Dave is a hedge fund manager, and has decided he's sick of his job. And so he decides to take six months out of the rat race and head out to Africa for a tour of the game parks. He has the time of his life, seeing lions, giraffes, and doing some big game hunting. He is a member of the local gun club back home in Minnesota, where he's always been a crack shot and won several tournaments. The biggest thing he's ever shot though is a deer, so he's excited about hunting wild game.
One day, as he's tracking a Bison he hears a strange, strangled trumpeting noise from behind a wild thicket. His interest piqued, he decides to investigate, and so leaves the trail - despite being advised not too. The noise gets louder and more panicked the closer he gets, when suddenly he steps into a clearing in the the thicket and sees a large elephant with it's leg caught in a trap.
The elephant is obviously in a lot of pain, and it's simply screaming and trumpeting whilst stamping its free legs. Dave can't bear to see an animal in pain like this, and so despite his sense of self preservation decides he's going to help. He approaches the elephant very, very slowly from the front. All the while the elephant is screaming in pain, and staring at the approaching human with anger. Closer and closer gets Dave, and then he gingerly put his hand on the elephants trapped leg. The elephant immediately quietens down, and lowers his eye to meet Daves'. Dave doesn't move for what feels like a day, and then slowly begins to open the trap. The elephant screams in pain again, but slowly begins to understand what Dave is doing, and so allows the tiny human to continue. An hour later, and the elephants leg is free, Dave proceeds, again agonisingly slowly, to bandage the leg. The elephant screams in pain again, but is happy this time to let Dave work his first aid magic.
Finally Dave is finished. He pats the elephant on the leg, and doesn't move as the elephant lets out a huge trumpeting roar, and then goes deathly quiet whilst staring at Dave. Finally the elephant turns and trots off into the savannah. Dave is still petrified, but glad he helped the animal.
Fifteen years later, and Dave has married a lovely woman, and had a son; Dave Jr. One day Dave Jr asks his dad if they can go to the zoo, and so Dave agrees - he's always been fond of animals after all. And so off they go. They visit the Pandas, the penguins, and as they're going through the monkey enclosure, Dave hears a familiar trumpeting. Suddenly, a wave of emotion and memories flood over him, it surely can't be? He decides that he has to find out.
So he picks his son up and runs over to the elephant cage, where he sees a familiar elephant, and sure enough it has a scar on one of its legs. Overcome with tears Dave looks around, and seeing no guards decides to climb the fence and go and stroke the elephant. After all, they *always* remember. And so he scales the fence, and stands absolutely still. The elephant notices him and begins to trumpet even louder, and approaches him, slowly. Dave also starts to move, approaching the elephant slowly and warily, the memory of the savannah overwhelming him. The elephant stops dead in front of him, and lowers his eye to meet Daves'. Dave reaches out his hand to pat the elephant.
And suddenly the elephant reaches out with his trunk and grabs Dave. It then proceeds to crush him, with Dave letting out a blood-curdling scream. And, using the incredibly strong muscles in his trunk smashes him against the fence, and into a concrete pillar, smashing his skull and killing him instantly in front of his son and the crowd of onlookers.
Turns out it wasn't the same elephant after all.
One day, as he's tracking a Bison he hears a strange, strangled trumpeting noise from behind a wild thicket. His interest piqued, he decides to investigate, and so leaves the trail - despite being advised not too. The noise gets louder and more panicked the closer he gets, when suddenly he steps into a clearing in the the thicket and sees a large elephant with it's leg caught in a trap.
The elephant is obviously in a lot of pain, and it's simply screaming and trumpeting whilst stamping its free legs. Dave can't bear to see an animal in pain like this, and so despite his sense of self preservation decides he's going to help. He approaches the elephant very, very slowly from the front. All the while the elephant is screaming in pain, and staring at the approaching human with anger. Closer and closer gets Dave, and then he gingerly put his hand on the elephants trapped leg. The elephant immediately quietens down, and lowers his eye to meet Daves'. Dave doesn't move for what feels like a day, and then slowly begins to open the trap. The elephant screams in pain again, but slowly begins to understand what Dave is doing, and so allows the tiny human to continue. An hour later, and the elephants leg is free, Dave proceeds, again agonisingly slowly, to bandage the leg. The elephant screams in pain again, but is happy this time to let Dave work his first aid magic.
Finally Dave is finished. He pats the elephant on the leg, and doesn't move as the elephant lets out a huge trumpeting roar, and then goes deathly quiet whilst staring at Dave. Finally the elephant turns and trots off into the savannah. Dave is still petrified, but glad he helped the animal.
Fifteen years later, and Dave has married a lovely woman, and had a son; Dave Jr. One day Dave Jr asks his dad if they can go to the zoo, and so Dave agrees - he's always been fond of animals after all. And so off they go. They visit the Pandas, the penguins, and as they're going through the monkey enclosure, Dave hears a familiar trumpeting. Suddenly, a wave of emotion and memories flood over him, it surely can't be? He decides that he has to find out.
So he picks his son up and runs over to the elephant cage, where he sees a familiar elephant, and sure enough it has a scar on one of its legs. Overcome with tears Dave looks around, and seeing no guards decides to climb the fence and go and stroke the elephant. After all, they *always* remember. And so he scales the fence, and stands absolutely still. The elephant notices him and begins to trumpet even louder, and approaches him, slowly. Dave also starts to move, approaching the elephant slowly and warily, the memory of the savannah overwhelming him. The elephant stops dead in front of him, and lowers his eye to meet Daves'. Dave reaches out his hand to pat the elephant.
And suddenly the elephant reaches out with his trunk and grabs Dave. It then proceeds to crush him, with Dave letting out a blood-curdling scream. And, using the incredibly strong muscles in his trunk smashes him against the fence, and into a concrete pillar, smashing his skull and killing him instantly in front of his son and the crowd of onlookers.
Turns out it wasn't the same elephant after all.
