The Elephant Whisperer
Life Lessons We Can Learn From Elephants
by Eric Elkin
“If God doesn’t build the house,
the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn’t guard the city,
the night watchman might as well nap.
It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,
and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don’t you know he enjoys
giving rest to those he loves?”
Lawrence Anthony was called the Elephant Whisperer. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, during Apartheid, Anthony left his white commercial roots to work with indigenous people, their land, and animals. He felt involving remote tribes in the conservation process was critical for the future of the African continent.
The event that defined Anthony's legacy was an invitation to rescue nine rogue elephants. The elephants escaped an enclosure and were running free across Northern Mpumalanga. Free to roam, the elephants stormed villages, destroyed houses, and wreaked havoc among people.
Hunters gathered together to organize a final solution to the problem. But, a group of conservationists had other ideas. They called Lawrence Anthony. He persuaded the hunters, officials, and villagers to let him rescue the elephants. They agreed. So Anthony brought the elephants to his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand.
Unfortunately, the elephants escaped the game reserve. Once again, the hunters assembled, eager to land a trophy animal. And, once again, Anthony intervened on the elephant's behalf. He brought them back to their enclosure. This time, though, he would take a different approach.
The elephants were traumatized by human violence and war. The presence of humans set them off. So Anthony reduced the number of people feeding the animals down to two — himself and another worker. After weeks of dangerous feeding encounters, the matriarch of the herd reached over the fence. She stroked Lawrence Anthony's head with her trunk. It was a sign of trust.
“They [Elephants] taught me that all life forms are important to each other in our common quest for happiness and survival. That there is more to life than just yourself, your own family, or your own kind.”
The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse made me think of those rogue elephants. The actions of a 17-year old boy is on trial. However, the case is a window into the larger world we are forming. How are we raising our children? And what is the healthiest way to address trauma?
American culture is quick to respond in anger to acts of trauma. This reaction is more than human nature. We are intentionally teaching our children getting even is a healthy approach to conflict. This lesson is not happening in schools. It is a constant message proclaimed on television, in movies, and in the news.
People, like elephants, will go rogue when there is no trust, exposure to trauma, and a sense of being vulnerable. This is true unless someone intervenes with an alternative method. And, we model that alternative to younger generations.
A house and community built by God see each human life as sacred. The people in this house do not turn to acts of violence when addressing trauma. They do the long, hard work of building trust, not through words but actions.
Anthony Lawrence died of a heart attack in 2012. When he died, the elephants gathered around his house and mourned for several days. Every year since the elephants come to the house on the anniversary of his death. If trust and compassion can inspire such devotion in elephants, what could it do for us?
WATCH a short video on Anthony Lawrence
Click to read Psalm 127
Reflection Questions:
How aware are you of the trauma you have experienced in life? (Note: we are often not aware of the trauma we experience)
How have you responded to trauma, either seen or experienced?
What is the healthiest way to build trust with others?
How could you build trust and show compassion to others.?
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