Health & Fitness
Elephants Mourn Passing of a Man Who Helped Them
After Lawrence Anthony, the "elephant whisperer," died, elephants came to give their condolences.
This story has been on the Internet for a few days and seems deserving of broader sharing here in Petaluma.
In South Africa this month, Lawrence Anthony passed away while on a business trip. Known as the Elephant Whisperer in South Africa, this man devoted his life to providing a home for elephants that had been traumatized or were in danger of being killed. Two herds of elephants lived at the Thula Thula Reserve.
Anthony's life and work are chronicled in his book, Elephant Whisperer, and other accounts, such as the release of elephants from the Baghdad Zoo in Iraq.
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Watch a video about Anthony's work here
Apparently traveling for 12 hours across the land of the reserve to reach the Anthony home, one herd arrived and then the other following his death. And they stayed in the area there for 12 hours, according to Anthony's son, Dylan.
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They came of their own accord, as elephants, within a day of Anthony's passing.
Children growing up in Petaluma and in other areas innately know and feel their connection with nature, wildlife and the animal world and they may find this story more natural and less amazing. Perhaps for the adults, the story is a chance to reflect on our own local environment and renew our feelings of reverence for animal life.
