It has long been apparent that every large, land-based animal on this planet is ultimately fighting a losing battle with humankind.
And yet entirely befitting of an animal with such a highly developed sensibility, a deep-rooted sense of family and, yes, such a good long-term memory, elephants are not going out quietly. They aren't leaving without making some kind of statement, one to which scientists from a variety of disciplines, including human psychology, are beginning to pay close attention. [source]
I watched earthlings not so long ago (well, as much as I could anyway - sometimes I had to look away and switch to reading the script instead). It contains the fairly well known footage of Tyke found online here. That footage seems incredibly significant to me, for some reason that I haven't quite put my finger on. Other footage in Earthlings fills me with more familiar feelings of horror, shame, sorrow, pity, rage, regret - y'know the typical range of feelings a compassionate human experiences when viewing such material.
But Tyke seems to be showing us something else... something that I dare say that most humans who willingly uses animals for food and entertainment don't want to admit to. I guess it's that animals have interests that are every bit as important to them as our own interests are to us.
The very deliberate intent behind Tyke's actions suggest she had a very strong desire to follow her own interests - she wanted out of the circus business and had reached her breaking point. I get a little bit of that sometimes. Work might suck, and I'd rather be doing something else. Of course, I can always quit if I want to - I have that choice. Or I can keep my job but take a day off and do whatever the hell I want, anything that makes me feel a little bit more human. I think Tyke wanted to feel more like an elephant. I don't blame her for mauling her captors and making a run for it. She wanted to break out and escape from the life that she was trapped in. What did she hope to find when she busted out that gate? A savannah? An Acacia to stand under? Or a running stream to drink from? Certainly not heavily armed police I guess.
And I'm again left with an uncomfortable feeling that comes from glimpsing some truth that perhaps I would rather not know. I'm getting that a lot these days...
