Lawrence Anthony's book "The Elephant Whisperer" describes the relationship he formed over some years with a group of traumatised elephants. They needed rehabilitation and he worked lovingly with them until they could be released back into the wild.
What particularly stirs my heart now is the account by his family members of these elephants' tribute to him shortly after his death in 2012. With two matriarchs leading, they walked steadily through the South African bush for 12 hours until they reached his home. They stayed there for 2 days and nights, in recognition of the passing of a friend. True to the saying, they did not forget.
How did they know he had died? How did they know WHEN he had died? This example of the wonder of Nature and the power of loving connection ignites further questions. What unfathomable processes are at work?
Since "The Horse Whisperer" there have been other whisperers with species as diverse as elephants, sharks and eagles. It is understood that the term "whisperer" is not always used literally, but sometimes simply to indicate connection between human and animal. Not having any in-depth knowledge, this is written as an expression of my personal response to this fascinating phenomenon. While animals are generally regarded as being below humans on the evolutionary scale, there is a lot more going on with them than is at first apparent.
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