[CAPTAINZING2000]

An amazing story--Elephants in the Tsunami
>
> This is a most awesome story. One that reminds me of how amazing our
>Mother Earth is and all her creatures. Especially the big ones. Ganesh
>the Hindu Elephant God is known to be the remover of obstacles and the
>protector.
>
> From the unbelievable chaos of the Tsunami disaster comes an incredible
>tale from Jim France of the Pavilion Hotel Group in Bangkok.
>
> At a resort on Phuket, one of the most popular attractions is (was)
>elephant rides. As many as eight people on one elephant, first into the
>surrounding forest, then down to the beach, to lunch at a fresh water
>lagoon, then back to the hotel. The elephants (nine) were kept chained to
>in-ground posts,not because they needed to be, but because it made the
>mothers feel better because their children seemed safe from a tromping
>when feeding the beasts.
>
> About twenty minutes before the first wave hit, the elephants became
>extremely agitated and unruly. Four had just returned from a trip and
>their handler's had not yet chained them. They helped the other five tear
>free from their chains. They all then climbed a hill and started
>bellowing. Many people followed them up the hill. Then the waves hit.
>After the waves subsided, the elephants charged down from the hill, and
>started picking up children with their trunks and running them back up the
>hill; when all the children were taken care of, they started helping the
>adults.
>
> They rescued forty- two people. Then, they returned to the beach and
>carried up four dead bodies, one of a child.
>
> Not until the task was done would they allow their handlers to mount
>them. Then with handlers atop, they began moving wreckage.