In Touch With Nature: Halloween special – Elephant graveyard: fact or fiction #InTouchWithNature #Elephants

Picture caption: Photograph of an elephant’s skull from Deposit PhotosWhat is an elephants’ graveyard?

According to legend, an elephants’ graveyard is a place where old elephants instinctively go when they reach a certain age. In essence, it is a place where old elephants are believed to go to die.

Fact or fiction?

The concept of an elephant’s graveyard is a myth. However, elephant remains are often found in specific areas due to their favourable geographics. Injured or older elephants often settle in areas with easy access to water and food leading to concentrations of carcasses in those areas. In addition, group killings by hunters have also led to the discovery of numerous bones in one spot. In these cases, the tusks of the elephants are missing.

The concept of an elephant graveyard first appeared in The Ivory Child by Sir Rider Haggard (the 12th of the 18 Allan Quatermain adventures). This is a short extract of Haggard’s description of the elephant graveyard:

“Ten minutes or so more brought us to the eastern head of the lake, where the reeds whispered in the breath of the night wind like things alive. As I expected, it proved to be a bare, open space where nothing seemed to grow. Yes, and all about me were the decaying remains of elephants, hundreds of them, some with their bones covered in moss, that may have lain here for generations, and others more newly dead. They were all old beasts as I could tell by the tusks, whether male or female. Indeed about me within a radius of a quarter of a mile lay enough ivory to make a man very rich for life, since although discoloured, much of it seemed to have kept quite sound, like human teeth in a mummy case. The sight gave me a new zest for life. If only I could manage to survive and carry off that ivory! I would. In this way or in that I swore that I would! Who could possibly die with so much ivory to be had for the taking? Not that old hunter, Allan Quatermain.

Then I forgot about the ivory, for there in front of me, just where it should be, just as I had seen it in the dream-picture, was the bull elephant dying, a thin and ancient brute that had lived its long life to the last hour. It searched about as though to find a convenient resting-place, and when this was discovered, stood over it, swaying to and fro for a full minute. Then it lifted its trunk and trumpeted shrilly thrice, singing its swan-song, after which it sank slowly to its knees, its trunk outstretched and the points of its worn tusks resting on the ground. Evidently it was dead.”

You can read The Ivory Child for free on Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2841/2841-h/2841-h.htm.

The concept of an elephants’ graveyard was then popularized in some films, including Disney’s The Lion King.

Do elephants mourn their dead?

Yes, elephants do mourn their dead. They also mourn any elephant bones they come across during their long marches. They gather around and touch the dead or bones with their sensitive trunks for long periods of time.

Elephant mothers have been known to lift the bodies of their dead calves up with their trunks and put them in a place where the body is then covered with twigs, sticks, and dirt. The other female members of the herd assist in this ritual.

On a happier note, here are a few pictures of elephant calves that I saw during my recent trip to Madikwe Game Reserve:

Picture caption: A large bull swaggering down the road. Picture caption: Here is the same elephant with his crown jewels on display. Picture caption: This lovely lady is having breakfast Picture caption: My latest acrylic painting called Autumn Elephant.

The above painting is in Michael and my new children’s book called Sesi says goodbye to Granny. The ebook is available for preorder from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/goodbye-Granny-Southern-African-Adventures-ebook/dp/B0DKCD2Y7X

I created this ebook in landscape orientation because that better suited the pictures. It was a difficult process and the cover doesn’t show on Amazon. This is the cover:

Picture caption: Cover for Sesi says goodbye to Granny. Drawing by Robbie Cheadle in oil pastels. Picture caption: This is the back cover with the blurb which says: Sesi the elephant calf is feeling sad. Granny, the herd matriarch, has left as she can no longer keep up with the other elephants. Sesi is anxious about what will happen to Granny. She also wonders who will look after the herd and see to their needs. Includes illustrations, photographs, links to video footage of elephants, and fun facts about elephants.

I am now battling with the Zone over the print book. Watch this space.

Extract from Amahle’s Demon

I love elephants and they fascinate me. So much so, that my short story in Midnight Garden is also about an elephant. I wasn’t able to prepare a post for the recent tour due to my aunt’s lengthily illness (she is much better now), so I’m sharing a short extract here.

“The crunch of steps on the gravel path outside the elephant enclosure caused Amahle to look up. A young man was approaching, his stride long and loose. His broad smile displayed a set of large, straight teeth that shone whitely against the dark skin of his round face. He wore the khaki uniform of an elephant carer.

“Amahle,” the familiar voice greeted her. “I’ve brought you a treat.

Out of the corner of her left eye, Amahle saw an apple moving towards her on the outstretched palm of Themba, her primary carer.

Taking the apple, Amahle crunched it with relish, apple juice squeezing out from between her large, flat molar teeth. The man’s arm reached out again to stroke her soft trunk.

“Hello, Amahle,” Themba said. “I see you’ve been enjoying …”

Through blurry eyes, Amahle saw a snake approaching. Backing away from the potential threat, she flapped her ears in distress. Her left foot rocked up and down, kicking up a cloud of red dust.

The snake disappeared. Not knowing where it had gone, Amahle raised her trunk and trumpeted loudly.”

Picture caption: Cover of The Midnight Garden anthology, edited by Kaye Lynne Booth.About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta is also the author and illustrator of sixteen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of three poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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