The Elephant Whisperer.
The giraffe is my favourite animal, and still is. I’m the loyal sort.
But in the last few months, I’ve spent alot of time with elephants. And I have since developed an exceptional amount of affection for the ellies.
Everyone starts off going into the bush yearning to see the lions. Okay, actually, humans are greedy, we yearn to see everything. Preferably twice. Or more.
After a few encounters with animals, one would soon realise that the “best” animals to stumble into are the elephants. The impalas are so timid, they would stare at us for exactly two seconds and sprint off. The zebras always give us the backside. The rhinos are so boring, you’ll wonder why you even bothered going near. The buffaloes would look at us with the dullest stare, like we were the most boring specimen they’ve seen that day. They are just short of a yawn. The lions don’t even care to acknowledge our presence. They would just find a shady spot and lie there. And the leopards would treat us like lepers and start hiding as soon as they know we are around.
The ellies are completely different. They would respond to us. They would stop and look at us, acknowledging our presence. They would swing their heads a little showing us they know we were moving close. They would lift their trunks to say hello. And they would almost always give us some sort of a “performance”.. like ripping branches off trees with their trunks.. or scratching themselves with a blow of sand with their trunks.. or just parading across the road.
They are beautiful and they know it. And they love the attention.
When we were travelling, several people told us to read this book – The Elephant Whisperer, written by Lawrence Anthony.
This is a true story of Lawrence’s experience with a herd of elephants. He owns a private game reserve in Kwazulu-Natal called Thula Thula. In 1999, he took in a herd of wild uncontrollable elephants on to his land. There were no ellies in Thula Thula prior to this group’s arrival. Lawrence accepted them because they were so destructive where they were, that if no one accepted them, they would have been shot and put to death.
Lawrence narrated on his efforts and challenges faced to create a bond with these ellies. Through his words, I felt the beauty of these giants.
I learnt to appreciate that their trunk is not just a fancy part of their body. It is their strongest and most vulnerable organ. They eat with it, fight with it, and coddle and love with it. I learnt in the past safari experiences that one of the ways to greet an ellie is to extend my arm, like a handshake. The ellie extend their trunks to say hello too.
A lion may be the king of the jungle. But the ellie is definitely, without a doubt the strongest. Its foot is so big that in one step, a smaller animal or human being can be crushed to death immediately.
Every herd of ellies would have a matriarch. This is the most senior female in the herd and she usually leads the way, with her young and the rest of the family in tow. The ellie world is a very hierarchical one. They know and respect who’s boss.
Never ever separate a baby/child ellie from its mother. Give it a try and you may just have to deal with the wrath of the mother. Mother ellies are extremely protective and never let their young leave their sides.
Lawrence shared in one chapter on how he was asked to accept one more elephant. Nicknamed ET, this was a female teenage elephant whose family members have been brutally killed or sold. She had been alone in the wilderness for a long time, without the security of a family of big ellies and lived in fear of predators.
ET had lost confidence in herself and Lawrence worked on getting her back on her feet. In one chapter, he observed that ET never made any sounds. Elephants trumpet all the time. They are the masters of the wilderness. But even when ET was angry and was going to charge, she never uttered a word. Lawrence said this was uniquely sad.
A trumpeting elephant is bush music.
When I read this part of the book, I burst into tears.
When I showed the hubby and told him about this chapter, I choked when I read this part to him and burst into tears again.
Poor ET had lost her voice.
This is a wonderful book. It is a true story and the encounters as narrated are not that of an elephant expert but of a man who has had close encounters with a herd of ellies. His learnings from interaction with the ellies is inspiring.
There’s alot we can learn from the ellies. For me, the most important thing I have learnt from these giants is the importance of family. The ellies will never walk out on their young and will stand by each other and fight till the end. I did an elephant ride on a mother ellie and her two daughters lingered beside us throughout the entire walk. She wouldn’t budge if her kids didn’t follow her.
