How did they know? 31 elephants travelled 12 miles to pay respect..

An email from my Inbox made me stretch for a Kleenex. Not sure if it'll have the same effect on you but this real-life episode is a great read and is worth passing on..

HOW DID THEY KNOW?
SOMETHING IN THE UNIVERSE THAT IS MUCH GREATER AND DEEPER THAN HUMAN INTELLIGENCE.

Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild,bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during US invasion in 2003.

On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died.

He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons and numerous elephants. Two days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs. Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say goodbye to their beloved man-friend.

A total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African House.

Witnessing this spectacle, humans were obviously in awe not only because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence 's passing, but also because of the profound memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked in such an organized way:
Walking slowly - for days - Making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house.

Lawrence's wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for well over 3 years!
But yet they knew where they were going.
The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who'd saved their lives - so much respect that they stayed for 2 days 2 nights without eating anything...

Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back home............


Source: Unknown.. but if you know the source, please leave a comment below.

Where Pigeons Gather

Here in Malaysia, it is not uncommon to see man-made pigeon lofts or homes in the backyard. But this is only found in homes in the suburbs or in the less concrete-jungle part of town. In Malaysia, pigeons are reared sometimes for their meat but oftentimes just as a hobby. In Hong Kong, grilled pigeons are a delicacy.

Last week, I was surprised to see pigeons homing in at a parking lot one morning. Of course, it wasn't like the number found in Paris or New York parks but enough to cause a stir. A young man was scattering seeds and the birds were there to get their share. I thought that's a pretty awesome sight of someone feeding the birds. Delightful to watch.

Over here, the pigeon population is not large enough to warrant any ban on feeding them unlike in Trafalgar Square where you can be slapped with a 50 pound fine, while in New York, there is a proposal for a $1,000 fine for feeding the winged creatures. Talk about feeding, time to grab a bite.