Elephant Healing

In his essay "Elephant Crackup", Charles Siebert brings up the idea of healing a traumatize elephant. He quotes Bradshaw saying "Traditionally, nature has served as a source of healing for humans. Now humans can participate actively in the healing of both themselves and non-human animals" (Siebert 538). He also quotes Bradshaw's idea of "trans-species psyche" between the elephant and man. We see that elephants have a similar mind like those of humans, whether it is through raising calves to a certain age or sacred burials of loved ones. What Siebert is trying to say is that humans and elephants can live in nature together and help each other out. Siebert discusses this in a anthropocentric view. Through rehab and helping out lost wild elephants, the elephants learn to grow up in a good fashion instead of a wild and outrageous manner.

Can the Allo-Family Fill the Void?

The cliche story of man being raised by animals just does not seem possible. We see this same scenario everyday in movies and stories but it raises the question of if the opposite could be done. It seems that the allomother and allograndmother are breakthroughs in the development of human and elephant relationships. the prefix allo- means other or different and is the perfect way to describe the relation. This part of an extended allo-family attempts to fill the void left by birth parents. Siebert describes elephants who bring their young back to the humans who helped them when their own parents were deceased. These elephants were able to find comfort and empathy within these humans just as orphans find this same compassion with foster parents and other caretakers. When dealing with elephants, or any other animal that a human is trying to raise, there must be certain factors that an allomother considers such as if the elephant becomes dependent upon them. This may cause elephants to lash out at any other trainer that tries to care for them in the allomother's absence. This idea of an extend allo-family just may be what it takes to completely improve the relationship between man and elephants.

Mutual Rehabilitation

This passage, as Siebert so clearly puts it, deals with the rehabilitation of elephants that have been mistreated by society. Most of these elephants are those who have, essentially, been kept insolitary confinement as circus elephants. In my opinion, Siebert includes rehabilitation in his work to show how similar humans and elephants are in the way they behave and react to abuse. Most of the time when inmates are released from prison they need to go certain psychological procedures to show that they are capable of being reinstated to society; if they are not, they attend rehab. All in all, Siebert’s underlying message in this passage is that we, as human beings, control the fate of elephants on this planet.

Elephant Trans-species

This quote shows the promising results that a human and elephant relationship can have if humans become less anthropocentric. Not suprisingly, young elephants that were raised by humans since birth recongnize them as their family. Later in life, these elephants bring their young back to their place of birth to meet their "allograndmothers", or humans. This is a groundbreaking concept since the two species look nothing alike. However, they share the same social strucutre and similar psychology which makes this concept possible. Interestingly, the text also describes helping the elephants a way of helping ourselves. This is true because humans need to learn how to live among other animals peacefully. After all, humans are animals themselves. If we cannot live peacefully among each other, our species will cease to exist. If this "interspecies culture" is achieved, it will benefit both cultures.

An Elephant Crackup? Homework 1

Siebert is telling us in this passage that elephants are able to change for the better. As seen elephants from the Sheldrick Trust sanctuary are returning periodically and amazingly with their young. This is amazing because it looks like if they are bringing their young to the sanctuary so that their once caretakers can see their young, just how a human mother brings her children to see her mother. Siebert uses the words “allomothers” in the passage to describe the caretakers, in this he means that the elephants see these people almost as if they were their real mother, aunts, grandmothers and the awesome thing is that the elephants from the sanctuary see it in the exact same way. They have come to see us not just as humans that helped them but as a part of them, of their family, as Seibert stated “as a whole new subspecies.” We have to see this and think to ourselves if elephants can see us as much more than just coexistent creatures, Why not us do the same? Why not push aside our anthropocentric view on everything and try to see ourselves as part of the “family of elephants”? As Bradshaw told Siebert at the end of the passage that “the trust and the sanctuary are the beginning of mutually benefiting interspecies culture.” Meaning that if we help out and give trust to elephants they will change and both sides will end up being winners, elephants will not die out and the casualties and confrontations with elephants will most likely drop and perhaps maybe even stop.

A New Understanding

Charles Siebert explains that the issue is far larger then the recent elephant attacks. We need to totally change our thinking of elephants and how we interact with them. He states "it requires nothing less then a fundamental shift in the way in the way we look at animals". He suggests we next go past an anthropomorphic view but "in effect be elephants." It is not how we change the way we treat animals. We need to change their perception in ours. But not only certain people, we as a human race have to view elephants in the right context. We have to think of them as one of our own. They are equal to us just like all men on this earth. If we can achieve this, then all of our issues with elephants will be resolved.

