Wild Elephants gather inexplicably, mourn death of “Elephant Whisperer”

Even though this is a sad story in one aspect, it is also a incredible story as well. They mystery and magic of the animal kingdom never ceases to amaze me. I have to ay for me, sad as it is, I also find myself having a feel good moment as well about it. Hope it stirs you folks as well in some wondrous way.

Here is a couple snips of the story:

For 12 hours, two herds of wild South African elephants slowly made their way through the Zululand bush until they reached the house of late author Lawrence Anthony, the conservationist who saved their lives.The formerly violent, rogue elephants, destined to be shot a few years ago as pests, were rescued and rehabilitated by Anthony, who had grown up in the bush and was known as the “Elephant Whisperer.”

For two days the herds loitered at Anthony’s rural compound on the vast Thula Thula game reserve in the South African KwaZulu – to say good-bye to the man they loved. But how did they know he had died March 7? Known for his unique ability to calm traumatized elephants, Anthony had become a legend. He is the author of three books, Baghdad Ark, detailing his efforts to rescue the animals at Baghdad Zoo during the Iraqi war, the forthcoming The Last Rhinos, and his bestselling The Elephant Whisperer.

To read the rest of the story and see pictures of the herds, CLICK HERE

reply to post by onehuman

What an awesome story!! Although the gentleman's passing is sad, the story and his work resonate compassion and respect. I hope one of his family members may be interested in taking up the position.

So, how after Anthony’s death, did the reserve’s elephants — grazing miles away in distant parts of the park — know?
“A good man died suddenly,” says Rabbi Leila Gal Berner, Ph.D., “and from miles and miles away, two herds of elephants, sensing that they had lost a beloved human friend, moved in a solemn, almost ‘funereal’ procession to make a call on the bereaved family at the deceased man’s home.”

“If there ever were a time, when we can truly sense the wondrous ‘interconnectedness of all beings,’ it is when we reflect on the elephants of Thula Thula. A man’s heart’s stops, and hundreds of elephants’ hearts are grieving. This man’s oh-so-abundantly loving heart offered healing to these elephants, and now, they came to pay loving homage to their friend.”

I am in awe

Peace,
spec

ETA: Vid

It's stories like this that help me introduce "certain subjects" to persons unreceptive to conspiracy stories. Thanks OP. Every little bit helps.

reply to post by onehuman


So amazing that the elephants knew he was gone, from miles away. I have come across little ground squirrels at the side of the road, where one of them had been hit by a car. The others were mourning him, it was very clear, and sad. I feel the same way now, reading this story, as I felt when I saw the ground squirrel funeral.

We have No Idea,what we have all around us. We have No idea,what the spiritual brings . All Animals are special.

What a great thread.





S&F

This was a very touching story, thank you so much for sharing! I think it's great when we see that there is so much more to animals than people give them credit for. So nice that they recognized the man who saved them as their friend. S&F.

I love elephants. A book, when elephants weep, speaks of the emotional distress for a long time the children go through when their mother and group are slaughtered, and showeded signs of real trauma. They are intellgent and nature seems psi even, wonderful. Tjey're wraiting for us to wake up more, that is what it feels like to me.

Elephants are amazing animals. This story is fantastic, thanks so much OP.

I am convinced we know almost nothing about how intelligent they really are.

I've always believed animals such as elephants, dolphins, whales and others, are as intelligent as we are. They exhibit emotions much like our own when one of them die. To go out and shoot one of these creatures should be as illegal as the murder of a human. Just because WE can't understand their language, doesn't make them a "dumb animal".

Love will draw an elephant through a key-hole.

~Samuel Richardson~

“By a sweet tongue and kindness, you can drag an elephant with a hair”

~Persian Proverb~

“"Smelling isn't everything" said the Elephant. "Why," said the Bulldog, "if a fellow can't trust his nose, what is he to trust?" "Well, his brains perhaps," she replied mildly.”

~C.S. Lewis~

“I meant what I said and I said what I meant - An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent!

~Dr. Seuss~

“Keep five yards from a carriage, ten yards from a horse, and a hundred yards from an elephant; but the distance one should keep from a wicked man cannot be measured.”

~Indian Proverb~

“I have a memory like an elephant. In fact, elephants often consult me.”

