The Elephant Whisperer and the Herd That Mourned His Passing

Photo: zambezi/Depositphotos (Not an image of the actual elephants from the story)

Elephants are considered one of the few animals with a similar mourning pattern to that of humans. Elephant grieving has been documented in the form of stroking the bones of the deceased, guarding carcasses, burying dead calves, and even crying. But legend has it that, one time, an elephant herd went out of its way to honor not one of them, but a beloved human friend who saved their lives.

Lawrence Anthony was a conservationist known for his tireless work to rehabilitate a herd of nine wild African elephants. He took them into the Thula Thula Private Game Reserve in South Africa, a formerly rundown hunting game reserve he bought in the 1990s. There, Anthony earned their trust and helped them overcome some traumatic events, allowing them to feel safe around humans. He recounted his efforts in the bestselling book The Elephant Whisperer, which he penned alongside journalist Graham Spence.

Sadly, Anthony died from a heart attack at age 61 in 2012, putting a halt on his efforts to raise international awareness for the rhino-poaching crisis. While his death sent ripples through the world of conservationism, it was somehow also felt by the very elephants he helped. Anthony’s wife, Francoise Malby-Anthony said on Facebook that a couple of days after his passing, the elephants marched all the way to his house despite not showing up there for over a year.

“Tonight at Thula Thula, the whole herd arrived at the main house, home to Lawrence and [me],” Malby-Anthony wrote. “We had not seen them here for a very long time. Extraordinary proof of animal sensitivity and awareness that only a few human can perceive. And Lawrence was one of them. Lawrence’s legacy will be with us forever at Thula Thula.”

Different accounts say that the elephants walked slowly for days, making their way in a solemn one-by-one line. Others say that they stayed there for two days and two nights to pay their respects. While there is no concrete proof beyond Anthony’s wife’s account, it certainly matches elephants’ unique sensibilities, whose powerful memory helps them remember human friends and track migration routes, among other things.

Over a decade since his passing, Malby-Anthony carried on her husband’s legacy, running Thula Thula and caring for the elephants and rhinos with a team of 50 loyal employees. Given that hunting is not permitted, the reserve makes its money through its lodging offerings. To learn more about their efforts, visit Thula Thula’s website and follow Thula Thula Game Reserve on Instagram.