Elephant and The Man
Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2012 9:05 pm
In 1986, a good friend of mine was on holiday in Kenya (Obama's birth place) after graduating from College.
On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so he approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.
As carefully and as gently as he could, he worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face him, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.
My friend stood still, thinking he may soon be trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Twenty years later, my friend was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where he and his son were standing.
The large bull elephant stared at him, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at him.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, my friend couldn't help but wonder if this was the same elephant he had helped so many years ago.
He summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared at him. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of my friend's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so he approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.
As carefully and as gently as he could, he worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face him, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.
My friend stood still, thinking he may soon be trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Twenty years later, my friend was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where he and his son were standing.
The large bull elephant stared at him, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at him.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, my friend couldn't help but wonder if this was the same elephant he had helped so many years ago.
He summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared at him. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of my friend's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