~Noel Coward~

“When elephant steps on a trap, no more trap”

~African Proverb~

“Be humble as the blade of grass that is being trodden underneath the feet. The little ant tastes joyously the sweetness of honey and sugar. The mighty elephant trembles in pain under the agony of sharp goad.”

~John Ruskin~

If you've never seen an elephant ski, you've never been on acid.

~Eddie Izzard~

Originally posted by gwynnhwyfar
reply to post by onehuman

 

So amazing that the elephants knew he was gone, from miles away. I have come across little ground squirrels at the side of the road, where one of them had been hit by a car. The others were mourning him, it was very clear, and sad. I feel the same way now, reading this story, as I felt when I saw the ground squirrel funeral.

Years ago, I saw a squirrel drag his little buddy that had been hit by a car, off the road.
I will never forget that scene, it was one of the saddest things I've ever seen.


Animals have senses that we've forgotten how to use. They understand far more than most people give them credit for.

reply to post by onehuman


Thank you for blessing me with this truly heavenly peice of goodness in this world.

R.I.P. Lawrence Anthony. You were an awesome inspiration in the preservation of animals. Elephants are awesome, their insight on life is real down to earth. This story just had me in awe.

There is a story about a dog and an elephant that is similar. Elephants are very social animals, it wouldn't surprise me that once one elephant noticed that it would be able to communicate to others over quite a distance. I remember on one show I watched that elephants can emit very low frequency vocalizations that other elephants sense via the ground and their huge feet. This form of communication was farther than just audible through the air.
en.wikipedia.org... from wiki on that.

Elephants can communicate over long distances by producing and receiving low-frequency sound (infrasound), a sub-sonic rumbling, which can travel in the air and through the ground much farther than higher frequencies. These calls range in frequency from 15–35 Hz and can be as loud as 117 dB, allowing communication for many kilometres, with a possible maximum range of around 10 km.[64] This sound can be felt by the sensitive skin of an elephant's feet and trunk, which pick up the resonant vibrations much as the flat skin on the head of a drum. To listen attentively, every member of the herd will lift one foreleg from the ground, and face the source of the sound, or often lay its trunk on the ground. The lifting presumably increases the ground contact and sensitivity of the remaining legs. This ability is thought also to aid their navigation by use of external sources of infrasound. Discovery of this new aspect of elephant social communication and perception came with breakthroughs in audio technology, which can pick up frequencies outside the range of the human ear. Pioneering research in elephant infrasound communication was done by Katy Payne, of the Elephant Listening Project,[65] and is detailed in her book Silent Thunder. Though this research is still in its infancy, it is helping to solve many mysteries, such as how elephants can find distant potential mates, and how social groups are able to coordinate their movements over extensive range.[64] Joyce Poole has also begun decoding elephant utterances that have been recorded over many years of observation, hoping to create a lexicon based on a systematic catalogue of elephant sounds.[66]

Here is Bella and Tara.......


And Shirley......

Great story and sad to hear he has passed.
This story shows how sensitive animals are and how perceptive they are about human intention. Animals know your heart, somehow they know your emotional state - perhaps through physical signs you show or more likely trace smells that transmit your emotional state.
He was one of the herd and his death being recognized by not 1 but 2 herds was an amazing demonstration of the deep bonds felt between the members.
I salute this man who has done so much for wildlife

I am sooooooo happy others are enjoying reading this as much as I did. Amongst all the doom and gloom, I think it is important to remember there is a whole other world of beautiful things going on right before us as well.
A shame so many think the things that could probably teach us the most about ourselves are considered dumb animals. Makes one stop and think who really is the dumb one here.

Btw I love the elephant qoutes and it was nice to see those videos again as well.

This is an amazing read and heartwarming to boot. Makes me wonder if caretakers for elephants at the zoo share a bond; if they do I doubt it's anything we've heard on this scale. S&F for you

What a touching story.
i came across this thread late before sleep but had to read.
Elephants have always amazed me.
This is what all humans potential could be when it comes to nature and the creatures within.
We are the only species that can take care of the world around us but we are also the most adapt at destroying it.

reply to post by gwynnhwyfar


Many rodents actually canabalize eachother....

I doubt what you saw was morning.... probobly trying to lap up as much blood as it could before being challanged for the corpse.

this reminds me of something my aunt told me she read. she said that there are only two animals that mourn the death of their own beside humans, mice and elephants.