And ellies have big hearts. One of the most amazing stories in this book was reading about ET’s forgiveness for humans, after they had destroyed his family and inflicted so much pain on her.
I loved this book and couldn’t put it down.
I would really like to share this book with my readers. And if you’ve read every word till here, good for you! You stand a chance to win a copy of The Elephant Whisperer. I am giving away three copies, which will be shipped from the book seller directly to the winners.
Here’s how you can win a copy -
Simply leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favourite animal is and why.
Winners will be selected via a random number generator. The cut-off for this give-away is Wednesday 3 August 2011, 0010 hours Singapore Time UTC+8. Results will be published the next day.
Good luck!
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I don’t want to win the book because I already have it – I just want to say it is well worth the read. As we are currently living in KZN one day we hope to go to Thula Thula and visit. Have you also read his other book ‘Babylon’s Ark’? It is also brilliant – well worth the read. Your photos are amazing, thanks for sharing them.
Dogs! they dont get their title of being “Man’s Best Friend” for nothing do they… but after reading this entry…
I actually have two favourite animals. Domestic animal would be the dog, especially my two dogs!
Because they are so cute and loyal and are not only pets, but are a part of the family. Wild animals would the giraffe. The reason being that they are so graceful and beautiful animals. Also, because I’m on the shorter side I like that they are so tall! 
I love horses cos they look so gorgeous and wonderful when they run across grasslands.
I love elephant as well, because I can feel a strong sense of security from them.
I love white swans.I’ll feel calm and relax,and it’s romantic to see a swan couple:)
I love koalas! They are as cute as the soft toys, so huggable, have soft fur, I love them!
Hi Bing! For me, it would be dogs! I have never felt so strongly for dogs until recently, when I watched the movie – Hachiko! I wonder if you’ve watched this film before, it’s a show about a dog waking up to send his master to the train station for work, and in the the evening, he would be waiting there to receive his master! One day his master passed away, Hachi (the dog) seem to not believe the truth, he still went to wait for his master every single evening, for 8 long years, until he himself passed away! (I feel like crying even when I am typing this) And yes I teared buckets throughout the show. My whole family did too! I cried because I see how loyal a dog can be. How a dog will really do anything for the its master.
So, no doubt, dog has to be my favourite animal! Hope to have a chance to win this book, as I want to see the true nature of elephants too, and this book really seemed like a very meaningful one!
Giraffe for me. no reason. it’s the only animal that i want to see in zoo, always.
Hi. I have always been a silent reader of your blog and really enjoy reading your posts
Thanks for sharing your posts.
My favourite animal has to be penguins.
I remember seeing little penguins in australia and was captivated at how this one male penguin would fight any penguin that neared his nest in order to protect the female penguin inside. Furthermore, the way they walk are so cute.
Thanks for opening your comments, I’m always itching to tell you about your great stories and pictures. Anyway, now I’ll have to read this, it’s been recommended to me several times already but alas my book stash is long, what with blogging so much:-). As for my favorite, it is cats – from our house cat “Mouse” to the big ones. To me, they are the most graceful animals. I’ve yet to see a leopard on a safari, so at the moment I would say that’s my favorite cat of all.
Coincidentally, I love elephants too. Elephants are smart, they never forget. Thus I would expect an elephant to loathe humans when they are directly negatively affected by humans, but the story from the book proved otherwise and I am immensely surprised to learn that. This shows we have a lot more to learn about the nature. This also points out to the fact that in Singapore, we have lesser chances to experience such wonderful lessons and always have to hear or read about it from recorded sources. It does leave me sad. Anyway, I am sure your living in Africa has been a wonderful one and here’s to wishing a fruitful journey for you! =)
i love the lion! its fluffy hairdo and furry paws hehe.. must be influenced by Alex of Madagascar!
Kangaroos – They looks so cute with their babies in their big bags.
Great post and fun contest idea! My favorite animal is the turtle. They’re adorable and unique and they can live longer than people.
My favourite animal is the bird! they soar high up into the skies without any restrictions!
