象语者

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，劳伦斯·安东尼因心脏病发作去世，非洲就此失去了这位自然资源保护论者。他大概是作为电影《象语者》的原型而最为人熟知，他还于2003年建立了“地球组织”。他曾为保护白犀牛，在刚果与乌干达战争的反政府武装组织对话;他也曾为拯救鳄鱼及其他物种作斗爭。

1995年前后，他买下了南非最大的私人动物保护区之一，其名为图拉图拉。大象并不在其保护计划中。但在1999年，有人向他出售九头大象，并称如果他不接管这群麻烦的大象，它们就会被射杀。

不幸的是，在围捕群象的过程中，一头母象和她的小象在企图逃脱时被射杀。当象群抵达（图拉图拉保护区）时，人们要给它们服用镇静剂让它们冷静下来。当侧门打开时，母头象挣脱出来，紧跟着的是她的公象宝宝、三只母象和一只11岁的公象。最后出来的是一头15岁的小公象，他的妈妈之前已被射杀。他扑扇着耳朵，愤怒地嘶吼着冲出来，在撞到篱笆之前停住了。

母头象娜娜是有名的逃脱大师，她已经想好冲出电围栏的方法。那晚，两头母象合力弄倒一棵树把围栏推倒。不知怎么地，她们还找到了发电机，像踏易拉罐一样踏扁了它。然后她们向北行进，所幸人们成功找到了她们并把她们带回了图拉图拉保护区。

为保证象群的生存，取得象群的信任，劳伦斯·安东尼曾殊死一搏。

事情要从象群到保护区的第一夜说起。安东尼醒来发现大象们在围栏跟前，娜娜准备把围栏推翻，再一次逃出去。那是凌晨4：45，安东尼正站在这只暴力、狂野的母象和她的小象面前，没有比这更危险的了。

娜娜绷紧身躯，扇动耳朵。“别这样做，娜娜，”他尽可能冷静地说，“请不要这样做，姑娘，现在这是你的家了。”据安东尼回忆，他继续和她说话，其余的大象都定住了，娜娜的眼睛紧盯着他。“如果你逃出去，人们会把你们全都杀掉，这里如今是你的家了，你不需要逃走。留在这儿。”安东尼这样说着，那一瞬间，他想，他要和象群共存亡，日夜守护它们。

娜娜又向前踏了一步，安东尼能看到她又绷紧了身体，准备冲出围栏，而安东尼正挡着她的路。然后，娜娜突然有了一丝认同，掉头走进了灌木丛中，其余大象也跟着她回去了。

后来又有人给他带来一只不安分的落单大象，名叫ET，她的象群同伴不是被卖了就是被射杀了。当ET攻击劳伦斯时，独特的娜娜救了他一命。劳伦斯说，他也不知道娜娜怎么能够跑那么快，在他面前侧身挡住了发起攻击的ET。ET停住了，看着娜娜，然后转身走开了。娜娜若无其事地继续进食，没有察觉到劳伦斯有多震撼，对她有多感激。

这些遭受过严重精神创伤的大象们全都安顿下来了，两个独立的象群都适应了环境并快乐地留在了图拉图拉5000英亩的土地上。

这个故事最引人瞩目的部分，就是在劳伦斯·安东尼去世的时候，两群南非野象缓缓地穿过祖鲁兰灌木林，到达救过自己性命的已故安东尼的住所，这至少要花掉它们12个小时。从前暴力、受过精神创伤的大象本来注定会被当成害兽射杀，但安东尼帮助它们重获生存的权利，它们抵达并停留在安东尼农舍所在的野生动物保护区，来跟它们爱的人告别。

没人知道象群是怎样得知劳伦斯在600公里之外的约翰内斯堡去世的。

两个象群都抵达了它们一年半没回来过的栖息地。它们回去灌木林之前在这逗留了几天。这是动物的敏感和知觉的惊人证明，极少数人类有这种感知能力，而劳伦斯是其中的一个。

当我们回想起图拉图拉这些大象的时候，我们就会真正感受到所有不同物种之间奇妙的互联性。一个人的心脏停止跳动，两群大象的心也随之哀伤。安东尼献出爱心去治愈大象，大象现在也来向它们这位挚爱的人类朋友致以深切的敬意。