A Whole New World

To date, the Sheldrick Trust has successfully rehabilitated more than 60 elephants and reintroduced them into wild herds. A number of them have periodically returned to the sanctuary with their own wild-born calves in order to reunite with their human allomothers and to introduce their offspring to what — out on this uncharted frontier of the new ‘‘trans-species psyche’’ — is now being recognized, at least by the elephants, it seems, as a whole new subspecies: the human allograndmother. ‘‘Traditionally, nature has served as a source of healing for humans,’’ Bradshaw told me. ‘‘Now humans can participate actively in the healing of both themselves and nonhuman animals. The trust and the sanctuary are the beginnings of a mutually benefiting interspecies culture.’’ (538)

The relationship that the “allomothers” and the elephants have is something that we have not fully come to understand. As described in this quote, there is a clear connection between the “allomothers” and the elephants which shows how the elephants can form bonds with humans to somewhat fill in the void of the family members these elephants have lost. The “interspecies culture” mentioned in this quote is something that is not yet accepted by humans, but seems to be a new way of thinking and interacting with these creatures. Elephants are beginning to take part in this by doing things such as bringing their wild-born calves back to the sanctuary to meet their “allograndmothers”. A lot of people have yet to open their eyes or mind to this new form of interacting with animals, but this new relationship can be benefiting for not only the elephants, but for us as well.

Sanctuary for hope

In Siebert’s essay, he talks about rehabilitations for elephants that have been successful. Siebert states: “ A number of them have periodically returned to the sanctuary with their own wild-born calves in order to re-unite them with their human allomothers and to introduce their offspring to what-out on this uncharted frontier of the new ‘trans-species psyche” (540). The sanctuary or rehab was another chance for the elephants. According to OED, sanctuary is an area of land within which (wild) animals or plants are protected and encouraged to breed or grow. This place was created for the elephants to calm down and loosen up. The elephants were then able to connect with the humans, creating a special bond. With this bond the elephants felt close enough and had the insurance that they would be able to show their children to these humans they now consider one of themselves.
Siebert used the phrase “trans-species psyche” to describe the connection between the elephants. The OED defines psyche as “the whole conscious mind when viewed as deciding or determining motivation, emotional response and other psychological characteristics”. In the sanctuary, the elephants were able to get to the stage where they were confident and had that motivation to show their children to their protectors. The sanctuary created this new link between the elephants and humans which creates a sense that wild animals can live together with humans. It gives wild animals another chance in life.

We're Getting Somewhere

In this bit of Charles Siebert’s Essay, the man Sheldrick Trust rehabilitated more than 60 elephants and helped them reenter the herds and live a normal life. What is new is how the elephants return to the sanctuary with their offspring, and introduce them to the human caretakers, hence the term “allograndmothers”. This fosters a “trans-species psyche” so it is, in a way, creates a sense of family ties between humans and elephants. The elephants consider us as their own, kind of like how the elephant herd at the end of the essay performed vigil, and mourned over the death of a villager. So there is scope for more improvement but humans need to connect to the other species. By creating a sanctuary in which humans used nature as a healing source, they were able to connect to the wild and understand how to bond with the elephants. It sort of detached the usual anthropocentric approach in which humans always regarded themselves as the “center of everything”. If, “humans can participate actively in the healing of themselves and nonhuman animals”, as what Bradshaw stated, there can be much more to accomplish than just 60 elephants.

Mutual Rehabilitation

In the passage, Charles Siebert suggests that the sanctuary, what use to be a place of recovery for mentally unstable elephants may also offer a type of mental rehabilitation for people. He states that Sheldrick Trust has rehabilitated more than 60 elephants and released them back into the wild. Although the normal person would read this and think about how nice it is that elephants are able to return to their home, if the reader takes a deeper train of though he or she may realize that this is also beneficial for the people who have successfully allowed the elephants to return to the wild. It is true that the elephants are the main target of rehabilitation, but for the people who get to watch these animals get back out into the land where they once came from, it is truly a heart warming phenomenon.