My favourite animal would definitely be the chimpanzee!
Because they are always so funny, and up to mischieve!
Would love to win this book!
I love dogs. Faithful and loyal. Great companion!
My favourite animal is the leopard. It reminds me of myself – secretive, loner, loves trees (I would like to have a treehouse), likes dense bush, appears to people only when it suits him, if he goes for the ‘kill’ he goes straight for the guts, he is the ultemate survivor.
I love penguins! Not only are they super cutez and I love their strong maternal instinct! When mother penguins lose a chick, they might sometimes attempt to “steal” another mother’s chick though they are mostly unsuccessful because the other mothers would strongly guard their own babies.
hi bing!
first time i’m commenting, have always been stalking your posts, looking for photography inspiration. sorry for lack of commenting heh ): really enjoy reading your posts on life, truly inspirational :3
favourite animal…it really depends. i always look out for otters whenever i visit the zoo, but for some reason i missed seeing them the last 2 times i went to the zoo….no idea where they ran off to T.T
love photographing leopards/jaguars though, just love how the glint in their eyes just come out when it’s feeding time
then again of course being a girl i’m partial to dwarf bunnies. SHO CUTE. *huggles*
fingers crossed i get to win this!! hoping to win this book for my mom’s birthday, tried to look for it at popular/harris today after reading your post last night…and i couldn’t find it. /sadface
p.s. my mom is a fan of your work too, she says you’re really pretty!
(and i couldn’t agree more hahahaha *piles on the compliments*)
I love elephants! For all the qualities they possess especially kinship & the emotions they display such as the way they mourn their dead.
BUT! Absolute favourite have to be doggies! They are the absolute best friends! No matter if you are in a good or bad mood, stinks or drowned in perfume, shabby or dressed up, they will greet you with the same enthusiasm & licks & wags & just love you for who you are & be there for you!
I love Giant Pandas. They are super cute and really know how to enjoy life. Eating, sleeping, playing, and eating again, sleeping again, playing again …. Some of them even do the Kungfu … Kungfu Panda
My fav animal has to be the giraffe with the elephant and lion behind.
This probably started from having a beanbag giraffe soft toy who has accompanied me to many field trips and of coz to the nightly slumberland.
I love cats! They are such graceful creatures, with personalities of their own. Strong and independent yet they love the attention that you give them.
My favourite animal is the horse! Their arched necks, beautiful trot and silken manes will always leave me in awe!
My favourite animal is the dog! Because they are so cute and honest.
The dogs have sensitive ears and nose, so the dogs can be good assistants for the policeman. No one doubts the dog’s honest. The dogs always follow their host closely when they go out for walk, and take care of the house when the host is out. In the evening, dogs can prevent the thief from stealing.
My favourite animal is dog.
Although I don’t own a dog, I believe they are probably the most devoted animal on Earth. Everyone loves to have someone standing by their side, during their toughest and happiest moment, to share the emotions with. Someone who doesn’t criticize you for who you are and someone who don’t judge you by how you look, how you dress and all.
But frankly speaking, all animals are loyal and good. I just wish all animals could lead a better life because not all are fortunate enough to show their love to the special someone – owner, us..human.
My favourite animal is the xiong mao! I look like one, eat like one, sleep like one!
Stumbled upon your blog and l spent hours going through your posts.
Really like your blog! Very down to earth and nice photography.
I love dogs because I have 1 goofy at home. He is forever loyal and even though he cannot talk but I can read his mind after 12 years together. Ha.
I love dogs. With PASSION. My life in a new home seems to be missing something till I’ve gotten a dog. Now my life is complete! Often, my hubby will share with me on the lessons learnt just by observing our dog.
The book looks interesting. I hope I will win it!
Hi Bing,
Thank you for sharing anecdotes of your life with me. I love reading your blog as I am a mother, a wife, a daughter as well as a sister. I love reading your 2-cents’ worth and often reflect upon them.
