"elephants" news and stories

"Coney Island Elephant." Photo: Theremina/Flickr

In a result that shocked ... no one ... elephants defeated humans in an eating contest at Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Coney Island on Friday afternoon. The trio of animals, whose names sound like second string Golden Girls (Bunny, Susie and Minny) beat the people eaters by nearly 3 to 1 -- 505 to 143 hot dog rolls, in case you were counting.

The animals are in their 40s, and moved at what one reporter called a "leisurely" pace, compared to human counterparts who utilized strategies like dipping two buns in liquid, then stuffing them in their mouths.

Ironically enough, when Slashfood reported this story last week, our source at Major League Eating, George Shea, said, "really, the strategy of ... whether or not the elephants will understand they're in a contest: Will they begin as quickly as the eaters? Will they eat in a leisurely fashion?"

It didn't seem to matter. The results, declared organizers, were a "setback for humanity."

Competitive eaters v. Ringling Bros. elephants. Photos: Getty Images

Man versus beast. That age-old test of wills is being revived once more, and this time it's about who can pack down more hot-dog buns.

As a prelude to the annual hot-dog eating contest at Coney Island, three professional eaters will go up against three Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey elephants on July 3 in Brooklyn, N.Y., an organizer confirmed to Slashfood.

"The animal kingdom in general is oppressed -- many would say -- by the dominance of the human species, and if they were to win this battle, in a way it could signal a rise of the animals," George Shea, chairman of Major League Eating, tells Slashfood. "Or at the very least, a confidence booster."

Get the details on this pachyderm pack down after the jump.

As you may have heard, Cadbury has recalled more than 1 million chocolate bars for fear of salmonella contamination. Today, the BBC featured a nifty little graphic (right) to help readers wrap their minds around the proportions of 1 million bars of chocolate. As you can see, that's 250 tons, or 55 elephants worth of sweet, possibly harmful goodness that Cadbury now has to dispose of. One option that's been brought up is to remove the wrappers and bury the bars at a landfill. Cadbury responded, rather ominously, to that idea, saying: "We have plans but that is all we are prepared to say." Other possibilities for getting rid of the chocolate include incinerating or composting it, both of which would render the chocolate useful as an energy source or sterilized animal feed. You could also probably also use it to put several rockets in orbit.