Ruby with new friends. She is back to back with Lulu. "Happiness!!"

photo by Jan Clark official photographer from PAWS (The Wildlife Refuge)

Ruby, 46 year old elephant used to live at the LA Zoo where she lived in "cramped quarters". (and before that Ruby was in the circus) Now she is living in a very large wildlife sanctuary run by PAWS, A wildlife sanctuary. Ruby even has her ownjacuzzi, the company of other African elephants, great staff as she also had at the LA Zoo, and lots of space to roam and play. The staff from the LA Zoo accompanied Ruby to her new living arrangement to help her make the adjustment. Ruby has already seemed to adjust to her new home and elephant friends.She has lost her long time female conpanion at the LA Zoo a few years ago so this is truly wonderful as she has a new friend now named Lulu who I am told is thrilled also to have Ruby. What a great story!

Sometimes I get the feeling people care more about animals than they do fellow humans. We should help all species survive including ourselves. Elephants and other animals do not kill for pleasure nor do they kill what they do not need for food. Humans engage in endless wars, involve themselves in sadistic relationships with other humans sometimes within their own families. We could learn from these elephants how to behave. Ruby never even met these elephants before and they are already getting along marvelously. True Ruby did not get along with the Asian elephants at the zoo in Tennesee as well; but, in any case, she did not kill any one of them nor did they kill her. So perhaps, I can only stretch this analogy so far. But still....