Elephantoms: Tracking the ElephantAs a child in South Africa, spending summers exploring the wild with his boyhood friends, Lyall Watson came face to face with his first elephant. From that moment on, Watson's fascination grew into a lifelong obsession with understanding the nature and behaviour of this impressive creature. Around the world, the elephant - at once a symbol of spiritual power and physical endurance - has been worshipped as a god and hunted for sport. In this captivating portrait of the elephant, Watson draws from scientific research, anthropological studies, and personal experience to document the animal's wide-ranging capabilities to remember and to mourn; and he reminds us of its rich mythic origins, its evolution, and its devastation in recent history. Part meditation on an elusive animal, part evocation of the power of place, Elephantoms presents an alluring mix of the mysteries of nature and the wonders of childhood. |
Contents
ACT ONE The Stone | |
Chapter Two Hearing the Elephant | |
ACT TWO The Iron | |
Chapter Five Tracking the Elephant | |
ACT THREE Coming of | |
An Elepiphany | |
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Common terms and phrases
Addo adult African elephants Afrikaans Aftand animal Asian elephants began behaviour bigfoot brain calf called calves Cape Coast century close dark Dart Delilah Desmond Morris dung ears elephant's experience eyes feeling feet female fence forest elephants fossil fynbos giant gomphotheres gorge ground happened head herd houtkappers human hundred hunters hunting infrasound involved Jacobson's organ Johannesburg Zoo Kamma keep Khoi killing kind knew Knysna Knysna elephants Kroos later learned living look male Matriarch miles million years ago Miocene moved musth needed never odour old bull perhaps picked Pretorius proboscid recognise Rock savannah seemed seen sense sight skin smell sound South Africa species Starbuck Strandlopers strange teeth things took tracks trail tree trunk turned tusks walked whale white elephant wild wondered yellowwood young