One of the elephants at my favorite charity organization (The Elephant Sanctuary) passed away unexpectedly yesterday. Sad day for elly fans. Her friends mourn.
March 29, 2008
I hardly know how to share this news, it is shocking and I know it will bring tears to all. Our dear Queenie passed away unexpectedly today. There were no warning signs, no sickness, no shift from her adventurous playful self. In fact, Queenie spent a good portion of her day on Friday in the upper pond for all of our EleCam viewers to see. Queenie was the diva that knew how to play and she knew how to love. She was fine with caregivers but she gave her heart to her sister elephants, all of them. She was best of friends with the mighty Minnie and loyal Lottie; the three were inseparable. Queenie was the cutest squeaker you will ever hear. Her vocalizations grace our new Our Girls DVD; she had the most unique elephant speak imaginable. Queenie left us abruptly. No, we were not prepared. We feel like we are in a stupor, wondering what just happened. One thing these girls teach us is that without a doubt they make the decision when to transcend this earthly life. Obviously, as demonstrated by her hasty exit, Queenie’s work here was done. We can’t yet consider life without Queenie, she simply left too quickly, and we are still processing and shedding lots of tears; we love her, we miss her, we wish she would not have left us so soon.
March 30, 2008
It was a gray dreary day, the cloud cover never lifted and the air felt as heavy as our hearts. Lottie and Minnie swiftly moved from the pond yard out to where Queenie’s body lay waiting for their arrival.
Lottie moved gracefully across the pasture, serious yet tentative, and things felt quietly primal as she moved straight towards Queenie. When Queenie’s body was in sight, Lottie stopped and waited for Minnie to catch up. They both stood close, still for several seconds, then Lottie made the first step and Minnie followed. Again they paused and this time Minnie proceeded no further, while Lottie, as if on tender tiptoes, closed the gap between her and her beloved Queenie.
The look on Lottie’s face was heartbreaking; it was as if she did not yet understand what she was seeing or what had happened. She reached out to smell, and then a few steps later reached out to touch Queenie’s face as she lay on her side in the pasture. Minnie slowly made a wide circle around Queenie, fiddling with twigs and grass, glancing at me and then the dogs for what appeared to be a welcomed distraction from something much too painful to consider, something she desired not to acknowledge just yet.
Lottie tenderly touched all over Queenie, not rushed, no urgency, no panic or confusion, just loving kindness, the heartfelt touch of a dear friend. She wore a knowing, yet foggy, look on her face; the two were in a powerfully radiant dance, in slow motion.
Minnie watched from a distance.
snip >
http://www.elephants.com/elediary.htm