bikehikebabe sent the link to this video:
I enjoyed it not only because the baby elephant is so cute, but because the adults also seem to be living a good life. Elephants are intelligent, social and empathetic creatures, and I’m glad some organizations are trying to understand and protect them. (I especially like Think Elephants International.)
March 14, 2014
I read somewhere that elephants are especially miserable (as opposed to other animals) when kept in zoos. They tend to die many years earlier than they would die in the wild. The baby elephant in the video seems to be having a fabulous time!
I’m not surprised about elephants in zoos. It still hurts to remember an elephant I saw in a zoo years ago. It was alone in a barren pen — no company or stimulation, just standing there being stared at. It made me want to cry. I would die early too.
I will have to use two comments to give you somethings about elephants in India as otherwise the comment will go into your spam box.
This is the first one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrissur_Pooram
In this one, you will also see the mahouts escorting the elephants wearing lungis in half mast!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8FVTRINLcw
This is about as different as it can get from American way of life.
Thank you!
OH MONK!!! and BHB !!!! THANK YOU BOTH!
this is absolutely a GIFT!
you just made my whole day. and i will be back and watch it over and over.
i so dearly love elephants.
except i don’t know who thought they had to put blue grass music in the video.
why couldn’t we have just heard the wonderful splashing and little calls of the baby elephant? too bad. i did get to hear his little delighted call once. the BEST MUSIC!
thank you dear hearts. so much. xoxo
Don’t dis the bluegrass banjo music. I LOVE it. (I can play Dueling Banjos on the banjo. —-slowly)
I agree. That baby was just too sweet. 🙂
This is for you tammyj:
http://www.wimp.com/banjoboys/
In India we saw a colorfully, highly decorated elephant carrying the soon-to-be bride & groom down the crowded street with a band playing. Won’t ever forget that.
In Thailand I didn’t buy the elephant bananas, midway in the jungle, as I was suppose to. He threw a tantrum, sort of. I didn’t fall off but was sorry about the bananas.
That’s a funny story, but I do sympathize with the poor thing.
I love elephants. Of all animals, apart from my earliest family dog (black Alsation/German Shepherd), the first animal to stir my heart. One of my uncles (he lived in South Africa) gave me not only an ivory necklace but, that most tiny carved ivory so cute little elephant. I now know it’s all wrong but at the time I didn’t. All I could see was the love with which both items were given.
I even once sat on an elephant (Hamburg, Zoo). Extraordinary, in many ways, how little thought we give – when young – to those who give us pleasure. Fast forward a few decades: Now I well up over bears, tigers, a donkey … name any creature kept in captivity or hunted.
Main thing to remember: An elephant never forgets. Whether that is good or not is up for debate.
U
Yes, ivory hunters are one reason wild elephants are endangered. But I also agree times were different back then — no sense feeling bad about the past.
I too am pained to see caged animals.