Retired Circus Elephants Get New Gig: Fighting Cancer

When it comes to cancer, elephants kind of defy logic. The huge animals have 100 times the number of cells that humans have — a lot more chances, then, for those cells to mutate into cancer. But less than 5 percent of elephants die of cancer.

“Gee, maybe instead of looking at who's getting more cancer, we should focus on who's getting less cancer,” Schiffman thought. “And then learn if there is a way to apply that to people.”