Elephants in India

A group of travelers returned a few weeks ago from India. One if the pictures posted on Facebook was of three of the travelers on top of an elephant. It reminded me of a pin that I have had for years that had been given to me by an Indian friend. I can't recall his name but I found the pin one day in an old jewelry box.  It is a pin of  five elephants and I hope it is not carved from ivory.

In India, it is believed that the elephant brings good luck and prosperity. They are a symbol of power, dignity, intelligence, wisdom, loyalty, strength, fidelity and longevity. I have seen documentaries on elephants and I would add creativeness and family oriented. It saddens me when I read about how they are mistreated and handled in a cruel manner.

When I visit a zoo, I enjoy watching the lumbering animal eat, splash water or toss dirt. I have watched baby elephants hanging around its mother and how the little elephant can walk underneath its mother. It seems sad that some of the elephants are confined to small areas. Seeing an elephant perform in a circus is even sadder and I wish they would be banned from appearing in circuses.

It appears that in India, a previous task force on elephants member, Suparna Baksu Ganguly, said, "all Indians, culturally, have love, respect, and great devotion for the elephant." It would be nice if everyone felt the same way toward the large animals.