DamagedGoods
November 24th, 2011, 03:05 AM
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/02/assignment_america/main4696340.shtml
"When it's time to eat they both eat together. They drink together. They sleep together. They play together," Buckley says.
Tarra and Bella have been close for years -- but no one really knew how close they were until recently. A few months ago Bella suffered a spinal cord injury. She couldn't move her legs, couldn't even wag her tail. For three weeks the dog lay motionless up in the sanctuary office.
And for three weeks the elephant held vigil: 2,700 acres to roam free, and Tarra just stood in the corner, beside a gate, right outside that sanctuary office.
"She just stood outside the balcony - just stood there and waited," says Buckley. "She was concerned about her friend."
Then one day, sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais carried Bella onto the balcony so she and Tarra could at least see each other.
"Bella's tail started wagging. And we had no choice but bring Bella down to see Tarra," Blais says.
So I watched the video, and damned near cried. Have I mentioned how much I love dogs and elephants?
Anyway, I went to the website of the actual sanctuary, and now I'm stuck here crying like a baby. I am glad no one here is awake.
http://www.elephants.com/index.php
On a side note, the grieving process of elephants is one of the things that most shaped my opinion on them.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-399615/Elephants-grieve-lost-relatives.html
http://www.andrews-elephants.com/elephant-emotions-grieving.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/200910/grief-in-animals-its-arrogant-think-were-the-only-animals-who-mourn
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/unforgettable/emotions.html
I seem to recall reading a story long ago about a group of elephants destroying a building in which dead members of their herd were being stored. Unfortunately it's been so long that I'm not longer sure it wasn't an urban legend so to speak.
"When it's time to eat they both eat together. They drink together. They sleep together. They play together," Buckley says.
Tarra and Bella have been close for years -- but no one really knew how close they were until recently. A few months ago Bella suffered a spinal cord injury. She couldn't move her legs, couldn't even wag her tail. For three weeks the dog lay motionless up in the sanctuary office.
And for three weeks the elephant held vigil: 2,700 acres to roam free, and Tarra just stood in the corner, beside a gate, right outside that sanctuary office.
"She just stood outside the balcony - just stood there and waited," says Buckley. "She was concerned about her friend."
Then one day, sanctuary co-founder Scott Blais carried Bella onto the balcony so she and Tarra could at least see each other.
"Bella's tail started wagging. And we had no choice but bring Bella down to see Tarra," Blais says.
So I watched the video, and damned near cried. Have I mentioned how much I love dogs and elephants?
Anyway, I went to the website of the actual sanctuary, and now I'm stuck here crying like a baby. I am glad no one here is awake.
http://www.elephants.com/index.php
On a side note, the grieving process of elephants is one of the things that most shaped my opinion on them.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-399615/Elephants-grieve-lost-relatives.html
http://www.andrews-elephants.com/elephant-emotions-grieving.html
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animal-emotions/200910/grief-in-animals-its-arrogant-think-were-the-only-animals-who-mourn
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/unforgettable/emotions.html
I seem to recall reading a story long ago about a group of elephants destroying a building in which dead members of their herd were being stored. Unfortunately it's been so long that I'm not longer sure it wasn't an urban legend so to speak.