象語者

In 2nd March， 2012， Africa lost Lawrence Anthony， an ardent conservationist who died of a heart attack. He is perhaps known best as the Elephant Whisperer， but he was also a founder of the Earth Organization in 2003. He talked to Ugandan war rebels in the Congo， to protect the white rhinoceroses， he also fought to save crocodiles and other species.

In the mid 1990s， he bought one of South Africas largest private game reserves called Thula Thula. Elephants were not part of the plan， but in 1999， he was offered nine elephants and told should he not take this troublesome herd， they would be shot.

Unfortunately in the round up， one of the females and her baby was shot trying to evade capture. When the herd arrived， they had to be sedated until they calmed down. When the side door opened the matriarch emerged， followed by her baby bull， three females and an 11-yearold bull. Last off was the 15-year-old son of the female who was shot. He flared his ears and with a trumpet of rage he charged， just stopping short of the fence.

Nana， the matriarch was an escape artist of note and had worked out how to break through electric fences. That night， the two females， worked together to fell a tree which pushed down the fence. They had somehow found the generator and trampled it like a tin can. They then headed north， luckily they managed to find them and bring the herd back to Thula Thula.

Lawrence Anthony fought a desperate battle for their survival and trust.

That first night back again in the Reserve， he awoke to see the elephants facing the fence， Nana ready to break it down and make another escape. At 4：45 a.m.， Anthony stood in front of this violent， wild female elephant， with her calf. A more dangerous combination is hard to find.

She tensed her enormous frame and flared her ears.“Dont do it， Nana， ” he said as calmly as possible， “Please dont do it girl， this is your home now.” Anthony said， that as he continued talking to her， the rest of the herd froze and Nanas eyes bored into him. “Theyll kill you all if you break out， this is your home now， you have no need to run. Stay here.” Anthony said that， in a flash， it came to him， he would live with the herd， be with them day and night.

She took another step forward， and Anthony could see her tense up again， ready to go through the fence， and he was directly in her path. Then there was suddenly some spark of recognition flared and Nana turned and melted into the bush， the rest of herd following.

Later he was offered another troubled elephant named ET， who was alone， as her herd had been either sold or shot. The inimitable Nana saved Lawrences life， when ET charged him. Lawrence said he had no idea how Nana moved to so quickly stepped in front of Lawrence， and place herself broadside to the charging ET. ET stopped， looked at Nana， then turned and walked away. Nana nonchalantly carried on eating， quite unaware of how shaken and grateful Lawrence was to her.

All the severely traumatised elephants settled down， and two separate herds grew and stayed happily within 5000 acres of Thula Thula.

The remarkable part of this story， is that on Lawrence Anthonys death， two herds of wild South African elephants slowly made their way through the Zululand bush， a journey which must have taken them at least 12 hours， until they reached the house of the late Anthony， the man who had saved their lives. The former violent， traumatised elephants who were once destined to be shot as pests， rehabilitated by Anthony， arrived and stayed at his rural compound， on the vast game reserve to say goodbye to the man they loved.

No one knows how they knew Lawrence had died in Johannesburg， over 600 kilometers away.

Both herds arrived at the family home， which they had not visited for a year and a half. They all hung around for a couple of days before making their way back to the bush. Extraordinary proof of animal sensitivity and awareness that only a few humans can perceive， Lawrence being one of them.

If there were a time， when we can truly sense the wondrous interconnectedness of all beings， it is when we reflect on the elephants of Thula Thula. A mans heart stops， and elephants hearts are grieving. This mans loving heart offered to heal these elephants， and now they came to pay loving homage to their beloved human friend.

