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In Touch With Nature: Halloween special – Elephant graveyard: fact or fiction #InTouchWithNature #Elephants

Posted: October 23, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized |60 Comments
Picture caption: Photograph of an elephant’s skull from Deposit Photos

What is an elephants’ graveyard?

According to legend, an elephants’ graveyard is a place where old elephants instinctively go when they reach a certain age. In essence, it is a place where old elephants are believed to go to die.

Fact or fiction?

The concept of an elephant’s graveyard is a myth. However, elephant remains are often found in specific areas due to their favourable geographics. Injured or older elephants often settle in areas with easy access to water and food leading to concentrations of carcasses in those areas. In addition, group killings by hunters have also led to the discovery of numerous bones in one spot. In these cases, the tusks of the elephants are missing.

The concept of an elephant graveyard first appeared in The Ivory Child by Sir Rider Haggard (the 12th of the 18 Allan Quatermain adventures). This is a short extract of Haggard’s description of the elephant graveyard:

“Ten minutes or so more brought us to the eastern head of the lake, where the reeds whispered in the breath of the night wind like things alive. As I expected, it proved to be a bare, open space where nothing seemed to grow. Yes, and all about me were the decaying remains of elephants, hundreds of them, some with their bones covered in moss, that may have lain here for generations, and others more newly dead. They were all old beasts as I could tell by the tusks, whether male or female. Indeed about me within a radius of a quarter of a mile lay enough ivory to make a man very rich for life, since although discoloured, much of it seemed to have kept quite sound, like human teeth in a mummy case. The sight gave me a new zest for life. If only I could manage to survive and carry off that ivory! I would. In this way or in that I swore that I would! Who could possibly die with so much ivory to be had for the taking? Not that old hunter, Allan Quatermain.

Then I forgot about the ivory, for there in front of me, just where it should be, just as I had seen it in the dream-picture, was the bull elephant dying, a thin and ancient brute that had lived its long life to the last hour. It searched about as though to find a convenient resting-place, and when this was discovered, stood over it, swaying to and fro for a full minute. Then it lifted its trunk and trumpeted shrilly thrice, singing its swan-song, after which it sank slowly to its knees, its trunk outstretched and the points of its worn tusks resting on the ground. Evidently it was dead.”

You can read The Ivory Child for free on Project Gutenberg here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2841/2841-h/2841-h.htm.

The concept of an elephants’ graveyard was then popularized in some films, including Disney’s The Lion King.

Do elephants mourn their dead?

Yes, elephants do mourn their dead. They also mourn any elephant bones they come across during their long marches. They gather around and touch the dead or bones with their sensitive trunks for long periods of time.

Elephant mothers have been known to lift the bodies of their dead calves up with their trunks and put them in a place where the body is then covered with twigs, sticks, and dirt. The other female members of the herd assist in this ritual.

On a happier note, here are a few pictures of elephant calves that I saw during my recent trip to Madikwe Game Reserve:

Picture caption: A large bull swaggering down the road.
Picture caption: Here is the same elephant with his crown jewels on display.
Picture caption: This lovely lady is having breakfast
Picture caption: My latest acrylic painting called Autumn Elephant.

The above painting is in Michael and my new children’s book called Sesi says goodbye to Granny. The ebook is available for preorder from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/goodbye-Granny-Southern-African-Adventures-ebook/dp/B0DKCD2Y7X

I created this ebook in landscape orientation because that better suited the pictures. It was a difficult process and the cover doesn’t show on Amazon. This is the cover:

Picture caption: Cover for Sesi says goodbye to Granny. Drawing by Robbie Cheadle in oil pastels.
Picture caption: This is the back cover with the blurb which says: Sesi the elephant calf is feeling sad. Granny, the herd matriarch, has left as she can no longer keep up with the other elephants. Sesi is anxious about what will happen to Granny. She also wonders who will look after the herd and see to their needs. Includes illustrations, photographs, links to video footage of elephants, and fun facts about elephants.

I am now battling with the Zone over the print book. Watch this space.

