Barry Hicks
12th February 2008, 04:00 PM
Back in 1988 Allan took a camera safari to Africa. On a hike
through the bush, he came across a young elephant standing
with one leg raised in the air. The elephant appeared
distressed so Allan approached it carefully.
He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot
and found a large thorn imbedded in it. He whipped out his
Swiss army knife, selected the tweezers and as gently as he
could, removed the thorn.
The elephant started at Allan with a rather curious look on it's
face for some seconds.
Allan stood putrified (it smelled that way) afraid of being
trampled, but the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned and
walked away.
Allan never forgot that elephant or the events that day.
Twenty years later, Allan was walking through the Melbourne
Zoo with 27 of his grand children. As they approached the
elephant enclosure, one of the elephants stared at Allan and
lifted one of it's feet off the ground and trumpeted loudly.
Remembering the incident back in 1988, Allan couldn't help
wondering if this was the same elephant. He summoned up
all his courage and climbed into the enclosure and walked up
to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped it's trunk around one Allan's legs and slammed him against the fence, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
through the bush, he came across a young elephant standing
with one leg raised in the air. The elephant appeared
distressed so Allan approached it carefully.
He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot
and found a large thorn imbedded in it. He whipped out his
Swiss army knife, selected the tweezers and as gently as he
could, removed the thorn.
The elephant started at Allan with a rather curious look on it's
face for some seconds.
Allan stood putrified (it smelled that way) afraid of being
trampled, but the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned and
walked away.
Allan never forgot that elephant or the events that day.
Twenty years later, Allan was walking through the Melbourne
Zoo with 27 of his grand children. As they approached the
elephant enclosure, one of the elephants stared at Allan and
lifted one of it's feet off the ground and trumpeted loudly.
Remembering the incident back in 1988, Allan couldn't help
wondering if this was the same elephant. He summoned up
all his courage and climbed into the enclosure and walked up
to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped it's trunk around one Allan's legs and slammed him against the fence, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.