I'm very much pro environmental and pro animal protection. The plight of the elephants has really moved me recently. I watched a program on ANIMAL PLANET about how elephants are an endangered species in Asia. The same is true for their African cousins. I see gay rights, women's rights and the plight of the earth and her beings as being part of the exact same agenda. It is about standing up for the powerless against the powerful. A place in Thailand called ELEPHANT NATURE PARK takes in abused elephants. I was so moved that I mailed them a donation. One beautiful elephant had been blinded in both of her eyes by her former 'owner'. Animal abusers like that are truly evil. Good news is that the blind elephant was totally accepted by the other elephants living at the ENP. They have a cool website. Take care everybody. I have been too busy to post as often lately, but this topic has touched me.

I think Stephen Colbert talked about this recently.

Stephen Colbert: "Africa has more elephants today than it did 10 years ago." I did not know that. But I do love how he explains how Wikipedia works and that the truth, according to Wikipedia, can be just as shifty as a transmission.

This says it all for me!

Edited for the following:

I thought I was going crazy. Sometimes the link I want to show comes up & sometimes it doesn't. So if you see an elephant when you click on the link then it's correct. If you don't see an elephant as part of the link then select one of the internet speeds for your computer. You should then see then pix that I was trying to refer to. Thanks.

Elemental - you will probably appreciate this link.

Very good friends of mine have been instrumental in setting up this venture in Thailand - two big ol' lesbians (one of them is in the third photograph down, with the elephant tatt - natch).

If anybody's travelling to Thailand and want an experience a little out of the ordinary, perhaps try this. Have not visited yet, but hope to in the new year. The aim of the project is to retire old working elephants (apparantly Thailand has a rapidly ageing elephant population) to a comfortable and safe environment. The project also buys sick, abused and injured elephants and rehabilitates them. The program involves living with, caring for and learning about elephants.

A very worthy project.

Mixie, that website is way too cool, & the elephants way too cute. Wow, what an experience it must be!

Thank you all for the great links. They all were great. I'm glad that there are other elephant fans on this site. Shalom.

The late great comedian Richard Pryor was especially fond of elephants. Even while living with MS he did work to protect elephants. He was against the abuse of elephants in zoos and circuses. He was a truly compassionate man.