3 Review(s)

"One morning in Delhi I watched two tame elephants standing side by side -- a tusker and a cow. They leaned against each other, rubbing flanks and exchanging caresses with their trunks. Decorated by their owners and hired out for the night, these elephants provide an auspicious presence at wedding receptions. The celebrations were long over, though, and in the bright morning sunshine the two looked like a pair of exhausted partygoers. The female nuzzled the male, who flapped his ears contentedly as she pressed her head against his shoulder. They swayed together for a few moments, caught up in their own internal tempo, ignoring everyone around them. Then with sensuous intimacy, the tusker curled his trunk and brushed the female's cheek before he put the end in her mouth. For several seconds she held the tip of his trunk between her lips, as close to a kiss as an elephant can come." Revered in Indian religion and culture, coveted for its ivory tusks, the majestic Asian elephant has captured the fascination of humans for more than four thousand years. In an effort to shed light on this regal animal and its unique relationship with humankind, author Stephen Alter traveled around the world to explore its natural home and its place in history and myth. Alter'ss search takes him from the depths of wildlife preserves, to a tempting elephant auction, to a dazzling festival dedicated to Ganesha the elephant-headed god. Elephas maximus is as important to modern India as it was centuries ago. Yet conservationists are fighting to preserve its endangered habitat as settlements expand, and ivory poaching has threatened generations of elephants until tuskless males may be all that survive. Charting the elephant in history, art, religion, and folklore, Alter draws a vivid, gorgeously written portrait of its past and its troubled present while offering hope for its future.