[Jakarta, August 13. Image via Getty]

ProFauna activists hold a demonstration in Jakarta on August 13, 2009 demanding the government to stop tiger and elephant trade and punish the perpetrators. Indonesia has failed to stop poaching of endangered Sumatran tigers, with body parts of the big cats going for sale at retail outlets on the island they call home, a wildlife group warned. The Sumatran tiger population is estimated at around 400 to 500. Poaching as well as deforestation to make way for pulp, paper and palm oil plantations are the main factors behind the animal's decline. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO/Bay ISMOYO (Photo credit should read BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images)

[Whipsnade, England; July 28. Image via Getty.]

WHIPSNADE, ENGLAND - JULY 28: A newborn Asian elephant stands with other members of its herd at Whipsnade Wild Animal Park on July 28, 2009 in Whipsnade, England. The 6 day old Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), as yet unnamed, weighed 20 stone at birth and stands at only 3 ft tall. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Additional cute: Watch a baby elephant take a bath! [Zooborns]

The question is: Why? According to Time magazine, organizations Libera and the Foundation for the Adoption, Sponsorship and Defense of Animals (FAADA) believe Susi needs to be out of the zoo, and in a safari-type situation where she would have more space and would be able to join a herd. José Saramago, the Nobel Prize–winning Portuguese novelist, wrote that Susi needs a "dignified" life, because she is "dying of sorrow."

But the director of the Barcelona Zoo, Miquel Trepat, says: "If you're a patient, the person whose diagnosis you're going to trust is the doctor treating you. And in this case, our veterinarians and technicians - the people who deal with Susi every day — say that she's in a perfect state of health." But he adds: "Susi's behavior hasn't changed since Alicia died."

Alica, an elephant a few years older than Susi, died in February 2008. Alicia and Susi shared space at the zoo for years. Was Alicia's death a blow that Susi is still dealing with? Does Susi just need more time to grieve? Is she pondering her own mortality?

Or, as Time's Lisa Abend asks: "Is Susi a pawn in a larger war?" Barcelona is currently renovating its 117-year-old zoo. Trepat says: "We're transforming ourselves from the traditional, cage-based zoo to a modern conservation center that teaches respect for biodiversity." But that still means animals living in captivity. Does Susi represent the dangers of unnatural habitats? Or would she be mourning her friend, even in the wild?

While Barcelona deals with the two sides of Susi's story, there are two differing views on the treatment of elephants here in the U.S. — regarding the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The company has been accused of abusing elephants, and a ruling in that lawsuit is expected soon. Kenneth Feld, producer of the circus, claims that all of the animals are "in really great health." But Tom Rider, who worked as an elephant barn man for Ringling Bros. from 1997 to 1999, says: "I call it daily, systematic abuse." He adds: "It wasn't just one or two people. It was every handler at Ringling that held a bull hook."

If You Knew Susi: Barcelona's 'Sad Elephant' Flap [Time]
Circus Elephants In The Legal Spotlight [Today Show]
Related: Circus Captivity Is Beastly For Wild Animals

[Ahmedabad, April 18. Image via Getty.]

Male Indian elephant 'Ashok', 21, is given a cool shower by his unseen caretaker Shankardas to beat off the heat at the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad on April 18, 2009. The temperature in western India's Gujarat state is on the rise, with temperatures forecast for 44 Celsius in the afternoon of April 19. (SAM PANTHAKY/AFP/Getty Images)

[Sydney, Australia; January 6. Image via AP]

Elephants stand under a shower of water as they attempt to cool down at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. Animals at Sydney's zoo were given large homemade ice blocks filled with fruit to help stay cool as temperatures were expected to hit 41C (106F). The ambulance service issued a warning for the elderly and children to stay out of the heat and drink plenty of water as as a heatwave hits the state. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

While most of the stray dogs that live on the sanctuary avoid the elephants, Tarra and Bella have been friends for years, eating, sleeping, and playing together. But the two proved how close they are recently when Bella suffered a spinal cord injury that left her unable to move her legs or even wag her tail. Tarra spent three weeks standing outside the sanctuary office where the dog lay motionless, until sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais carried the Bella to the balcony to see her friend. The dog's tail started wagging and Blais had the two he visit every day as Bella learned to walk again. Today, Bella has recovered and will even roll on her back to let Tarra pat her belly with her foot. [CBS News]

Because of stress, obesity, herpes, TB, and separation from family and social groups, African elephants in captivity have a median lifespan of 16.9 years, compared to 56.0 years for the pachyderms in a Kenya national park (Asian elephants, like the one in the pic, show similar disparities). Study author Georgia J. Mason sums up the situation chillingly: "Currently zoos are consumers rather than producers of elephants." [NYT]

