The Necessity for Cooperation

Siebert decided to share with us how the elephants were able to become rehabilitated and the outcome of this process, which he made seem as if it were very successful. “the trust and the sanctuary are the beginnings of a mutually benefiting inter-species culture”(538). The word mutually is a very common word, but within the texts, and understanding the definition which is “In a mutual relation; so as to reciprocate the same or an equivalent action, feeling, or effect; reciprocally” (OED) makes this a very powerful statement. The use of this word shows that the work put into rehabilitating is equally helpful to humans as well as healing the elephants. Siebert also uses the word “allomothers” (538) and also “new subs-species” (538) within his text which I believe is extremely important when used together. The word “allomothers” (538) alone means a substitute guardian that plays the role of a mother, but when combined with the phrase “new subspecies” which broken down can be deduced to mean “A subdivision of a species; a more or less permanent variety of a species” (OED) really shows how impacting this rehabilitation is to the relationship between man and elephants. Before this quote, Siebert discussed the fabric of the elephant society being frayed. I feel as if this new quote can be described as the same fabric being repaired by the help of the human fabric. As if humans and elephants, both being damaged and frayed, can come together to create a new fabric, just as Siebert said “a whole new sub-species” (538). Siebert quoted Bradshaw saying “Now humans can participate actively in the healing of both themselves and non-human animals” (538). This only strengthens the idea that the human and elephant interaction can benefit both parties. My interpretation of Siebert’s quote was that humans and elephants can use one another and become related to initiate being a better being.