Vodka Saves Elephants From Freezing
It might not be very cost efficient, but a vodka and water mix can act as antifreeze for your car. Apparently such a solution will also keep your elephant from freezing.
Last week a trailer caring two elephants caught fire in Siberia. Luckily the massive land mammals escaped the flames, but without their trailer they were exposed to the harsh Russian winter; their handlers feared the circus animals would freeze to death before another trailer could be sent to pick them up.
So, trainer Leonid Labo had each elephant each drink 2.6 gallons of vodka mixed with warm water. The elephants, who never appeared to be drunk, suffered only minor frostbite on the tips of their ears during their ordeal. Labo claims is because the vodka kept their bodies warm.
Scientists would probably disagree with this assessment. While alcohol makes humans feel warmer, it actually lowers body temperature.
Nevertheless, Labo has two live elephants to suggests the beasts react to alcohol differently. Even if the vodka wasn't what saved the animals, at least we've all learned that elephants can really hold their liquor. (Some of them, anyway... below you can see a video of several drunken pachyderms who've eaten too much fermented Marula fruit.)