See Me Hear Me or A Potpourri of Elephant Photos, Videos & Stories

Animated Elephant Video : “The Story of the Indian Elephant” : What Does the Future Hold For These Intelligent Creatures? It Is Up To Us

 

This thoughtful “poetic story” animation takes us into the lives of our elephants in India and the dangers they face as they struggle to survive. Humans hold the key to a happy ending. There is a way to co-exist, for both man and beast. It is still not too late.

 

“Once upon a time

In the land of scientific fact

Where everything is true

And nothing made up

Live the Indian elephant

A grand beauty

Twice as big as me

Can definitely appear

Very scary

 

But look a little closer

And the tale does change

To a compassionate creature

That’s intelligent and brave

 

They make their very own sunscreen

By dipping in the mud

Or throwing sand

Over their enormous backs

 

Great swimmers

That use their feet as propellers

And their trunk as snorkel

 

 

But perhaps the best

Is a secret means

Of communication

By trumpeting or stomping

They produce a racket

That yes we can hear

But only so far

Traveling twice the distance

The sound transmits

Also underground

Where it’s picked up by

Another elephant’s foot

Sounds like this

Can travel 20 miles

And tell all sorts

Like when there’s trouble

And it’s best to run

Or when there’s a handsome suitor

That wants to be found

An elephant’s foot

Might even sense

Distant rains

So they know where to go

To get well and fed

 

 

But the problem is

The paths they take

Are now booby trapped

Train tracks and roads

Towns and dams

And a whole lot

Of agricultural land

 

Only 30,000 left

But with over a billion people

Living in India

How can there be room

For even those

Fireballs are thrown

People are killed

And so the war goes on

 

Even when

They stay in their strip of forest

They can’t be safe

For the poachers come

For their tusks and their skin

And their meaty flesh

 

And let’s not forget

About the ones we took

Stripped of their mothers

Beaten and shook

It’s called domestication

In today’s book

All to make those majestic beasts

That you can ride

And Instagram

 

But zoom in on the picture

And what will you see?

A vacant stare

From both elephant and owner

With eight mouths to feed

What can he do?

In this circle of pain

And desperation

 

Now let’s turn the page

For it’s getting a little sad

And we couldn’t have that

 

Let’s take a look

At a more positive future

And what do I see?

Huge reserves of untamed forest

With elephant corridors

To connect them up

 

The people are happy

For they got the chance to get involved

No longer a threat

But really an asset

They look with pride

At their Indian elephant

 

 

I don’t know

You tell me

Could this even be a possibility?”

Poem and narration by Julia Galbenu

Animation by Pinar Alsac

 

 

 

Images & transcribed from Creative Commons video:  “The Story of the Indian Elephant” by Julia Galbenu

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