Elephants Paid Their Respects to Late “Elephant Whisperer” Lawrence Anthony-Reported to be Truth!
Summary of eRumor:
This is a forwarded email that alleged that herds of elephants “mysteriously” appeared at the home of Organization Earth Founder Lawrence Anthony and mourned his death in March 2012.
The Truth:
Reports that two herds of South African elephants that were rescued by wildlife conservationist Lawrence Anthony traveled to his home to pay their respects upon Anthony’s death are true. This according to a March 11, 2012 article by the New York Times.
Anthony’s son, Dylan Anthony, told the New York Times that the elephants gathered on the edge of the reserve near his house every night after his death.
Anthony was the author of numerous books on wildlife conservation. He also created the 5,000-acre Thula Thula wildlife sanctuary and adopted herds of elephants that would have been killed, according to the New York Times obituary.
Elephants have been known to grieve the deaths of friends and relatives. They sometimes stay beside the bodies of loved ones to mourn for up to three full days, according to a January 30, 2013 article by the Daily Mail.
Posted 02/24/14