In these pics, you'll see impressive, somber, cute, sweet, funny, and tragic.
This first one is in the first and last category. This fellow was blinded by a gunshot wound to the face - but survived and escaped before his tusks (Big Bulls are called Tuskers by the Sri Lankans) were cut off and he was left to bleed out and die.
You'll also see a terrible picture (actually, two) of a female ellie whose leg was blown off by a landmine (in the North of Sri Lanka, in Tamil Tiger country.) Miraculously, she survived, but she is severely deformed and it was pitiful to watch her try and move.
My personal fav is John washing the big matriarch! HA!
Whoa, Nellie! :)
He stopped to "shake hands" with me on the way to the water! Amazing!
See the baby?
And this was the heartbreaker. She haS compensated for the loss of her right leg by adopting a hunchbacked, "caterpillar"- type movement. It's made her back deformed, as well as her healthy left foreleg - see how it's bent?
We were thankful she's in the Orphanage, because there is NO WAY she could survive in the wild.
Babies!
My, what Big Vertebrae you have there!
Sprayed!
O.K...this isn't PC either, but let's start with "Are you eating anything?" You look thin, healthy, vibrant, gorgeous...John's a lucky man! Next, you're right, my heart nearly broke into a million pieces to see the elephant whose leg was maimed/amputated. A horse would have had to have been put to sleep...it's amazing. I'm healthily envious of this beautiful vacation you had. I don't know how I missed the Armour song...but really, I need to learn not to check your blog at work where people notice if you're verclempt (sp?). I'm glad you guys have had such a great time! I can't wait to see (at least one of) you in early March.
ReplyDeleteLove
Max
What an awesome trip! I loved all the pictures, I've always wanted to check out Sri Lanka ever since I saw it in Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf video. :)
ReplyDelete