Security Council assumes foster care for injured African elephant rescued from trap

As a parting gift to the United Nations Security Council, the outgoing President of the 15-member body presented his colleagues today with symbolic custody of a recovering African elephant rescued from a trap earlier this year.

"The Security Council has become a parent today," Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom told reporters, explaining that the 15-member body was the "foster parent" of the elephant, which was rescued by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi after being caught by a snare.

The elephant, whose ear had been "practically torn off" by the trap, was now doing very well, according to Ambassador Greenstock. "So it's not just peace and security in Africa, it's also wildlife the Security Council is at least temporarily showing its concern for," he said.

"There was a very touching look of parental affection on the faces of the members of around the Council," he observed. "I think they wondered for a moment what the UK mission was doing, but I think they then got the point."

"I hope the young elephant will also be a sign of the long memory of the Security Council for things that go both right and wrong in Africa," he added.