The Wisdom of Elephants
From a working draft of my book – The Wisdom of Elephants
I relive my encounter with the elephants of Amboseli in January 2020 through my images. Their peaceful way of being stays with me. The strong bond of love and attachment within their families stands out. Not a cloying neediness, but a depth of connection and respect that seems to circulate naturally within their social structure.
How adults treat children says a lot about family and culture. The African saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” is reflected in elephant society. Young calves are cared for by all relatives. The pace of the herd is attuned to the pace of the youngest members. A palpable sense of affection, protection, and safety unites the group. If the matriarch indicates they must wait and rest, pause to let a baby nap, the entire family obliges. Yet the youngsters do not rule the group like little emperors. From day one the calves are expected to learn from experience and keep up.
Survival in the wild is an ever-present element. The risk of starvation and death is real, no one in the community can afford to be reckless. Education is on-going, appropriate behaviour is modeled by the elders in the group. Like humans, infants are completely dependent on their mothers. Elephant mothers are hardwired to protect and care for their young for the first few years. While there is one leader in the group, it is the welfare of the collective, not the individual, that is the basis for decision making.
Elephants are individuals with their own personalities. Tim was a good example. He was charismatic, renowned for his mischievous behaviour as well as his peace-making skills amongst the bulls.
There were individual matriarchs I met on the plain the next day who were easily identified as great leaders as well. I observed firm decision making as they led their families to water, kindness, compassion, inclusion and respect, all top-level leadership qualities.
Elephants have much to teach us about living in peace and taking care of one another.
Be kind and respectful.
Love the children.
Play – it lifts the mood and improves the body.
Comfort the bereaved and grieving.
Give help and assistance where needed.
Learn from your elders.
Care for the young and the old.
The world is at a tipping point due to the destructive behaviour of humans. I believe we would do well to ask ourselves as we consider important decisions about the future of our planet, “What would the elephants do?”
Would they support single use plastic? Deforestation? Draining of rivers and wetlands? Closing of borders? Mass killings? Monoculture? Industrial agriculture? Abandonment of youth?
