Elephant with Tail Hair Visible (IMAGE) University of Utah Caption A female African elephant walks in Kenya's Samburu National Reserve. Note the hairs on her tail. Scientists from the University of Utah and Save the Elephants analyzed chemical isotopes in elephant tail hairs to study what one family of elephants ate and where during a six-year period. Their findings reveal that when elephants sometimes wander off their reserves during the rainy season, cattle out-compete them for grass, showing how human encroachment further threatens the endangered pachyderms. Credit Thure Cerling, University of Utah Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.