Thursday, October 8, 2009

Elephant Mother Brings Her Calf to Life

You must watch this YouTube video of a mother elephant giving birth (warming: it is graphic) This clip amazes me on many levels. First, the mother elephant makes giving birth seem easy. There is no yelling or hollering or what-not-drama. The mother elephant makes it seem like it's a normal part of her day to give birth even though elephant gestation is 22 months. Second, I am touched at her distress when the baby is not breathing. How does she know to kick it? How does she know to pull on it's trunk with her trunk? It is touching. Animals are amazing. Animals give me hope.

The only problem I have with this video is that the stupid humans put a pregnant elephant on concrete instead of some softer dirt or sand or hay. It seems like a harsh way to enter the world- hitting concrete. If only it could have been a bed of roses or something special for this little girl. At least she didn't have to worry about lions or tigers or bears...

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