A story of man & animal connection

3.20.2008 — 9 Comments

Thanks to my buddy Jason Knepp for sharing this amazing story with me via e-mail:

In 1986, Dan Harrison was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University .

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Dan approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant’s foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it..

As carefully and as gently as he could, Dan worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.

Dan stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

Dan never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Dan was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenage son.

As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Dan and his son Dan Jr. were standing.

The large bull elephant stared at Dan , lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times then tru mpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Dan couldn’t help wondering if this was the same elephant.

Dan summoned up his courage, looked to see if any guards were around and then climbed over th e ra iling and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.

The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Dan’s legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn’t the same elephant.

9 responses to A story of man & animal connection

  1. interesting story – slightly morbid – but it’ll hunt!

  2. can’t believe you did that to me, that is wrong, I was totally in to it!!!!

  3. I knew you would never put something so sweet on your blogg! I was just waiting for the other “shoe” to drop!

  4. Classic.

  5. Grandma Sally Sheets (aka-“Mom”) 3.21.2008 at 9:44 am

    Oooooo, I have to agree with Kathy on this one!
    I knew too that it had to be a joke as I began to read, but I am shocked, that friends rate so well with you…if I had sent that to you, you would NEVER have shared it with the your world!! NEVER!!! And who am I??

    Your loving, patient Momma

  6. LOL, glad it got such great reviews!

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