• Lindsay Lohan says that she and Samantha Ronson are still going strong, and if they were to break up, we'd hear it from the mouths of babes, or rather, Lindsay's MySpace blog. "all in all-[paparazzi] should just stop asking altogether, once and for all if she and i are broken up because frankly, if we ever ever did…. i would say it before they could even think of asking. i'd say it here probably… i say everything here on myspace." [Perez ]
• Madonna is suing the British tabloid Mail on Sunday for publishing photos of her wedding to Guy Ritchie. Yes, the wedding took place 8 years ago, but for some reason, the Mail printed the photos on October 18th of this year, and now Madge wants £5 million because the photos were stolen from her Beverly Hills home. Is Madge really that hard up for cash these days? [BBC]

• Police have a prime suspect in mind for the shooting of Mark Ruffalo's brother, Scott: a woman named Shaha Mishaal Adham. According to TMZ, "Sources close to the investigation tell us Adham is related to members of Saudi Arabian royalty." [TMZ]
• Three fans rustled up $12,000 to win a date with Anne Hathaway, with proceeds going to the Trevor Project, a crisis helpline for LGBT youth. "I'm not usually very forward," Anne said at the Project's auction last night, "but I thought if there was ever a crowd for me to do something like this, this is my crowd so I would like to auction myself off for drinks somewhere fabulous and basically get you totally s—- faced. Tell me what I'm worth." [People]
• Even though they've been broken up for months now, Michael Bublé says that he will always be sweet on Emily Blunt. "I will always love her. We're still friends," he says. He even has nice things to say about her new beau, John Krasinski! "I love that guy in The Office. He’s great," Bublé claims as he stabs a "Jim" bobble head with a toothpick under the table. [People]
• Gossip Girl real life romance alert! Jessica Szohr (Vanessa) and Ed Westwick (duh, Chuck Bass) were spotted holding hands on a chilly New York eve recently. [Just Jared]
• Tween star (and Julia Roberts's niece) Emma Roberts won't just rest on her acting laurels: the 17-year-old is applying to college. The most expensive ones in the country, naturally! "When I got to Sarah Lawrence or NYU, I could really see myself walking around here making friends," says Emma. [People]
• Erm, there are rumors that Heath Ledger was supposed to make a low budget indie about politics in Thailand, and now Richard Gere is replacing him. According to E!, "'The film had to be rewritten a little,' says a key source working on the project, when they switched the character from a hunky, brooding guy in his mid-20s to, uh, Gere. Yeah, just a bit." Gere's peeps are denying the story. [E! Online]
• Ugly Betty's Eric Mabius just had a son, Rylan Jaxon Mabius, with wife Ivy Sherman, whom he met in high school. This is the couple's second boy. [Just Jared]
• Will Smith admits that sex scenes make him anxious. "My worst nightmare is for an actress to ... feel like I'm taking this opportunity to get a little quickie feel – you know, some legal cheating going on!" Aw, who loves his squeaky clean family man image sooooo much? [People]
• The Mirror]
• Singer Robin Thicke, the son of Growing Pains star Alan, says his Dad is way cooler than he is. "Every time I think I'm kind of cool, I hang out with my dad and he always out cools me," Robin says. He added that the dad from Family Matters is actually the coolest person in the entire world. Who knew! [CBS News]
• Ryan Seacrest was allegedly seen sucking face with rehabbed Miss USA Tara Connor, though apparently he says they're "just friends." Seacrest, out (of taste)! [Perez]
• PETA is pissed at Britney Spears for using exotic animals — specifically elephants — in her "Circus" video. We're guessing she has enough to deal with and will be ignoring PETA's impassioned missives. [PETA]
• Janet Jackson is not preggo. In case you were wondering. [UPI ]
• Beyonce and her lil' sis Solange cancelled a Holiday charity concert in Houston because of scheduling conflicts. "Beyonce and Solange regret the cancellation of their Houston-area holiday concert and urge their fans to support the efforts of The Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund and the Survivor Foundation," they said in a statement. [UPI]
• South Park creator Matt Stone just got married to longtime love Angela Howard. Congrats! [BoingBoing]

[Image via Getty.]

A pair of African elephants mating in Masai-Mara game reserve in Kenya. — AP

Earlier: Happy Hump Day!

Elephants eat fruits during the round table feeding ceremony Thursday, March 13, 2008 at the ground in the ancient city of Ayutthaya, Thailand. Sixty-nine tamed pachyderms from Ayutthaya elephant camp were brought to take part at the ceremony to celebrate national Elephant Day. — AP

How do zookeepers know that the giant pandas are getting ready for winter? Their poop turns yellow! In the summer it's green, thanks to a diet of bamboo leaves and bark. But in the winter the pandas munch the inside of the grassy treat. That part, called culm, is loaded with carbohydrates and gives Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Tai Shan extra energy to help them keep warm.

Baby Twin Panda [YouTube]
How's The Weather Out There? [Washington Post]
50 Animals With Day Jobs [Best Week Ever]
Earlier: Kim Cattrall Reverses Position On Killing Animals