CNN —Researchers in India have for the first time documented how Asian elephants bury dead calves. While African elephants are known to bury dead calves, this is the first time that the behavior has been documented in Asian elephants, study author Akashdeep Roy, a researcher at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), told CNN on Wednesday. A dead calf being dragged by an adult. This is the first time that calf burials by Asian elephants have been documented. Roy contests this theory, explaining that contusions on the backs of the dead calves show that they were dragged to their resting place by other members of the herd.

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Persons: Akashdeep Roy, Roy, “, ”, Parveen Kaswan, Joshua Plotnik, ” Plotnik, couldn’t, Plotnik Organizations: CNN —, Indian Institute of Science Education, Research, CNN, Indian Forest Service, Hunter College Locations: India, Bengal, Assam, New York