Extract from Amahle’s Demon

I love elephants and they fascinate me. So much so, that my short story in Midnight Garden is also about an elephant. I wasn’t able to prepare a post for the recent tour due to my aunt’s lengthily illness (she is much better now), so I’m sharing a short extract here.

“The crunch of steps on the gravel path outside the elephant enclosure caused Amahle to look up. A young man was approaching, his stride long and loose. His broad smile displayed a set of large, straight teeth that shone whitely against the dark skin of his round face. He wore the khaki uniform of an elephant carer.

“Amahle,” the familiar voice greeted her. “I’ve brought you a treat.

Out of the corner of her left eye, Amahle saw an apple moving towards her on the outstretched palm of Themba, her primary carer.

Taking the apple, Amahle crunched it with relish, apple juice squeezing out from between her large, flat molar teeth. The man’s arm reached out again to stroke her soft trunk.

“Hello, Amahle,” Themba said. “I see you’ve been enjoying …”

Through blurry eyes, Amahle saw a snake approaching. Backing away from the potential threat, she flapped her ears in distress. Her left foot rocked up and down, kicking up a cloud of red dust.

The snake disappeared. Not knowing where it had gone, Amahle raised her trunk and trumpeted loudly.”

Picture caption: Cover of The Midnight Garden anthology, edited by Kaye Lynne Booth.

About Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta is also the author and illustrator of sixteen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of three poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertaEaton17

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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Like this post? Are you a fan of this blog series? Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.

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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare.

https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare.

https://books2read.com/MidnightGardenAnthology

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60 Comments on “In Touch With Nature: Halloween special – Elephant graveyard: fact or fiction #InTouchWithNature #Elephants”

  1. Ephemeral Encounters's avatar Ephemeral Encounters says:
    October 23, 2024 at 4:17 am

    Thank you so much for sharing!
    Elephants are such beautiful majestic animals 🤗

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Daniel Kemp's avatar Daniel Kemp says:
    October 23, 2024 at 4:22 am

    A delightful post as usual and I thought your acrylic painting of the Autumn Elephant was wonderful.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Dave Astor's avatar Dave Astor says:
    October 23, 2024 at 4:35 am

    Moving information about “elephants’ graveyards,” Robbie. And that Haggard excerpt is very compelling.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Unknown's avatar In Touch With Nature: Halloween special – Elephant graveyard: fact or fiction #InTouchWithNature #Elephants – Patty's Worlds says:
    October 23, 2024 at 7:59 am

    […] https://writingtoberead.com/2024/10/23/in-touch-with-nature-halloween-special-elephant-graveyard-fac… […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. T. W. Dittmer's avatar T. W. Dittmer says:
    October 23, 2024 at 2:13 pm

    Wonderful to find out about this book. Roberta’s pictures are fantastic.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Liz Gauffreau's avatar Liz Gauffreau says:
    October 23, 2024 at 2:35 pm

    Thank you for clearing up the questions of the elephant graveyard and whether elephants mourn their dead.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. merrildsmith's avatar merrildsmith says:
    October 23, 2024 at 3:42 pm

    An interesting post, Robbie. Thank you for sharing the information on elephants.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. memadtwo's avatar memadtwo says:
    October 23, 2024 at 4:37 pm

    Elephants are wonderful creatures. It’s absurd that we should think only humans have emotional attachments and can feel sorrow. Thanks, as usual for all the information. And good luck with your new book! (K)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. thomasstigwikman's avatar thomasstigwikman says:
    October 23, 2024 at 5:11 pm

    I always wondered about the elephant graveyard. It is good to know that it is a myth. It is beautiful that they mourn their dead. Your book looks beautiful and the photos and your paintings are beautiful. Elephants are fascinating animals and I’ve read that they are highly intelligent.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Tofino Photography's avatar Tofino Photography says:
    October 23, 2024 at 6:10 pm

    I’ve found the higher intelligence, the more need for social rituals.

