Elephants Do Cry

Innocence, it is said, is a na ve and idealistic view of the world naturally occurring from a lack of experience. This was certainly true for Hugo, a young African forest elephant. He loved his family and the uncomplicated life he had as part of the herd into which he was born. Sheltered from the evil, pain, and suffering taking place in the fragile environment in which the herd lived, he was free to be curious and pursue his passion for all the beautiful things surrounding him.

The herd's seasonal pilgrimage in search of food and water had Hugo full of anticipation. Unaware of the dangers that lurked outside his immediate environment, he saw the trek as one big adventure full of new and exciting experiences. This year he hoped would be no exception.

Poaching was rife across the area the herd was traveling, and it had placed the forest elephant populations under serious threat. The adult elephants in the herd were well aware of what they faced on their trek as they had completed it so many times before. This year, however, they were not alone, and the journey's end was not a guarantee.