Human-Elephant Relationship

Siebert believes that the way that people see animals, or more specifically, elephants, is geared by the way that people see themselves. He sees the connection between elephants and humans as very distinct. Siebert describes the connection in a broad sense and even goes as far as to use a metaphor to relate the two, saying, “…People are animals” (534). His fellow researchers see a deeper, more subtle connection between elephants and humans. Gay Bradshaw, for example, a fellow researcher, finds the connection to be more focused on people’s psyches. By focusing on the psyche-connections between humans and elephants, humans can better understand the “frame of reference” of elephants and in effect relate to them much better.