    I’ve watched this fellow on You Tube who plays piano for the elephants. It’s amazing to watch their reaction to music! They trumpet and sway as If they are dancing and If they could read they’d be doing the same after reading your book Robbie!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. restlessjo's avatar restlessjo says:
    October 24, 2024 at 12:33 am

    I have to say, I do prefer live elephants, but it’s a touching thought, Robbie.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. tidalscribe.com's avatar tidalscribe.com says:
    October 24, 2024 at 2:00 am

    Thanks for another glimpse into elephant life. Their social lives are no doubt even more complex than we can discern. It is saddest to think of baby elephants dying.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. D. Wallace Peach's avatar D. Wallace Peach says:
    October 24, 2024 at 8:28 am

    Your reasons for finding collections of elephant bones in one place make sense, Robbie. And elephants are a clear example of the emotions present in animals (something that not every human believes is true). Thanks for the great photos and the excerpts. And thanks, Kaye Lynne, for hosting.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  14. Frank @ Beach Walk Reflections's avatar Frank @ Beach Walk Reflections says:
    October 24, 2024 at 9:11 am

    This is a delightful read, Robbie. Elephants are majestic and intriguing to those of us who are far from their natural habitat.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. Author Jan Sikes's avatar Author Jan Sikes says:
    October 24, 2024 at 9:34 am

    Elephants are fascinating creatures. The post makes me think of videos Sally Cronin has shared where elephants are responding to music. Great photos! Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  16. Dawn Pisturino's avatar Dawn Pisturino says:
    October 25, 2024 at 11:30 am

    I love this post, Robbie!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. jazzytower's avatar jazzytower says:
    October 25, 2024 at 2:51 pm

    There is a lot I didn’t know about elephants. Thanks for the information! That part about “…Elephant mothers have been known to lift the bodies of their dead calves up with their trunks and put them in a place where the body is then covered with twigs, sticks, and dirt. The other female members of the herd assist in this ritual…” Really moved me. Again, thanks for sharing Robbie.

    Pat

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • robertawrites235681907's avatar robertawrites235681907 says:
      October 25, 2024 at 11:01 pm

      HI Pat, I’m delighted you enjoyed this post. Elephants are intelligent and care a great deal for their families. There is an expression called culling animals which means when there are to many for the reserve to feed and maintain, some are killed. If there are to many elephants, the whole herd from the oldest to the youngest has to be culled because of their strong family ties.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  18. jazzytower's avatar jazzytower says:
    October 26, 2024 at 12:52 am

    My goodness! I don’t like ” culling”!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  19. Dan Antion's avatar Dan Antion says:
    October 26, 2024 at 5:14 pm

    Elephants are such wonderful creatures. I can’t understand how we ever came to the conclusion that it was a good idea to kill them for sport or ivory. I enjoyed this post, I like the photos and I really like your painting.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  20. Jennie's avatar Jennie says:
    October 26, 2024 at 7:32 pm

    I so enjoyed this post about elephants. We often learn about Africa in school, and Grandma elephant is in charge.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  21. Marilyn Armstrong's avatar Marilyn Armstrong says:
    October 27, 2024 at 9:21 pm

    I love your painting. I also love the entire post. I always cry when I read about elephants. The loss of the elephants and rhinos are to me the symbol of how terribly we have managed this earth, supposedly our inheritance. I had heard that elephants mourn. I think many other animals also mourn, but we haven’t paid enough attention to them to realize that is what we are seeing.

    We destroy anything that gets in our way as if they have no rights and we own the world. I think we’d be doing better if THEY owned our world.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  22. Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.'s avatar Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. says:
    October 30, 2024 at 1:17 am

    Fascinating Robbie and have always thought of elephants to be amazing creatures… You are so lucky to be able to be so close in nature to them. Your artwork is superb and I do hope you have an exhibition at some point.. ♥

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  23. Carla's avatar Carla says:
    November 16, 2024 at 6:32 pm

    I always learn things from your posts about African Animals, Robbie. Elephants are magnificent animals and all that has happened to them over the years it terrible.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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