Thanks for the additional video and the book tips. (Good gift ideas for the children in my life.)

Maybe you should pitch the Disney animation idea for “Tara and Bell” — with your talent, it could be lucrative. Then you could invite the Turley bloggers to the premiere.

Thanks for the sequel! Hats off to the people at the elephant sanctuary for their decision. Still, Disney could produce an animated film about the two animals.

BTW, here’s a video of another odd pairing of animal friends–a baby hippo and an old Aldabra tortoise. The baby hippo was separated from its family after the tsunami in 2004. The tortoise had been “a loner”–but accepted the baby hippo as his own.

There are nonfiction books for children written about Owen and Mzee and about Tarra and Bella:

- “Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship” told by Isabella Hatkoff, Carig Hatkoff, & Dr. Paula Kahumbu

- “Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends” by Carol Buckley.

Both books are illustrated with photographs.

The sequel is worth seeing, as well:

I, too, believe that many animals are sentient. Speaking of elephants–did you hear the story of Tarra and Bella–the elephant and a dog who became best friends:

Tarra and Bella

Animals, especially intelligent ones like elephants, will rampage when kept under stressful conditions. (Elephants are known to have incredible memories, close family bonds, and are known to even mourn their dead.) Elephants are not willing participants–most are beaten on a regular basis in order that they be submissive. And we keep getting surprised when they fight back!

“Domestication” is generally not a kind (or moral) thing to do to other sentient species.

All species have instinctual behavior, including man. Some instinct is fear-based and survivalist. It’s our struggle to rise above this, and do our best to live within a moral framework. We need to start addressing these moral issues, and that starts with stopping the ridiculing or demonizing of other species who are simply reacting to the cruelties inflicted upon them.

Glen Ryan

The whole sordid affair was so shocking and obvious – yet no one, nobody – was talking about it! Made for a very uncomfortable feeling in the room.

I feel sorry for the female elephant in the field. How’s it feel to be left for a lorry? An alienation of affections suit against the truck might help ease her pain though.

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Now that is wit … bon mot … thanks for the laugh!

He also then mounted and attempted to mate with a truck, and smashed through a shopping mall in the 15-hour New Delhi rampage.

His adventure was finally brought to an end when wildlife experts managed to bring him down with a tranquilliser gun.

‘It is a very powerful urge,’ said one expert.”

I think the larger point is that JT is right: dressing animals up in crab costumes or religious attire leads to problems.

And as a long-time reader of this blog, I can tell you that even humans have tried to “rock the casbah” with vehicles.

http://jonathanturley.org/2009/08/14/more-brawner-than-brains-new-mexico-man-arrested-after-intimate-moment-with-car-in-parking-lot/

It said annual ruttin, not a word I use every day. Now if they were talking about 4 wheeling, I had it covered.

I’m shocked that you needed to look up ruttin’.

“getting in on something simular to plowing with a nose. Animals that are ruttin are animals using their nose to discover something.”:

Pigs like to use their nose to dig up grubs.

Or the Free Dictionary:

rut 2 (rt)
n.
1. An annually recurring condition or period of sexual excitement and reproductive activity in male deer.
2. A condition or period of mammalian sexual activity, such as estrus.
intr.v. rut·ted, rut·ting, ruts

WOW, I have heard of lots of things but not this.

it has begun

http://www.isleofran.org/dan/perrob.gif

I guess thats what happens when they didn’t let her out to often.