This touching incident occurred years ago when Lawrence Anthony, a renowned conservationist and writer known as “The Elephant Whisperer,” passed away. After his death, a herd of wild elephants, who had previously received rescue and rehabilitation from him, made their way to his home in the South African state of Kwazulu-Natal. They stood around his house for two days in what appeared to be a vigil, before eventually dispersing. According to Graham Spence, Anthony’s brother-in-law and co-author of three books, the elephants are now “completely wild and doing fine.” Anthony’s son, Dylan Anthony, continues his father’s work through the Earth Organization, which Lawrence founded in 1998 in Thula, the reserve where he lived and where the elephants still reside. Dylan also carries on his father’s legacy in a remote town named Camperdown outside Durban, South Africa.
Here are some pictures of the herd paying their respects:
The elephants from different parts of the park traveled for 12 hours to reach Anthony’s house after he died of a heart attack. The two herds arrived immediately after his death, according to his son Jason.
Exactly one year later, the herd marched to Anthony’s residence again to pay their respects.
Nana led two herds of elephants on a 12-hour journey to pay their respects at Lawrence’s residence. They stood outside his house for two full days, appearing to be on alert, before eventually returning to their lives.
This incident is unexplainable by science. Elephants are known for their mourning rituals, both in the wild and in captivity, yet it is difficult to comprehend how they could have sensed that Anthony had passed away. Elephants grieve the loss of their relatives, such as a child or parent. This has been documented by several researchers.
