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Unity among catastrophes

Written By: admin on January 17, 2011 No Comment

The first peace, which is the most important,

Is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship,

Their oneness, with the universe and all its powers,

And when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit,

And that this center is really everywhere,

It is within each of us.

-Black Elk-

As we face our daily challenges and routines, sometimes a catastrophic event happens and the World seems to have turned upside down. This is the thought that keeps racing through my head as I have been watching the news about the terrible floods and mudslides devastating different places around the globe.

These events are complete tragedies affecting thousands of people, hundreds having perished or are missing, losing homes and properties, losses in the millions of dollars. But what I often hear asked and I ask, as well, is “what about the wildlife and the habitat?” Yes, it is unfortunately true that these disasters tend to be measured by man’s loss in monetary denominations. Sometimes numbers of species affected or lost are quoted, but these are basically best guesses. So how could we begin to measure environmental and wildlife loss? How do we measure an entire coastline’s marshes, intertidal zone and ocean floor perhaps losing their proper balance and functionality for however long, which was once home to a wide variety of marine life and bird species… due to a devastating oil spill? What is that loss worth? Honestly, it can’t be measured.

The news simply can’t cover something that cannot be measured or explained. But what certainly does make the news is the relief efforts. The one ideal that is noticable when a horrific event happens, is that people come together, unify to help one another, including wildlife and the environment. Ironically, it is the occasional animal rescue photo or story that touches everyone’s hearts, arousing understanding and compassion of the event, despite the number of monies and losses quoted. The story of “Sam” the Koala made International headlines after he was rescued from Australia’s worst-ever wildfires in 2009 (http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wildfires/2009-02-12-australia-koala_N.htm) Today we still see numerous photos of pelicans and other bird species covered in oil advertised, after the devastating spill last year in the Gulf of Mexico. Articles can only attest to what “may” yet happen to some species (http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/the-americas/100428/oil-spills-endangered-species)

During the recent flooding in Australia, the news kept playing a video clip of a man wading in fast moving waters, up to his chest, to rescue a black cat from washing away. And the news of Sri Lanka’s floods featured an elephant calf that had drown, stuck high in a tree. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12185011)

I recently read a story that is an amazing testament of people’s compassion towards another species even during their own hardship. “The Katrina Dolphins: One-Way Ticket to Paradise” written by Georgeanne Irvine, who is a friend and colleague from the San Diego Zoo. The book chronicles the extraordinary saga of eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that were washed out to sea from their Marine Life Oceanarium home in Gulfport, Mississippi, during Hurricane Katrina and their dramatic rescue. To some people that had lost everything during that storm, their hopes and efforts were put forth into saving these dolphins and ensuring them a new safe, happy home.

I don’t know if it is coincidental, but the day before the floods hit Australia, a friend sent me an interesting story (Thanks Teej):

“Elephants Help Save Lives At Tsunami: From the unbelievable chaos of the Tsunami disaster comes an incredible tale from Jim France of the Pavilion Hotel Group in Bangkok: At a resort on Phuket, one of the most popular attractions is (was) elephant rides. As many as eight people on one elephant, first into the surrounding forest, then down to the beach, to lunch at a fresh water lagoon, then back to the hotel. The elephants (nine of them) were kept chained to in-ground posts, not because they needed to be, but because it made the mothers feel better because their children seemed safe from a tromping when feeding the beasts. About twenty minutes before the first wave hit, the elephants became extremely agitated and unruly. Four had just returned from a trip and their handler’s had not yet chained them. They helped the other five tear free from their chains. They all then climbed a hill and started bellowing. Many people followed them up the hill. Then the waves hit. After the waves subsided, the elephants charged down from the hill, and started picking up children with their trunks and running them back up the hill; when all the children were taken care of, they started helping the adults. They rescued forty- two people. Then, they returned to the beach and carried up four dead bodies, one of a child. Not until the task was done would they allow their handler’s to mount them. Then with handlers atop, they began moving wreckage. Many Super-Human and Super-Sentient capacities were being exhibited though these Wonderful Elephant Beings including Divine Love for one another and their fellow humans through the transitions they were going through.”

Of course the story is a perfect example of elephants’ intelligence with an obvious sense of some premonition and their strong emotional and caring abilities. This is also demonstrated in the popular Youtube video of an elephant herd working together to save one of their young from drowning in a waterhole. (posted on: http://www.elephantswithoutborders.org/videos.php)

I checked online to try and verify this amazing story of the Thailand tsunami elephants and was met with some doubts (one person even claiming it an “elephantasy.”) However, I did read further reports of partial truths to it. But even if it is only partially true, what it clearly demonstrates, as the other examples mentioned above, is that we are all in this together. We, meaning all of us that inhabit the earth, are here living, sharing this planet, with all its perfect beauty, imperfections, imbalances and disasters, whether they be man-made or nature’s fury. The elephants knew this. It is unfortunate that for some people, this is only realized when an impending catastrophe happens to them, as if the disaster is a reminder or eye-opener, while others live their lives well within the realty.