Besides the initial pleasure of seeing these creatures being released, some get to experience the pleasure of seeing fully healed elephants return to the sanctuary with their wild-born calves. Through this new “trans-species psyche”, for the few who get to see elephants return with their own family, its like seeing a part of their own family return from a far away place. In the passage, Siebert uses the term “trans-species psyche”, meaning that in this sanctuary and around the world, if people want to combat the problem of the elephant culture breakdown, people must first become elephants psychologically. We must think like them, see the world from their perspective, and find solutions to problems that not only affect us, but the elephants. When people finally achieve this sense of elephantism, everything they do affects us. So, when an elephant returns with their own families to the sanctuary where people helped them recover, they are basically returning to their human allograndmothers. This trust, Siebert claims, is the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship between people and animals, both physically and mentally.

Elephants and Humans

“An Elephant Crackup” by Charles Siebert explains the troubles faced by elephants with humans. He explores the world of the elephant to see what is leading to their lashing out. He discovers that humans are starting to take over land that was once ruled by the elephants. Elephants that are fighting for territory may be hostile towards humans in its area. Siebert also compares the childhood of an orphaned elephant with an orphaned human. Some orphan elephants have been the cause of killing frenzy of animals and humans. The Sheldrick Trust helps with behavior of the orphaned elephants. By having the elephants there they are able to stop the frenzies. Additionally by having the elephants, humans have been able to bond with the elephants and learn that they are not so different from humans. Maybe this new bond between humans and elephants will have a positive outcome.

Transpecies Therapy

In Seibert's An Elephant Crackup?, psychologist Gay Bradshaw proposes the idea of a "trans-species psyche" between man and elephant. This innovative notion is backed by the analogous domestic structures of each animal. From the social classes to burial rituals and advanced communication, Seibert humanizes the elephants to reinforce the unification of both souls. Now, sanctuaries, such as the Sheldrick Trust in Kenya, are exploiting this relationship. The rehabilitation of elephants is proving beneficial for all parties involved.

This companion assisted rehabilitation transcends the human-elephant relationship. Elephant therapy entails, "both a sense of safety and a freedom of choice--both mainstays of human trauma therapy--as well as continual social interaction" (Seibert 536). However, other forms of transpecies therapy include convicts and horses. While it may seem that the convicts must learn to deal with the unruly, wild mustangs, it can be said that the horses must learn to deal with the contumacious convicts. These relationships are, as Bradshaw described, "the beginning of a mutually benefiting interspecies culture" (538).

Human Cookies

"Now Humans can participate actively in the healing of both themselves and non-human animals."

This seems to be a continuation of how we need to reverse this backwards idea of forcing everything to fit into a human form or shape. Maybe we as humans need to start thinking and trying to fit ourselves into other forms. We are not the cookie cutter model that all cultures human or animal need to conform to. We need to stop rolling out the cookie dough and stamping little human figures and removing everything that doesn't fit into that little model.

An Unforeseen Bond

After all the abuse and trauma that humans have caused elephants, it would be hard to believe that elephants are still able to form a friendly connection with humans. Yet, they are still able to view humans as more than just another animal in their environment. According to a passage in Siebert’s article, A few number of rehabilitated elephants returned to introduce their offsprings to their “allomothers” at the Sheldrick Trust. If the elephants continue to introduce their offspring, then, eventually, the life of people and elephants could become intertwined. This could be the start of a “mutually benefiting interspecies culture.” A friendly elephant-human relationship really could exist and grow. How this new bond develops is up to us humans.

An Elephant Crackup: The Sheldrick Trust

This is an excerpt from Charles Siebert’s essay An Elephant Crackup that highlights the growing connection between humans and elephants, specifically at the Sheldrick Trust. The Sheldrick Trust to date has rehabilitated over 60 elephants and released them back into the wild. The special thing about his case is that a number of the elephants have returned back to the Trust with their calves to introduce them to their human “allomothers”. This is really interesting because up until this point elephant violence and rehabilitation has been discussed from an anthropocentric point of view. What Siebert is suggesting now is that humans and elephants can coexist together in nature and benefit from each other. As Bradshaw states, nature has been a source of healing for humans and now we are serving as healers for elephants by becoming the caregivers the elephants lost due to either natural or human causes. This does not have to be relevant just to elephants and humans but rather to humans and all other forms of nature as well. Humans should not take such an anthropocentric view of the world but rather one that treats all living beings as one and not as a hierarchy.