Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Elephant's--Yesterday and Today


Portland Maine Gazette  1825

Who could have known that the fascination of an elephant eating and drinking with it's trunk would have led






                    to elephant exhibits, complete with Tibetan prayer flags and Ganesh statues


and hands off handling techniques requiring 3 people to wash them.   Boy, has animal science advanced.  From bronc busting to horse whispering, and the best they could come up with for elephants is stay the hell away from them................................ I wonder how many degrees, doctorate's, or PhD's it took the horse trainers of history to come up with a better system then "don't touch them."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I hear you. In the very near future, Australia will also follow its' fellow American zoo's and practise protected contact or (piss poor contact) as I like to call it. I just hope that freedom remains in the good ol' USA, Europe, Asia and Africa and that private individuals or those that don't need the AZA boys club will continue in the pursuit of good elephant management. The world has gone mad to 'some' risk aversion. I think I will have to get some poor man's elephants and wait till they come knocking at my door and they'll get an answer they won't like when they stry to stop me working them. I really thought I could walk out the door with my hook in hand but it will be hanging on the wall before I get to walk out the door. It was good while it lasted. To all the elephants that have taught me so much,thankyou for the memories and I apologise for the misinformed,misguided and the wannabe's, so that some of you will be destined to an average life.
Happy New year
Glenn