Gathering the family…

Last night here in Thailand, several chained elephants were tragically killed by a tree crashing down in a sudden fierce storm. The ongoing fallout from the pandemic raining upon captive elephants and those trying to care for them has created yet another untenable situation, and the future of many remain in jeopardy. There is no path forward that is clear as the complexities of “what happens next” continue to mount.

As we remain unable to return to Sri Lanka until international borders can open without prohibitively expensive quarantine regulations, we witness from afar families of wild elephants being ripped apart as the conflict continues to escalate between mismanaged over-development and lack of any environmental conservation. The wild ones of Sri Lanka are losing their homes and their lives at an unprecedented rate, and any hope that this can be reversed before it’s too late is on shaky ground.

When sorrow threatens overwhelm, we return to the photos and videos we’ve taken over the last few years, reminding us of the power of persistence and the beauty of wild animals living in their wild homes. They don’t give up, and we mustn’t either.

I remember the day of this video — we turned a corner and came upon a pachyderm picnic spread out across the road. As the wise ones gently gathered their extended families in a circle of security with the most vulnerable in the middle, we quietly moved on so they might continue their afternoon browse without interference.

It is said that, spiritually, “we are all just walking each other home”. And that is all innocent animals want. To be able to raise their families in their rightful homes, walking together in peace. Just like you, and me, and all the other sentient beings…

May our actions help make this so.