- Sep
- 17
Wake-Up Call From My 12,000-Lb. Friend in Botswana
Posted by Steve Martindale at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Hey, wake up!!
Wild elephants travel freely over many miles, have rich social lives, are extraordinarily smart, and have such personalities that they are endlessly fascinating. They never fail to teach me something new about themselves, about life, and about me.
I just returned from my dream trip, in which I traveled throughout Africa. On my last day in the Okavango, Botswana, I was awakened just before dawn by crunching and munching in front of my tent. I was on an elevated platform several feet off the ground, and when I walked out to the deck, I found myself at eye level in front of a glorious 6-ton male. We stood quietly face-to-face, transfixed, and for a few moments, we were of one mind, sharing the peace of early dawn on this earth. As the sun rose and washed him in pink, then gold, he turned and slowly walked across a field of grass to the trees a half mile away, leaving my world for his own. I bid farewell to my gentle friend and to Africa for this time around.
Farewell, my friend.
When I got back to Maun and read the newspaper, I learned that my warmhearted farewell might have been forever. African elephants are being slaughtered at a rate that could exterminate the large herds within 12 years. The elephant population has been cut in half over the last 20 years and is now in free fall. Poaching for ivory is a prime culprit, while legalized hunting continues to eliminate the biggest and strongest elephants. Hunters are chomping at the bit to slaughter part of the Chobe herd under the guise of population control, and South Africa recently reauthorized its “cull” under the same misguided excuse for killing these magnificent creatures. Meanwhile, live export condemns its victims to the torture and misery of zoos and circuses.
And so it is that I find myself back at my desk, fighting hard to help PETA save animals the world over. This is a war of ideas, really, and our concept is simple: All animals deserve to live free.
Elephant Freedom!
At PETA Headquarters, Ella gives us a daily wake up call.
Posted to Travel | Posted to Tags: Africa, Elephant, PETA, Steve Martindale
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Alice says...
September 17th, 2008, 4:03 pm
Wow, this blog is both beautiful and depressing. These gentle giants need our help, and I am so glad PETA is always there for the animals, fighting the good fight for their eventual freedom.
Jam says...
September 19th, 2008, 9:36 pm
It never ceases to amaze me - the arrogance of the human race in thinking that our species is the only one who deserves to live free because we speak and walk upright. Never once thinking that animals have their own communication and feelings and culture in place. I never feel bad when one of these animals attacks a human in a setting where humans should either never have been or should have never put the animal to begin with. Circuses are the most appalling misuse of power I can imagine to these majestic creatures. Thank you PETA for not being afraid to be the voice that screams to be heard.
Lynn says...
September 19th, 2008, 9:37 pm
I share your admiration and respect for these majestic, sensitive and intelligent creatures! Somehow, I feel connected to them but don’t know why. The statistics on their slaughter is unsettling and makes me so sad. Why can’t we stop this?
Toni Cavanaugh says...
September 19th, 2008, 9:43 pm
I would love to visit an elephant on an eye-to-eye basis. That is one of my dreams and another one would be to hold a chimpanezee (sp?). I read an article in the doctor’s office, Reader’s Diegest, November 2007, “Loving Memory”, about two elephants reunited after 23 years from the circus, Shirley and Jenny. I’ve always heard elephants never forget and they are truly “gentle giants”. I can see why, after so many years of abuse, why some elephants just can’t take it anymore and go on a rampage, killing their trainers and anyone else in their path. Yet, we as the superior thinkers and with extra special feelings, known as human beings (aka stupid and not so smart) end up killing the poor animal that rebells against its torture.
I have a large backyard and would certainly love to have one grazing there, but that would never happen as I live in a small town in the city. However, Shirley and another elephant hold each others’ trunks as friends (Jenny died and Shirley was brokenhearted). They live in a sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee. I want to visit there…I want to meet them.
It is so disappointingly amazing how we underestimate animals every second of every day of our lives. Why is that? How can people be more educated and how to get more people interested? I get a pain in my heart and my stomach when I see sad animals, abused, mistreated animals. Can a class be taught in schools about the well-being of animals and the special bond they offer human beings along birth control and sex education classes? Why not?
Thanks for working so hard to help our wonderful creatures and friends for life…Toni
Barbara Pupak says...
September 20th, 2008, 8:37 am
I am not sure what people see when they go to a circus or a zoo but they are not seeing clearly. When I have spoken to people on circus animals or the zoo the comment I hear most is “at least they’re not being killed in the wild”. What they don’t understand is that torture of confinement is even worse than death. We have all grown up with the circus and with going to the zoo and eating meat so it is hard to change tradition but PeTA does such a good job of informing people and some day every person will know the tortures animals suffer and things will change. It is really true that one person can make a difference I am proof. Since I “woke up” I have been able to convert several people and inform many others…so please, fellow humans, please help in this fight…read a book on wild animals instead and learn what they are like and why this is such torture for them…you wouldn’t want to live in your local county jail would you?!
jude says...
September 20th, 2008, 8:43 am
I was so moved by this article. I felt like I was there with Steve in the moment of being with the elephant. What a truely beautiful experience. I am saddened by the slaughtering of these magnificent animals.
Nora M. Pursley says...
September 20th, 2008, 11:49 am
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I am always honored to be of assistance as a PETA angel and friend. I will continue to do my part, with everlasting kindness and shelter of all animals (myself included). I appreciate your experience with your elephant friend, and I know personally of how immense this gentle contact feels. The love of this will stay with you always and serve as a reminder of how important you are to this beautiful earth of ours.
Mary Stitch says...
September 20th, 2008, 5:47 pm
I saw 3 elephants chained together at a small travelling circus some years ago. You could see the misery in their eyes as thay swayed back and forth. I’ve never been able to get them off my mind and I’ve been a staunch advocate for freeing all elephants from this cruel and miserable life.
I’m so glad that PETA too, understands this and publicly calls for the end of circus elephants everywhere. Until I found you, I didnt know who to turn to to. I tried writing a letter to the Editor of my paper, but it never got posted. At least now, I can support you with my donations and know it will help. Thanks PETA
Anne says...
September 22nd, 2008, 8:29 pm
Your blog was both beautiful and heartbreaking. Elephants deserve to be with their families in the wild. WE need to ban together and do everything we can to help the animals in circuses to become free again. Join Peta in rallies against circuses; join all the mailing of emails to politicans to help to pass tougher laws for live animal entertainment in your town and city. We need to speak for all the animals that can not speak for themselves. I too have seen elephants with complete sadness in their eyes. It was a sight I will never forget in my whole life. Please do what you can to help.
SHEILA SHINKARUK says...
September 27th, 2008, 12:08 pm
THANK YOU PETA FOR HELPING THOSE WHO CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES. AS A CHILD I LOVED THE CIRCUS BUT AS A CHILD DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CRUELTY THE ANIMALS WERE SUBJECTED TO. NOW, AS AN ADULT, I DO….
PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK OF SAVING THESE CREATURES OF THE EARTH. MANY OF THEM WERE HERE BEFORE US…WE ARE THE TRESPASSERS.
I WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT I CAN AND IF EVERYONE ELSE THAT BELIEVES DOES THEIR PART, WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE….ONE PERSON AT A TIME.
Sharon McCarson says...
January 22nd, 2009, 7:53 pm
PETA I am so thankful that you are helping defensless animals. I was so shocked to see the torture these beautiful animals went through just for a circus. The poor things were stabbed with bull prods, electricuted and they did not even understand what to do or what they were doing wrong. I pray that we can all help these animals to be happy and roam free as GOD iintended them to do.