MaryAnne
Governor
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 elephants 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 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, 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 could not 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 and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted
again, wrapped its trunk around one of Peter legs and slammed him
against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
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 elephants 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 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, 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 could not 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 and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted
again, wrapped its trunk around one of Peter legs and slammed him
against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
