[Thydaysuh]

great videos. as a general rule, humans like to think they're smarter than they actually are and like to think of others as mindless. this viewpoint will change as more people internalize scenes such as these, both through the internet but hopefully first-hand on their journeys.
i remember an elephant who paid the local park a visit a couple of years ago. the clarity of his feelings were tremendous, and it was really disarming to bear witness to this powerful, calm level of consciousness that i've never felt within anyone.
i remember the handler telling no one to touch him...but like the mischief maker i am, there was a point where i walked up to the elephant and placed my hand on his snout; no one said anything
there's a sad part of this story though. i remember when they were loading him back on the truck he really didn't want to go back in...he wanted to stand in the sun and be the centre of attention in the middle of all these cool people. it was a really moving moment as he hesitated on the gigantic stool he used to get in the truck, with two legs in the truck and his hindlegs still planted as he stared back at all of his. when he finally had the courage to get in the truck, a surge of relief but mixed with sadness just rippled through the crowd.
and he never made it back home, back to his native land. he had lived at a zoo in bowmanville (southern ontario) for a while, but the handler was noticing he was getting more listless and depressed as the days went by. they knew they had to bring him back. he was scheduled to arrive back on the reserve in (zambia? i may be wrong there, it was a while ago), yet around 6 months after i saw him on that beautiful summer day he passed away at the zoo in bowmanville.
but i bet he's chillin' around on the savannah right now, or maybe is remembering his last show i just happened to be around to see. all i can say is thanks elephant-man, you'll definitely make it on my top #10 moments of this life