Roccco

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science....ap/index.html

CherylC

Half-way through Elephant Memories, I'm becoming an elephantophile, so I found this interesting. Thanks!

BTW, if anyone can tell me which book updates this book by Ms. Moss, I'd love to know; it would be great safari reading!

Cheryl

JanGoss

Rocco:

Thanks for the link. I had already received some of the information on an elephant information email. It is interesting though.

CherylC:
My all favorite elephant story book is Coming of Age with Elephants by Joyce Poole, one of Cynthia Moss's associates. Some of the stories in it are amazing to the point of making you think it can't be true.

One story is of a camel herder who had gone out with his camels. At night the camels came home but the man didn't. At day break everyone went out looking for the man and found him sitting with his back against a tree and a large elephant standing in front of him. They tried shooing the elephant away but she wouldn't move. They were going to shoot her, but the man yelled "no, don't shoot, she saved my life". As it turned out the elephant herself had been startled by the man and charged him knocking him over. When the man fell he broke his leg. Realizing that he couldn't move, the elephant picked him up with her trunk and tusks and carried him and put him up against the tree and stood guard over him all night keeping the lions away.

I thought this too good to be true, and asked Iain Douglas-Hamilton if he had heard it and believed it. He said he knew it was true because he knew the persons involved. Incredible story.

Another great book is Silent Thunder by Katy Payne. She is the lady who discovered infrasonic sound in elephants.

None of the experts are good in updating their books and I have been after a few of them to do this. There are so many fabulous stories that should be put on paper.

One of the experts I saw in August told me of an Amboseli bull who had been hit with poisoned arrows. The vet had treated him once but he was still suffering terribly. They called in another vet who treated the wound again. Then the bull disappeared (probably into Tanzania) and they didn't see him for awhile (keep in mind the elephant knew their vehicle and voices). The next time he was spotted he walked right up to the researchers vehicle touching his leg (where the wound had been) with his trunk as though saying to them "see, I'm all better now".

Enjoy your reading. They are truly incredible animals.

Jan

matnikstym

the Hawaii State Library System actually had these two books, so I put in my request-can't wait to read them! I think of all the animals we saw on the last safari, elephants were my favorite

BostonGal

I have been borderline obsessed with elephants since the age of 5 - hence, my state of euphoria that I am able to head to Africa in just 2 weeks.

THANK YOU for posting not only the link, but book suggestions as well. Maybe I'll pick one of them up to help me pass the time along during our Kili hike!

CherylC

Ditto on the thanks for the book suggestions! I've got them both reserved at the libaray and hope they'll become available in the week!

Cheryl