The story about the elephants is very inspiring and I would love to own a copy of the book. So here’s my entry: -
My favourite animal is the tiger. When visiting the zoo, I always look forward to visit the Tigers exhibit. I like them for their regalness and although they are fierce animals, they exudes a calm charm and are absolutely beautiful creatures. It is a pity that there aren’t many of them left on earth.
Hi Bing,
I really love your blog and photography! They are very well organized and written. I can tell that you have put in a lot of efforts to make it lively and interesting.
My sis and friends show their thumbs up after I recommended to them. Well done and thanks for all your great works and sharing!
Hmm… what is my favorite animal? I should say Reindeer. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see the real ones in Singapore. I love reindeer because of it is always link to my favorite holiday which is Christmas. So sad that I can’t get a ride from a team of flying reindeer and only Santa Claus gets it. ;(
Nevertheless, I hope to be one of the winners of the book – The Elephant Whisperer.
Best Regards
Looking forwards for more of your works
Hi Karen!
My favourite animal is the tortoise/turtles. They are cute, live on for ages, and they have a ready-made house
That’s cool.
Thanks for sharing on this book! It looks like a really good read!
I like cats as they are very independent and are very elegant.
My favourite animal is a cheetah because its gots lots of yellow, and because it is the fastest cat! It can run a 100km per hour. And on the yellow body is lots of spots!
My favourite animal is elephant!! I was nicknamed “Little Elephant” by my secondary PE teacher. Perhaps I was like this cute little humongous girl with big heart and blur face! haha I loved Dumbo too.. and how I wish I have a Dumbo as my pet. I cannot, so I have a soft-toy Dumbo to accompany me!! =)
I was also touched by the entries you mentioned in the blog, and would love to have a copy The Elephant Whisperer. Thank you
Juskawaime
Hello bing!
Have been a silent reader following your blog since last year omy blog award.
Really enjoy reading your insightful posts, beautiful composed pictures, and honest writing.
Keep up the good work there!
I think animals and in specifically dogs are man’s companion. They are loyal and faithful, something that we as humans can learn.
Thanks for introducing your readers to this book, and for reminding us about the importance of family, and a mother’s unconditional love.
HI Bing
Was recently intro-ed to your blog! amazing pictures and content!
I love dogs, but have been nicknamed Ele ( short of elephant) by my friends! Its a random reason as to why I have been named Ele, but after reading your post, I hope I have the same positive and strong traits of an elephant!
Cheers
Dawn
my favourite animals is gold fish!
they are cute!
just trying my luck here…
Hi Bing,
My favourite animal is the dog. To be specific, it’s Golden Retrievers! I learned loyalty, unconditional love and unabashed demonstrations of love from it. I used to have a wonderful Retriever, named Tobey, until it died of sickness 2 years ago. Wish I could have Tobey in my arms again…. Thanks for your post on this insightful book! There are so many precious lessons we can learn from animals and apply them in our lives!
Blessings,
Doreen
Red eared sliders! They are so unassuming and they remind me to slow down my steps once in awhile. And I love their cool red ‘sideburn’!
Hi Karen. Congrats to winning earlier on some weeks ago! Was really happy to see you win the title!
Anyway, I’ve always asked myself which animals I love.
Since young, my mum gave birth to me and I was welcomed to a home of 2 dogs. I love dogs. And then the 2 dogs left us (well they are still at home with us, just that they are in urns and hidden at a quiet corner of the study room where my mum does her accounting and financials).
My mum and I took care of strayed cats and some of them left us, now we have one at home whom is blind in one eye, so I love cats anyway.
My mum love tortoises, I love them too, we had a star tortoise (bought unknowingly that it’s endangered species) but he passed away.
Recently when I went to Japan, we visited the Ueno Zoo and my friend asked me which animal I liked/loved. I realised I walked to the enclosure ofthe monkeys. So I think I got my answer. I really love the monkeys of all kinds. I think they are beautiful, they are really man-like and I think if I were to stay with them, I might just learn a lot in one day of how to be a human.