1961 Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 63

HISTORY & TRAVEL behind. After all we were probably up around 12 feet on the back of the elephant and I sure wasn’t going to relinquish my grip on Keelyn to climb down and get it. Only for us being alone in the middle of a jungle was I not mortified by the situation and the carry on between my wife and her mother! The debate went on for several minutes with no end in sight. I kept watching the elephant trainer who basically didn’t speak English, he simply looked forward the whole time, smart man!! Then the most amazing thing happened. Believe it or not, just when I was sure that we would spend the rest our safari arguing over what happened to the fallen nappy, the elephant reached out with its trunk and picked it up. She flung her trunk over her shoulder and handed it directly to my wife. My wife, Nana and everyone fell silent in disbelief. I told my wife, “I think she’s handing it to you” and my wife reached out and grabbed it. The nice elephant immediately let it go and the nappy was back – crises diverted. Now this might be a bit of a long winded story with many details you wouldn’t normally include in an article on travel, but all I can say is that it taught me something very important about elephants. They are very intelligent and conscious creatures and I gained so much respect for the animal at that moment. I then told the elephant thank you and off we went. Here’s the hero herself! My wife after the nappy ordeal: Remarkably from that moment on my wife was completely relaxed and calm, she too understood that the elephant was a peaceful and smart creature; As did Keelyn who took the opportunity to fall asleep and get a great rest while her dad tried to hold the limp noodle child in his arms and snap photos of what was left of our trek riding on an elephant as it swayed back and forth through the jungle. Regarding people who poach elephants illegally, they should be tried for murder as far as I am concerned. Elephants are amazingly intelligent and conscious creatures. 63 1961 Magazine Fall 2016