How Exotic Animals Became Political Pawns

Medieval elephants, giraffes, and rhinos were sought-after gifts and mini-celebrities

Humans have done all sorts of things to animals during our time as the dominant species on the planet. We’ve hunted them, tamed them, destroyed their habitats, polluted their ecosystems, and more. But there’s one small group of animals that suffered an unusual, fascinating, and cruel fate — they were transported around the world as political pawns.

This …