Desperate Elephants Shot With Poison Arrows Travel To Humans For Help

[LiberalArkie]

Last month, a wild elephant and two of his friends were attacked by poachers. Wounded by poisoned arrows, they trudged across the African landscape to the one place that could help them: the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT).

Though the wild elephant had never been a resident at DSWT, he knew elephants who had. He had mated with two former orphans who were raised at DSWT's Ithumba Reintegration Centre, who now lead their own wild herd. In 2011, he fathered babies with them, whom DSWT named Mwende and Yetu.

And DSWT is certain he knew this group of humans meant help.



"We are sure that Mwende's father knew that if they returned to the stockades they would get the help and treatment they needed because this continuously happens with the injured bulls in the north; they all come to Ithumba when in need, understanding that there they can be helped," DWST wrote.

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[Cal33]

1. I'm wondering if elephants are capable of communicating relatively abstract ideas without

a discernible language of any kind. Dolphins, I understand, do have some type of language.

[mhatrw]

5. Elephants have a very sophisticated language.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-secret-language-of-elephants/

[Cal33]

31. Am glad to know. If dolphins are capable of communicating, this means that their

brains have a speech center. So why not elephants also? They are among the
most intelligent animals.

[magical thyme]

13. animals have language. just because humans are incapable of discerning it

doesn't mean it doesn't exist. We're just too dense to pick up on their language, never mind understand it.

[Glassunion]

40. Dolphins have names for each other

The top 5 baby names for Dolphins are:
Eee
Ahreee
Eheee
Eaeea
Steve

[Cal33]

48. Nice to know this.

[Omaha Steve]

2. Thanks for posting

K&R!

OS

[rockfordfile]

3. Hopefully they will get some help

[lunatica]

18. the elephants were all taken care of. They're cured

Read the rest of the story.

[beac]

4. Amazing story.

And the elephants were all treated and lived.*



* (For anyone, like me, who was a little afraid to go to the link b/c it looks like the elephant might be dead in the above pic. He isn't, just sedated and getting care for his wounds. )

[cui bono]

17. Thanks for the info!

I love elephants...

[DirkGently]

6. "Thankfully all their wounds have healed beautifully so they have all made a full recovery,"

... they added.

[tblue37]

8. Those elephants will spread the word among other elephants,

so that the kind humans will get a steady stream of elephants looking for treatment, like a clinic set up in an underserved area.

Pretty soon they will start making appointments for annual well-elephant check-ups.

Seriously, though, I bet the word will be spread among elephants in that area.

[DirkGently]

14. Elp! reviews?

[tblue37]

22. Good one. nt

[Glassunion]

43. How soon before republicans try to defund the clinics?

[Eleanors38]

7. Looks like these poachers are not part of the powerful poaching rings...

...which are usually heavily armed with full-auto rifles. Perhaps, also, these poachers are feeling the pressure from armed wardens, and don't want to advertise their presence with gun fire.

With the shrinking back of regulated safari hunts in many African countries, the various governments must take over (and pay for) the eyes and ears to protect wildlife, and cannot depend on the experienced, cost-free safari personnel which in times past were more prevalent.

[AngryAmish]

34. A herd of elephants can eat an entire field of crops in an evwning

Elephants are part of the reason human population of Africa was never very high when compared to other regions.

[starroute]

9. All the smart critters have started coming to humans for help

Elephants, whales, even ravens. I guess the word is getting around about which humans are the good ones and will help you out.

The slightly less smart ones, of course, just want to steal our cameras -- but they'll catch on eventually.

[roguevalley]

12. imagine that dude much much bigger with a beak like a spear

and you have the ravens up here.

[dougolat]

23. I've heard it explained that crows are to ravens ...

...as coyotes are to wolves!

The elephant story has added a new element to Utopia:
Walk in, fly in, swim in, slither in vet clinics.

[Blue_In_AK]

37. LOL.

That's about right.

[Maraya1969]

38. What are they picking off him?

[flamingdem]

10. David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT) - wonderful group and great to follow

and donate to - here's their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/thedswt?fref=ts

[brer cat]

11. Glad that they are ok.

I detest people who abuse animals.

[A HERETIC I AM]

15. Incredible story.

I am always amazed at how little credit humans have given animals for having sensibilities way beyond what we think an "animal" might possess.

Stories like this are touching. Similar to video's of Dolphins seeking help from divers when they are ensnared with fishing line, or the famous video of the Humpback whale that was freed from a net and then seemed to thank his human saviours by putting on a twenty minute breaching show!


I'm glad these Elephants had somewhere to go.

[rusty quoin]

29. That's what I was thinking. And dolphins saving humans from drowning.

[Maraya1969]

39. This is not as exotic but my cat was shot with a be-be gun

He came inside and sat down right next to my foot - I was standing up. I looking down and saw something so I picked him up and into the bathroom where I pulled a be-be out of his cheek.

