Elephant and mouse

Two animal items in the news have tickled me - one about an elephant and one about a mouse. It is not true, by the way - the findings of Mythbusters to the contrary - that elephants are afraid of the little guys, but the animals in these stories are continents apart.... On Thursday last week, a varmint ran in front of the podium before and during a statement made by President Obama in the White House Rose Garden. There ensued some debate about whether the animal was a mouse or a rat, but it has been identified as a vole, or "meadow mouse" (2nd image).... This morning, a report out of South Africa about a mysteriously disappearing whirlpool at a safari park resort. The staff at the Etali Safari Lodge were at a loss to explain why the Jacuzzi at one of the lodges was found drained overnight every night for 2 weeks. They couldn't find a leak, and neither could the plumber who was called in. Finally, a guest who rose early for a cup of tea solved the mystery. "Troublesome" was caught in the act! Elephants can drink 200 liters of water a day, so this one had no problem sucking the whirlpool dry. Management has provided her with a new source of drinking water, but warns guests to look before leaping into the tub, since elephants are creatures of habit.