Elephants never forget

Ding told me the other day about some book she read about Elephants. I was surprised to learn about some of their behaviour - it was so .. human-like (for lack of a better word). They're not just big, bumbling animals.

For example, if a baby elephant witnesses the death of her mother, every year, on the anniversary date of the mother's death, the baby will make a pilgrimage to the spot their mom died. And they will be Crying!!

Also, there was a documented case where a family of elephants were being hunted. The mother was killed and the father blocked the path, so the two baby elephants could escape. The hunters weren't planning to kill the other elephants, but somehow, they injured the father in the leg, and that elephant couldn't walk on it's own. The babies came back and each stood either side of the father, helping him walk back into the forest!!

Holy cow. I really never heard of such behaviour from animals!! It makes me.. well, want to donate to the World Wildlife Fund.