[A HERETIC I AM]

41. Intuitive, if nothing else!

Knew you could help, right?

Was he relaxed or did he struggle at all while you removed it?

[Maraya1969]

45. He was completely relaxed. Just stayed still until I got it out.

Yes, he knew that I would help him.

=================================

Oh and just a couple weeks ago when I came home and into the kitchen from the garage I could hear my one little dog screaming, (a very high pitched howl) , the other met me at the door and did that running and barking and turning around to make sure I was coming all the way over to him. And he was also in his own sort of trouble. He is afraid to jump down from the couch unless there is a wide open space on the ground and I forgot to clear it for him when I went out.

A couple boxes moved, dog on the ground and all is right with the world again.

I just love them all!

[A HERETIC I AM]

46. You're reminding me of a long story about Mr. BB...the dog that is my avatar pic.

I won't post it here, as it would take a while to type out, suffice to say he got SEVERELY injured one time (Fell off a boat I was operating and got hit by the prop) and never let out so much as a whimper, just looked to me for help.

It almost killed him, but he recovered and lived another 7 years

[DrBulldog]

16. Oh. Real elephants. Sorry.

I had this vision of Chris Christie being impaled by pitchforks . . .

[wundermaus]

19. When will we ever learn...

That we are not the only creatures with a mind, a spirit and a soul.
That the universe is aware of it's existence.
That we are part of a consciousness beyond our own individual existence.
That all life is precious.
That being aware is a responsibility to nurture and protect life.

We are star dust, all living things are.
The elephants are our brothers and sisters.
Every living thing is related.
When you look up into the night sky and see the stars, they are looking back at you.
Peace.

[NCarolinawoman]

21. Beautifully said.

Thank you.

[dougolat]

26. In deed, Life itself requires us to be caretakers and protectors - not despoilers

Enlightened self- interest, if nothing more.
(Ahh, but there is so Much more)

[arikara]

28. Did you write that?

Its lovely.

[TuxedoKat]

30. Very nice

Wish everyone thought like this. This could be a poem. Thanks for sharing.

[Enthusiast]

33. Wow! Great post!

[wundermaus]

50. Thank you for your comments regarding my post.

Those are my words and my thoughts and my beliefs.
I am honored and humbled to be in your good company.
It is comforting to know we are not alone.

[lunatica]

20. kick'd and rec'd

[ohheckyeah]

24. Fascinating story.

It touched my heart.

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. omg. stop hurting animals for no reason

[Enthusiast]

32. I love these wild elephants.

They must be protected.

[retrowire]

35. Consider veganism!

They think and feel, just as we do. And no, in my belief, their purpose is not to be our food.

I became vegan because I noticed an internal hypocrisy within my own thinking.

Why do I grant sympathy and emotion to dogs and would volunteer and rescue them, when I wouldn't extend the same courtesy to a more intelligent animal like the pig?

Why would I do anything in my power to stop puppy mills even though I'll likely never stop them, yet even if it's just as futile, I wouldn't care to not support the meat industry?

That's where my belief was rooted from, just an example! and no, I don't expect you to become vegan and no it's not for everyone. But I only ask that everyone possibly, consider it!

[shrike]

36. Beryl Markham, one of the early English settlers of Kenya, had amazing stories about elephants.

One herd had it figured out that hunters would prefer to shoot the males because their tusks were bigger. So a large female would feed in the grass, while the hunters would circle, thinking she was a male, and the rest of the herd would flee. Then she'd pull up her head, wag it, as if to say "fooled you," and flee herself.

[mainer]

42. For US donors, here's their site to give a tax-deductible donation

https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/html/help_USA.html

[smirkymonkey]

44. Great story!

[catbyte]

47. Elephants are so amazing. The following story still gives me goosebumps:

Rescued elephant herds inexplicably gather to mourn South Africa’s “Elephant Whisperer”

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 had saved their lives.

The formerly violent, rogue elephants, destined to be shot a few years ago as pests, had been 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 – 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. (Wonderful book, BTW--me)

There are two elephant herds at Thula Thula. According to his son Dylan, both arrived at the Anthony family compound shortly after the author’s death.

“They had not visited the house for a year and a half and it must have taken them about 12 hours to make the journey,” Dylan is quoted in various local news accounts. “The first herd arrived on Sunday and the second herd, a day later. They all hung around for about two days before making their way back into the bush.”

...snip...

Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/news/2012/03/rescued-wild-elephant-herds-inexplicably-gather-to-mourn-lawrence-anthony-south-africas-elephant-whisperer.php#jmQWbI1Hr8LCrt7d.99

[Dont call me Shirley]

49. It's too bad the gop is nothing like their mascot.