Naledi, which means “star” in Setswana, is definitely the star of the show! Throughout her travails, her rambunctious and loving personality shines through. Naledi was fortunate to be born in a rescue camp in Botswana, mostly because of the caring men who are there to look after her herd and to save her. The poignant scenes showing this orphaned baby elephant and her caretakers interacting can’t be described in mere words. I’ll just say that they touched me deeply.
Stop the hunt for ivory, please.
It’s important this crime should cease.
The film to watch is Naledi.
It warms your heart but makes you cry.
Elephants need their tusks much more
than people, whether rich or poor.
These creatures also need some space
not taken by the human race.
Naledi tells a story true
in this tale of a baby new.
Orphaned, Naledi will not live
without someone with love to give.
The African elephant plight
is simply not a pretty sight.
Naledi makes us all aware
and also hopes to make us care.
This splendid documentary, directed by Ben Bowie (Aliens: Are We Alone?) and Geoffrey Luck (Mind of a Giant), was produced by Vulcan Productions. It is now available on Netflix.
Save the elephants, and then you save the forest – and then you save yourself. --- Mark Shand
Elephants have the largest brains of any mammal on the face of the Earth. They are creative, altruistic and kind. --- Ingrid Newkirk
Nature’s grand masterpiece, an Elephant. --- John Donne
Elephants and grandchildren never forget. --- Andy Rooney
(Review also posted at ReelTalk Movie Reviews.)
A wonderful review and those quotes are priceless.
My own elephant epiphany occurred in Thailand while visiting my friend's sister on the way to Pattaya. Behind her house there were concrete fence posts about 12 feet tall and a wire fence with a vast, open expanse behind. The first time I was there, there was nothing in sight. But the second time I was there, a herd of elephants grazed just outside the fence. There was a huge bull right in front of me with tusks that stretched all the way to the ground and then curved up another 6 feet above the ground. I've never seen a picture of an African or Asian elephant with larger tusks than on a mammoth. These elephants were fenced in, obviously, but still quite a sight to see.
Ron