This man was not afraid to come to the aid of a herd of wild elephants in South Africa. The animals were considered too unpredictable and even the local rangers did not want to approach them. Many years later, when the pensioner was already quite weak, all the elephants of this herd remembered him and came to say goodbye.
Lawrence Anthony was an active activist for the preservation of nature. He became world famous under the nickname «Elephant Charmer» because he understood these animals better than anyone else. So he quickly realized that a herd caught in a quagmire would not let humans near it. Elephants take time to share their personal space.
In those days the man waited patiently for the elephants to get used to him. He carried food to them. Then, one by one, he led the whole herd out of the bog and onto firm ground. Naturally, the elephants hurried away, while Lawrence returned to his work of wildlife protection.
As the years passed, Lawrence became quite weak. He led the lifestyle of a pensioner in a house on the outskirts of the reserve. On one of the last days the pensioner’s relatives saw a whole herd of elephants at the window. 31 animals walked 12 kilometers and then almost two days were looking for home on the territory of the reserve.
The farewell to an old friend dragged on for the next twenty-four hours. Then the elephants left, this time for good.