The new year seems to have rushed in with vehemence. Perhaps it is, in some unforeseen way, a reminder or a plea from Earth that we must prove ourselves vigilant and pledge to try and create a better balance between man and nature. It’s not that we simply affect each other’s existence, but rather that we are definitively unified, we are one and we cannot live without each other.The first peace, which is the most important,

Is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship,

Their oneness, with the universe and all its powers,

And when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit,

And that this center is really everywhere,

It is within each of us.

-Black Elk-

As we face our daily challenges and routines, sometimes a catastrophic event happens and the World seems to have turned upside down. This is the thought that keeps racing through my mind as I have been watching the news about the terrible floods and mudslides devastating different places around the globe.

The news simply cannot quote something that cannot be measured. But what certainly does make the news is the relief efforts. The one ideal that is noticeable when a horrific event happens, is that people come together, unify to help one another, including animals, wildlife and the environment. Ironically, it is the occasional animal rescue photo or story that touches everyone’s hearts, arousing understanding and compassion of the event, despite the number of monies and losses quoted. The story of “Sam” the Koala made International headlines after he was rescued from Australia’s worst-ever wildfires in 2009 (http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wildfires/2009-02-12-australia-koala_N.htm) Today we still see numerous photos of pelicans and other bird species covered in oil advertised, after the devastating spill last year in the Gulf of Mexico. Articles can only attest to what “may” yet happen to some species (http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/the-americas/100428/oil-spills-endangered-species) During the recent flooding in Australia, the news replayed a video clip of a man wading in fast moving waters, up to his chest, rescuing a cat from washing away. This morning news showed baby kangaroos that were saved, being attended to. Here is a decent article on Queensland’s wildlife rescue work… Keep it up, mates! (http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/wildlife-hit-hard-by-queensland-floods.htm) However, it is hard pressed to find much more news on the devastating waters affect on wildlife and habitat. Again, the after-effects and loss cannot easily be measured (http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/australia/2011/01/17/287946/Koalas-kangaroos.htm, http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/15/3113541.htm?site=news) News of Sri Lanka’s floods featured an elephant calf that had drown, stuck high in a tree (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12185011) and most recently, an article was posted on animal numbers lost, including reports of 50 wild elephants (http://www.zeenews.com/news680970.html)

I recently read a story that is a wonderful testament of people’s compassion towards another species even during their own hardship. “The Katrina Dolphins: One-Way Ticket to Paradise” written by Georgeanne Irvine, who is a friend and colleague from the San Diego Zoo. The book chronicles the extraordinary saga of eight Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that were washed out to sea from their Marine Life Oceanarium home in Gulfport, Mississippi, during Hurricane Katrina and their dramatic rescue. To some people that had lost everything during that storm, their hopes and efforts were put forth into saving these dolphins and ensuring them a new safe, happy home.

I don’t know if it is coincidental, but the day before the floods hit Australia, a friend sent me an interesting story: “Elephants Help Save Lives At Tsunami: From the unbelievable chaos of the Tsunami disaster comes an incredible tale from Jim France of the Pavilion Hotel Group in Bangkok: At a resort on Phuket, one of the most popular attractions is (was) elephant rides. As many as eight people on one elephant, first into the surrounding forest, then down to the beach, to lunch at a fresh water lagoon, then back to the hotel. The elephants (nine of them) were kept chained to in-ground posts, not because they needed to be, but because it made the mothers feel better because their children seemed safe from a tromping when feeding the beasts. About twenty minutes before the first wave hit, the elephants became extremely agitated and unruly. Four had just returned from a trip and their handler’s had not yet chained them. They helped the other five tear free from their chains. They all then climbed a hill and started bellowing. Many people followed them up the hill. Then the waves hit. After the waves subsided, the elephants charged down from the hill, and started picking up children with their trunks and running them back up the hill; when all the children were taken care of, they started helping the adults. They rescued forty- two people. Then, they returned to the beach and carried up four dead bodies, one of a child. Not until the task was done would they allow their handler’s to mount them. Then with handlers atop, they began moving wreckage. Many super-human and super-sentient capacities were being exhibited though these wonderful elephant beings including divine love for one another and their fellow humans through the transitions they were going through.”

I checked online to try and verify this amazing story of the Thailand tsunami elephants and was met with some doubts (one person even claiming it an “elephantasy.”) However, I did read further reports of partial truths to it. But even if it is only partially true, what it clearly demonstrates, as the other examples mentioned above, is that we are all in this together. We, meaning all of us that inhabit the earth, are here living, sharing this planet, with all its perfect beauty, imperfections, imbalances and disasters, whether they be man-made or nature’s fury. The elephants knew this and it is seen in the way they unite to protect each other. It is unfortunate that for some people, this is only realized when an impending catastrophe happens to them, as if the disaster is a reminder or eye-opener, while others live their lives well within the realty.

The new year seems to have rushed in with vehemence. Perhaps it is, in some unforeseen way, a reminder or a plea from Earth that we must prove ourselves vigilant and pledge to try and create a better balance between man and nature. It’s not that we simply affect each others’ existence, but rather that we are definitively unified, and we cannot live without each other. We are one World.

To learn more about Elephants Without Borders: http://www.elephantswithoutborders.org/

If you would like to support EWB’s endeavors:http://www.elephantswithoutborders.org/donate.php