Sunday, May 16, 2010



Paul took this picture when I wasn't paying attention yesterday at the Audubon Zoo. We were in the elephant house; outside you can see Jean on the left and Panya on the right. Jean and Panya were wild-captured about forty years ago, when each was around one year old. Jean was a circus performer, Panya a pet; they wound up in the zoo, where they've lived together for more than thirty years. Just after this photo was taken, we fed them a snack -- apples, pears, carrots, and their favorite, corn on the cob, served husk and all. Everything grabbed by the trunk and elegantly stuffed into the mouth, with pleasure -- save that Jean did spit out an apple, which is apparently not her favorite food.

Afterward, Panya grabbed hold of the metal gate with her trunk and rattled it like a small peal of thunder -- something she does, we're told, when she's happy.

5 comments:

Glenn Ingersoll said...

Ah, the thunder god is expressing her happiness!

Mim said...

Wonderful photo!

Pat said...

What a delightful post!

TH said...

That post was humane and touching, especially after the posts about the gulf.

TH said...

p.s. When it's all in the gentle intelligence of an elephant's trunk and her rowdy gratitude, how can we think we are something else?