer: "There's not a single bear in sight--the 'Bear Patrol' is working like a charm".
    Lisa: "That's specious reasoning,"
    Homer: "Thanks, honey,"
    Lisa: "According to your logic, this rock keeps tigers away".
    Homer: "Hmmm. How does it work?"
    Lisa: "It doesn't."
    Homer: "How so?"
    Lisa: "It's just a rock, but I don't see a tiger, anywhere."
    Homer: "Lisa, I want to buy your rock."

  16. them's fightin' ketones by Ramasaur · · Score: 1

    I'm confused. As far as I know from my limited Animal Channel education, only female elephants form herds. Like a hideous sexual stereotype, the rowdy male elephant is banished from the female-led, loving, communal herd at a young age. At this point he rampages about the countryside being horny and antisocial. Every now and then he'll run across a herd or females and mate with one or two, but then it's back to the lonely life for him. So, I don't see how fightin' ketones are going to keep the herds of female elephants from ravaging fields. Then again, I'm not a member of the Asian Elephant Research and Conservation Centre.

  17. Re:Slashdot Poll: Favorite Elephant Repellent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    CowboyNeal's cologne actually _attracts_ elephants, rather than repelling them.

  18. anthrocentric by Stephen+Samuel · · Score: 1
    I know from my limited Animal Channel education, only female elephants form herds. Like a hideous sexual stereotype, the rowdy male elephant is banished from the female-led, loving, communal herd at a young age [. . . . . . .] So, I don't see how fightin' ketones are going to keep the herds of female elephants from ravaging fields. .....

    If Elephant females were hot and horny all he time, they wouldn't be bannishing the males, to begin with would they?

    Humans are unusual in the mammalian world in that females are able to (under appropriate conditions) have (and enjoy) sex pretty much any time of the year/month (a trait we share with rabbits). Most other female mammals have short periods during which they are in heat. Add to this the Elephant pregnancy term of about 2 years followed by god-only-knows-how-many years of rearing the young before you're ready for another session, and you're looking at something like Spock's 7-year itch in "Amok Time".

    I understand that when a human female is not ready for sex, it can be downright painful. I'm presuming the same for an unready pachyderm.

    For all practical purposes, you can consider the average female state to be something like an elephantine version of both PMS and a headache. Now consider a herd of these heading north and suddenly realizing that there is a huge, unshaved, male ahead of you who is sooo horny that you can smell it from here.

    All of a sudden, West might seem like a good idea.....

    --
    Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
    1. Re:anthrocentric by NDPTAL85 · · Score: 1

      Humans and or primates? Pretty much ALL primates are able to have sex whenever they want to.

      --
      Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
  19. Elephant repellent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If I had flying pachyderms flittering around I would rather consider getting antiaircraft guns than some measly aerosol repellent!

  20. ouch... by -Maurice66- · · Score: 1

    As long as those elephants do not sting.

    M

  21. Someone Send This to the Humans by CrankyFool · · Score: 1

    They sure could have used this when they were getting attacked by the oliphants ...

  22. the end by poofyhairguy82 · · Score: 1

    the end is near my friends