2012年3月2日，勞倫斯·安東尼因心臟病發作去世，非洲就此失去了這位自然資源保護論者。他大概是作為電影《象語者》的原型而最為人熟知，他還于2003年建立了“地球組織”。他曾為保護白犀牛，在剛果與烏干達戰爭的反政府武裝組織對話;他也曾為拯救鱷魚及其他物種作斗爭。

1995年前后，他買下了南非最大的私人動物保護區之一，其名為圖拉圖拉。大象并不在其保護計劃中。但在1999年，有人向他出售九頭大象，并稱如果他不接管這群麻煩的大象，它們就會被射殺。

不幸的是，在圍捕群象的過程中，一頭母象和她的小象在企圖逃脫時被射殺。當象群抵達（圖拉圖拉保護區）時，人們要給它們服用鎮靜劑讓它們冷靜下來。當側門打開時，母頭象掙脫出來，緊跟著的是她的公象寶寶、三只母象和一只11歲的公象。最后出來的是一頭15歲的小公象，他的媽媽之前已被射殺。他撲扇著耳朵，憤怒地嘶吼著沖出來，在撞到籬笆之前停住了。

母頭象娜娜是有名的逃脫大師，她已經想好沖出電圍欄的方法。那晚，兩頭母象合力弄倒一棵樹把圍欄推倒。不知怎么地，她們還找到了發電機，像踏易拉罐一樣踏扁了它。然后她們向北行進，所幸人們成功找到了她們并把她們帶回了圖拉圖拉保護區。

為保證象群的生存，取得象群的信任，勞倫斯·安東尼曾殊死一搏。

事情要從象群到保護區的第一夜說起。安東尼醒來發現大象們在圍欄跟前，娜娜準備把圍欄推翻，再一次逃出去。那是凌晨4：45，安東尼正站在這只暴力、狂野的母象和她的小象面前，沒有比這更危險的了。

娜娜繃緊身軀，扇動耳朵。“別這樣做，娜娜，”他盡可能冷靜地說，“請不要這樣做，姑娘，現在這是你的家了。”據安東尼回憶，他繼續和她說話，其余的大象都定住了，娜娜的眼睛緊盯著他。“如果你逃出去，人們會把你們全都殺掉，這里如今是你的家了，你不需要逃走。留在這兒。”安東尼這樣說著，那一瞬間，他想，他要和象群共存亡，日夜守護它們。

娜娜又向前踏了一步，安東尼能看到她又繃緊了身體，準備沖出圍欄，而安東尼正擋著她的路。然后，娜娜突然有了一絲認同，掉頭走進了灌木叢中，其余大象也跟著她回去了。

后來又有人給他帶來一只不安分的落單大象，名叫ET，她的象群同伴不是被賣了就是被射殺了。當ET攻擊勞倫斯時，獨特的娜娜救了他一命。勞倫斯說，他也不知道娜娜怎么能夠跑那么快，在他面前側身擋住了發起攻擊的ET。ET停住了，看著娜娜，然后轉身走開了。娜娜若無其事地繼續進食，沒有察覺到勞倫斯有多震撼，對她有多感激。

這些遭受過嚴重精神創傷的大象們全都安頓下來了，兩個獨立的象群都適應了環境并快樂地留在了圖拉圖拉5000英畝的土地上。

這個故事最引人矚目的部分，就是在勞倫斯·安東尼去世的時候，兩群南非野象緩緩地穿過祖魯蘭灌木林，到達救過自己性命的已故安東尼的住所，這至少要花掉它們12個小時。從前暴力、受過精神創傷的大象本來注定會被當成害獸射殺，但安東尼幫助它們重獲生存的權利，它們抵達并停留在安東尼農舍所在的野生動物保護區，來跟它們愛的人告別。

沒人知道象群是怎樣得知勞倫斯在600公里之外的約翰內斯堡去世的。

兩個象群都抵達了它們一年半沒回來過的棲息地。它們回去灌木林之前在這逗留了幾天。這是動物的敏感和知覺的驚人證明，極少數人類有這種感知能力，而勞倫斯是其中的一個。

當我們回想起圖拉圖拉這些大象的時候，我們就會真正感受到所有不同物種之間奇妙的互聯性。一個人的心臟停止跳動，兩群大象的心也隨之哀傷。安東尼獻出愛心去治愈大象，大象現在也來向它們這位摯愛的人類朋友致以深切的敬意。