A world of miracle and wonder (Jack Bog's Blog)

A friend writes:

Usually these "heartwarming" stories are a bit too sappy for me, but this one is truly interesting... I thought you would like this one.
In 1986, Peter Davies was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully.
He got down on one knee, inspected the elephant's foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Peter worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Peter stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Peter never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Peter was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Peter and his son Cameron were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Peter, lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times, then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Peter summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing, and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant, who stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Peter's legs, and slammed his stupid ass against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same elephant.

Comments (12)

Damn that's pretty funny. :) Thanks!

Posted by pril | May 31, 2008 7:31 AM

Pril, you and my friend Heather, who sent me that story, would probably get along pretty well. She knew Rachel Ray before she was a terrorist!

Posted by Jack Bog | May 31, 2008 7:39 AM

I love it!

Posted by Bpaul | May 31, 2008 7:58 AM

Jack, It happens everytime when a Democrat and a Republican get together.

Posted by Jeff | May 31, 2008 8:34 AM

Why does this piece remind me of Scott McClellan?

Posted by ejs | May 31, 2008 9:10 AM

"Probably wasn't the same elephant"

Nonsense. I could have been the exact same one.

Contrary to the myth elephants do forget.

And Peter was likely a hippy-like dude fresh out of college in 1986 and 20 years later could have resembled a Rex Burholder.

Posted by Howard | May 31, 2008 9:12 AM

First off it was : No way, not another of these phony stories! But by the end I realized it was most likely true!

Next, I would like to meet your friend Heather and compare her recollections of Rachel Ray with my fantasies.

Mine start about here: http://www.contactmusic.com/m/can_do_awards_3_070408/rachael_ray_5115001.jpg

Posted by dman | May 31, 2008 9:36 AM

That's been around a looong time, but it still brings a smile.

Posted by Max | May 31, 2008 9:48 AM

Peter's son then contacted the media with his account of the zoo's carelessness. KGW attached to the story and in a few days the zoo agreed to remove the dangerous and unpredictable animal.

Posted by telecom | May 31, 2008 9:50 AM

One correction about the young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air: That was not the elephant's leg.

Posted by Bill McDonald | May 31, 2008 9:55 AM

The elephant came to trust all humans, was captured as a result of that trust, and was waiting till pay back day!

Posted by portland native | May 31, 2008 11:15 AM

Reminds me of the time I happened upon a peachick...had fallen from its nest at the Portland zoo about 10 years ago.....helped it back into its nest.

We recently took our little ones up there, and this adult peacock pecked my 4yo's eye out. Different peacok? Dunno.

Posted by veiledorchid | May 31, 2008 4:33 PM

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Saturday, May 31, 2008

A world of miracle and wonder

Comments (12)

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