Talk at a Memorial for Indu the Elephant:

Euthanized at Phoenix Zoo.

This memorial was organized by In Defense of Animals on July 9, 2025.

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Indu, your friends are gathered on your behalf.

In the very last days of 2016, I was at Thula Thula Preserve in South Africa. I had wanted to visit the Elephants there and also Lawrence Anthony, known as an Elephant Whisperer, who had created this refuge for them when their lives were threatened on their native lands further north. He had had to fence his entire land and so confined the small herd in a Boma while that work was finished and they accommodated to the land. They were not happy and kept trying to escape and he realized that he and a ranger needed to live just on the other side of the fence until the Elephants adjusted. They did so, 24/7, for many weeks. During that time a very deep bond formed between Anthony and Nana the Matriarch and also the rest of the Elephants.

As it happened Anthony died suddenly while receiving an award in a nearby city, and before I could come to Thula Thula. You probably have read of how the Elephants gathered at his house at the moment of his death as they had whenever he returned from a journey, even if he had changed the date or time of his return, they were there when he arrived. And so we might assume his spirit came home when he died and the Elephants met it. His spirit and their spirits interconnecting and giving evidence of Elephant’s spiritual nature. Let us then see the possibility that Indu is also here with us, that she knows we have gathered on her behalf and she has joined us.

Many of you know of my meeting with the Ambassador Elephant at Chobe in 1999 and in the years afterward whenever I was in Botswana, he appeared with his herd or family at the last hour of the last day, at the Chapungo (Fisher Eagle) tree where we had first met, repeating confirmation of the range of the spiritual nature of Elephants. When I was planning to visit Thula Thula, a thought was planted in my mind that I assumed came from the Ambassador. I was to greet the Matriarch of the herd, Nana, and her Matriarch in training, Frankie, as I would an Indigenous Elder whose tribe or territory I wished to visit. I explained this to the Ranger at Thula Thula, who was, to say the least, skeptical or amused, but yielding to my certainty and seriousness took us to a place where, if she wanted to engage, Nana might appear. She did. You can read the details of this meeting in my novel, La Vieja: A Journal of Fire. I introduced everyone in the truck and communicated the equivalent of the following. I suggest you listen to this as if we are speaking a version of this to the spirit of Indu who is with us.

We are here on pilgrimage to make a bond between the human realm and the elephant realm. We take this seriously. Even more seriously than I would take a similar diplomatic visit to any other greatly respected leader of a human community.

I don’t know what we will do, how we will present whatever we gain or understand from the intimacy we hope will be possible but we will be responsible, committed as we are to the Earth and your people benefiting. To accomplish this we hope to forge a true connection between you and us, between the members of your community and ourselves. We want us and then all other humans, to return to true connection, common concerns and right relationship with you and your people. We would like to give back something of what you have given us

We believe we are trustworthy. We believe Spirit has sent us to each other. These words are sincere. Please allow us to form alliances with each other.

Dear Indu, I speak these words now on behalf of everyone on this call to you, and I speak on behalf of right relationship in the spirit realm. We may not have met you, Indu, person to person, but we are gathered because you are in our hearts and because we recognize the being that you were and the mourn the tragedy of your life in confinement and the tragedy of your death before you could be released to a different life in the natural world among your peers. But in your honor we carry such a hope for all Elephants now in captivity. Recognizing that you are, as they are, spiritual beings, we devote ourselves to a free future for all Elephant people.

Let us take a moment of silence to be with Indu. If you can feel her presence, please open your heart to her.

Thank you.

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