Thread: Dog Killed By Coyotes, Elephant Carries Body Home - Vid

Bella the dog killed by coyotes Tarra the elephant carries body close to home



Nov 6, 2011

Bella the dog killed by coyotes Tarra the elephant carries body close to home http://www.elephants.com/Bella/Bella.php

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-5 ... st-friend/

Tarra displayed all the symptoms you'd expect to see in someone who lost a good friend - which is exactly what happened.

For nearly a decade, Tarra had been best friends with a dog named Bella, a mutt who wandered onto the sanctuary grounds and into the heart of the gentle giant. Tarra clearly loved her little dog and Bella obviously bonded right back. They were so close, in fact, that when Bella got injured a few years ago and had to spend three weeks recuperating in the sanctuary office, guess who held vigil the entire time? Twenty-two hundred acres to roam free, and Tarra just stood in the corner waiting. Home video of their reunion shows how inseparable they'd become and remained, right to the end.
Last week, sanctuary workers found Bella's body. By all indications she'd been attacked by coyotes. Whether Tarra witnessed it, tried to intervene or was too late - no one knows. All they do know is that where they found Bella is not where she was attacked.

"When I looked around and saw there was no signs of an attack here. No blood, no tuffs of hair, nothing," said director of elephant husbandry, Steve Smith. "And Tarra, on the underside of her trunk, had blood - as if she picked up the body. Tarra moved her?

"Tarra moved her," Smith said.

Steve's theory is Tarra carried Bella possibly a mile or more to bring her home.

Whether it really happened that way or not, no one doubts Tarra was that devoted.

"There's nothing we can do to take away her pain," said Atkinson. "The only ones who can help now are the elephants. And that is already happening."

Atkinson said the elephants are "stepping in and stepping up." He said they're spending more time with Tarra and being extra nice - making gestures like giving her a portion of their food.

Of course, anyone who's lost a dog knows you can't eat your way out of the grief - as much we might try -- but still nice to know at least Tarra's not alone in this.

It's also nice to see that compassion is much more than just human.

Related: Two Incredibly Special Old Friends Reunite - Video

These photos of a baby elephant's muddy rescue will make your day

3 hrs ago























Animal rescues are uplifting in any circumstance, but when it's a race against the clock and the endangered beast is a baby elephant, well, that pretty well leaps off the heartwarming scale. This calf wandered into a mudhole near the Zambezi River in Africa and had been stuck for more than 12 hours when discovered by tourists.

Struggling mightily to free its trunk, the baby was close to drowning when Bradley and Annelize White who operate a nearby lodge responded, launching rescue efforts with ropes, human volunteers, a car and more than 50 gallons of water to soften the hardening mud.

"We are keeping an eye on him," said Bradley White, "to make sure he doesn't get into any more sticky situations."

Click to see more on msnNOW.com, updated 24 hours a day.

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Baby elephant rescued from mudhole