Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Mike Procter and I'm an Mure. Spotlight uses a
special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter
where in the world they live. In South Africa, a group of elephants
starts to walk slowly across the land. These large gray animals walk for more
than twelve hours. Their long noses or trunks move from side to side as
they walk. This group or heard of elephants goes to the home of their
human friend. They have not been there for about two years, but they
seem to sense that something has happened. Something has happened. Their human friend
has just died. The elephants seemed to mourn his death. They seem to
be honoring him. But who was this man and why was he special to
the elephants. Today's spotlight is on this man. His name was Lawrence Anthony.
Many people called him the elephant Whisperer. He was a friend to many
wild animals. Lawrence Antony lived in Zululand, South Africa. He was a
conservationist. He worked to protect wild animals and the places they live. He
owned a game reserve called Tula Tula. This very large area of land is
used to protect wild animals. Such animals do well in game reserves because they
can live in their natural environment. In nineteen ninety nine, an animal organization
taught to Lawrence Antony. They told him about a herd of elephants. These
elephants were a big problem. They were very dangerous. They charged or ran
at vehicles and people. The elephants were so dangerous that the authorities would have
to kill them, but Anthony did not want that to happen. He wanted
to save the elephants so he decided to give them a home at Tulla Tula.
The elephants arrived at Tulla Tula in a big track. They were released
into a special area for keeping animals. This area had strong fences. The
elephants would get an electric shock if they touched the fence, but still the
elephants escaped. Anthony had to find the elephants they had left the safety of
Tula Tula. Other people would shoot the elephants if he did not find them.
After many days, he found them, but they had destroyed more property
and they had charged at another man. They were very dangerous. Anthony brought
the elephants home to Tula Tula again. This time he tried something different.
He decided to live with the elephants. He lived and slept by the elephants
for many weeks, but he did not go too close. The elephants got
angry if he came too near, but Anthony would sing and talk. He
did this for a particular purpose. He wanted the elephants to trust him.
He told the BBC World Service. I would walk around talking to myself.
I tried to get them used to my voice. Sometimes I would sing.
I would be there for weeks. After a little while, the elephants let
him come closer to the fence. He talked to them as if they were
people. He told them they were in their new home. He told them
that they would be happy. He wanted to persuade the elephants to stay in
to La Tula. The leader of the elephants was a female called Nana.
Nana was the matriarch. Anthony concentrated his efforts on her. As the weeks
passed, Nana let him move nearer and nearer. Then one day she put
her long trunk through the fence. Anthony moved closer. She reached out and
Nana touched Anthony with her trunk. She had accepted him. Anthony said that
everything changed after this happened. He discovered that all the other elephants accepted him
too. He told the BBC World Service. I began to understand that once
the matriarch makes a decision, she communicates it to the herd. The next
day, there was no tension. The elephants were calm. That day.
Anthony released the elephants the fenced area. This was a big decision. If
the elephants left Tula Tula, they would be shot and killed. But it
worked. The elephants knew how to escape, but they chose to stay.
Anthony formed a very special link with the elephants. They became very close.
They were friends. His son Jason told BBC Radio four he could stand and
call to them, and call and call and call, and they would come
and touch him. An amazing relationship. Anthony had a special relationship with elephant,
but he wanted to protect other animals too. In two thousand and three,
he saw television news of the bombing of Baghdad, Iraq. He knew
that there was a big zoo there. He discovered that no one planned to
save the zoo animals, so he decided to save them himself. He flew
to Kuwait. There he collected supplies. He drove to the border of Kuwait
and Iraq. The guards at the border were very surprised to see him.
Iraq was a war area. Everyone else was trying to leave Iraq, but
Anthony was trying to enter. He explained that he was going to rescue the
zoo animals. The guard said that the idea was insane, but he led
Anthony into Iraq. Anthony got to Baghdad. He saw ruined buildings and he
heard gunfire. There was still fighting in the city, but Anthony found the
zoo. It was wrecked. Anthony saw many dead animals. Flies were all
around them. Other zoo animals had been eaten by local people, but dangerous
animals such as lions and tigers had survived. However, these animals were deeply
shot and they were starving. Anthony and some helpers immediately began to save the
animals. Anthony bought donkeys to feed the zoo animals. He paid zoo workers
to return to work. It was hard work preparing the zoo. Soon American
soldiers started to help. A few weeks later, former Iraqi soldiers helped too.
These men had been killing each other on the battlefield only recently. Anthony
told the BBC American soldiers were fighting during the day, they put down their
weapons at night. Then they would come across to the zoo and help.
I was watching American soldiers and Iraqi soldiers both working to help these animals,
completely amazing. Anthony stayed in Baghdad for six months. When he left,
the animals were healthy and the zoo was clean. The zoo had been saved.
Anthony's work protecting animals could be dangerous, but he learned a lot from
animals. In his book Elephant Whisperer, he explained, they taught me that
all forms are important to each other. There is more to life than just
yourself, your family, or your kind. The writer of this program was
Katie Blake. The producer was Nick Mandels. The voices you heard were from
the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted and voiced by
Spotlight. You can find our programs on the internet at www dot Radio English
dot net. This program is called Lawrence Anthony Elephant Whisperer. We hope you
can join us again for the next Spotlight program, Goodbye,