Bella and Tara

This is the story of an elephant, Tara, that befriended a dog Bella, at a Tennessee sanctuary. When elephants appear at the sanctuary, they seek out a friend that they hang out with. Tara decided that Bella was the friend for her. They are so dedicated to one another that when Bella had an injury that caused her to be isolated for three weeks, Tara stood in the corner near the building Bellas was housed in until she was better.

Gotta love how wonderful animals treat one another. This is an amazingly endearing story. To see the video click here.

Bravo eBay!

eBay, the world's largest online trading community has announced it will institute a ban on the sale of elephant ivory products by January 1, 2009, and is calling on all other Internet traders to the the same.

eBay made the announcement just hours before the Internationl Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) released an investigative report showing that Internet trade in wildlife and wildlife products poses a significant and immediate threat to the survival of elephants and many other endangered species.

Don't you just love 'em!

ANIMALS!!

And in particular this elephant? I love this photo!

Do you know how intelligent elephants are? And that they form social networks? They have family structures just like humans. They care for their extended family members and mourn their passing. They even preform a burial type service for their lost members. Knowing all of this, how can you not love and respect them? 

"They are a large, funny animal, and they seem to know when they have done something dumb. they convey a sense of knowing how they fit into the world." 

-J. Poole quoted in The Fate of the Elephant

Oh, if only us humans had a better understanding of the world. That we are just visitors for a short while.

Here is a lovely fantasy video about an elephant and a trampoline. Take a look.

Winky the elephant passes away

Winky and Wanda were elephants that lived in the Detroit Zoo together for 17 years until 2005, when they were transported to the Performing Animal Welfare Society in California. Detroit Zoo officials decided that holding elephants in a small exhibit was inhumane and unhealthy. They made the journey together and lived there peacefully for three years. 

Unfortunately, Winky had arthritis which became so unbearable that she couldn't stand. Last week, at age 56 the decision was made to euthanize her. She will be cremated and her ashes will be scattered over the Sanctuary where she spent the last years of her life roaming freely with others of her kind. 

RIP Winky.