ELEPHANTS AND THEIR FRIENDS.
All animals have their favorites or friends,—it may be some attendant or
some animal to which they have formed an attachment,—and the elephant
is no exception to the rule. Most of the latter’s friends are made in
confinement; but the wild animal has a number of little companions,
which are of great value, at least, in adding to its comfort. These
are birds; and chief among them is a beautiful crane, which is often
seen—and, indeed, numbers of them—perched upon the back of the great
animal, and riding about, presenting a strange and decided contrast to
the dark-skinned proboscidian. The presence of these shy birds moving
about on so curious a roost would seem a mystery; but, should we watch
them, we should see that they were performing a most friendly act. They
walk over the great, wrinkled back, and with their sharp eyes spy out all
the insects which infest the great pachyderm, picking them out, and so
securing a dinner and serving their friend at the same time, who probably
is often driven to desperation by the myriads of insect-torments which
abound in the dark continent. Besides the cranes, there are several
smaller birds which are equally friendly to the king of beasts, and often
congregate upon its back in great numbers; running about without fear,
clinging to the huge ears, now dangling by the tail, and performing a
still more friendly act at times in warning their friend of danger by
rising in a flock, and uttering shrill cries, which arouse the drowsy
elephant to a sense of its danger.
In confinement particularly, the elephant is famous for its friendships,
attaching itself to certain persons or animals, showing its affection
for them in various ways. One of the Barnum elephants formed a strong
friendship for a large dog, which was fully reciprocated; the dog
sleeping with its great friend, and always remaining about its feet. If
it strayed away at any time, the elephant would look after it, and on its
return show its delight and pleasure in many ways.
Elephants often become attached to children, and seem to display the
greatest solicitude for them. They have been employed as nurses to
extremely small children, performing the duties as care-taker with
perfect satisfaction.
Though, as a rule, elephants obey their keepers from fear, there are
cases where a decided friendship exists; and even when furious with rage,
an elephant will often obey its keeper’s voice. An affecting instance of
this was seen in the case of the famous elephant Chuni, who was believed
to have gone mad. The animal was taken out to be shot; and its keeper
was obliged to order it to kneel, that the soldiers might shoot it. The
man reluctantly gave the order; and the elephant obeyed the command, and
fell, pierced by many bullets.
A mad elephant in Germany, which had destroyed much property, yielded
immediately to the voice of the man who owned it, or had been its friend
and keeper. The works of the ancient writers abound in instances of
attachment and friendship between the huge animals and human beings.
Ælian relates a story of an elephant who became passionately attached
to a little girl who sold flowers in the streets of Antioch, and had
occasionally given it a part of her store. Athenæus tells of one which
became so fond of a little child, that it would eat only in its presence;
but I fear that this story will not stand the test. Strabo states that
elephants were known to have pined away and died when deprived of their
keepers to whom they were attached. Lieut. Shipp gives, in his memoirs,
a very minute account of an elephant, who, upon killing its keeper, was
seized with what was considered a fit of remorse, which ultimately killed
the animal. In other words, it died of “a broken heart,” a term that is
applied to-day to elephants in India who die of no apparent cause.
In Purchas’s collection of travels, there is an account of an elephant
who mourned for its master, the King of Ava, who was slain in battle, for
many days; and, as the same is known to have occurred among dogs and cats
at the present day, it is not at all improbable.
That the elephant should become attached to its keeper, is not strange.
It is perfectly familiar with all his movements, receives all its food
from him, is caressed and petted; and it is not surprising that at times
the animals rebel when provided with an utter stranger to replace the one
in whom they have learned to trust.