One Lucky Elephant, directed by Lisa Leeman, tells the heartwarming and bittersweet tale of Flora, an orphaned African elephant rescued from the wild and then raised by circus owner David Balding. When Flora starts to become restless in her circus life, Balding goes on a nearly ten-year quest to find the perfect home for her and struggles with the long-term effects of raising a wild elephant in captivity. It's a love story that ultimately weighs the complex issues of human emotions against the humane interests of our animals. And it made me cry. Much like the recent Mine documentary that just won the PBS Independent Lens 2010 Audience Award.
I have also been making my way through another true elephant tale, Modoc
, a book by Hollywood animal trainer Ralph Helfer. The story of a boy and his elephant, born on the same day and raised together to share a lifetime of high adventures, is a truly captivating read. You can watch the "elecam" of some of the elephants at Flora's current sanctuary here to get your video fix of majestic pachyderms in action.
