The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
Good Morning, God!
Sometimes I get discouraged about our species, God. There are so many good individuals — but, in aggregate we seem to be busy destroying ecosystems and pushing animals into extinction.
In fact, looking at the elephants on this book cover, my mind takes me back to the display of stuffed elephants at the New York Museum of Natural History. As I recall, they were shot by Teddy Roosevelt. Sigh.
Elephants are another species — created by You — worthy of respect. In fact, God, it seems to me that most of the troubles in our world have at their root, lack of respect. Oh that we would respect ourselves and others more! And not just human “others.”
So, yesterday, seeing this book, The Elephant Whisperer, in the library, I took it home and devoured the first half of it.
The author was starting a private game park when he got a call asking if he would “take” a herd of nine elephants. The herd had a very smart matriarch who had figured out how to break through electric fences. If he didn’t take them, the elephants would be killed. So he took them. When the elephants arrived they were ANGRY. And who could blame them as they had seen their matriarch killed!
The author describes how he camped out near their holding enclosure (boma) to feed them and try and keep them in. If they escaped, they were doomed to be killed as too dangerous. He actually stood in front of the new matriarch every morning at 4:45 when she was about to break through the electric fence — talking to her, pleading with her to stay. She understood enough to turn back every morning — finally trusting him.
Communication is far more than words, God. Please help me with this!
Story teller,
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