By: Gay Bradshaw, Founder and Director of The Kerulos Center for Nonviolence
“Ah,” he thought, as the gentle breeze brought in the scent. Turning in the direction of the source, he began to walk slowly and carefully so as not to alert his prey. The wind was in his favour, giving him an advantage. After nearly an hour of stalking, he came upon the unsuspecting prey. He moved quickly, accelerating his pace and within moments, attacked. The kill was over quickly. The rush of adrenaline which had consumed his body and mind dissipated. The deed was done.
Elsewhere, another predator was not busy stalking prey but instead was resting with his family. It was a quiet summer day and the young ones were playing while the elders watched on. Suddenly, two massive forms appeared, startling the youngsters. But there was no need to worry and so the strangers passed on through the group without incident.
Two accounts, two continents, and two very different species who are considered polar opposites ethologically. The individual in the first story was a middle-aged African Elephant who stalked, gored, and killed a White Rhinoceros. The second was a Gray Wolf, lying with his family, calmly watching a female moose and her child walk through the entire group of Wolves. How is it that herbivorous elephants, renowned for their peaceful nature, become predators? And why do carnivorous wolves allow their prey to come so close and leave unharmed?
Both examples illustrate the sophisticated psychology of Animals. Neuroscience shows that Wolves, Elephants, Moose, and all other Animals share with us comparable brains and minds for thinking, feeling, and consciousness. This is why Mice, Cats, Chimpanzees, and even Octopuses are used as human surrogates in experiments. With this scientific understanding, the seemingly unexpected behaviors of Wolves and Elephants begin to make sense.
In the first case, we discover that the Elephant suffered a series of severe traumas. After witnessing his family slaughtered by gun-bearing helicopters, he was orphaned, tethered, and tortured into submission for use in the safari-ride industry. Similar to humans who experience psychological and physical trauma – veterans and other survivors of violence – this Elephant suffers from symptoms of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). Trauma catapults Animals and humans alike into surreal psychological terrains defined by past assaults, far from their natural states of open care and connection. As a result of widespread human violence, PTSD is epidemic among Elephants in many countries.
As for the Wolves, we get a glimpse of who carnivores really are. Unlike popular myths that depict Wolves as vicious psychopaths who jump at any chance to kill, Moose-Wolf détente reveals their psychological sensitivity and understanding. The Moose and her child knowingly and casually walked through the Wolf group because they knew they would not be attacked. Moose know that Wolves kill on a must-need basis. Killing only happens when food is needed. Through cross-species communication and cooperation, Moose and Wolf abide by common rules of conduct. But, as the Elephants show, relentless human violence has penetrated deep into Animal minds. Wildlife is not only threatened with physical extinction, but psychological extinction.
Given the unceasing stress of uncertainty and violence imposed by humans, it is astonishing how Wildlife is able to refrain from defensive reciprocity, underscoring how committed to nonviolence they really are. Nature nonviolence is non-exploitive where killing is on a must-need basis for obligate carnivores (which humans are not) or in self and family defense. Elephant inter- and intra-specific killing, including infanticide and rare Grizzly and Deer attacks on humans, are unprecedented. They reflect the radical extremes to which Wildlife has been subjected.
Now, the US Fish & Wildlife Service plans to slaughter 450,000 Barred Owls in a highly controversial approach to save Northern Spotted Owls from extinction—the main cause of which is attributed to massive logging throughout the region, leading to devastating loss of old growth habitat and food. The Barred Owl is not to blame. The impact is unimaginable. Killing is not a solution and must be completely taken off the table of options.
Wolves, Moose, and Elephants teach us that if we want to revitalize and truly connect with Nature, then we must practice Nature nonviolence—bring our minds and ethics into alignment with our Wildlife kin. By restoring their peace, we can begin to restore our own.
Further Reading
Bradshaw, G.A. 2017. Carnivore minds. Who these fearsome animals really are. Yale University Press.
Bradshaw, G.A. 2009. Elephants on the Edge: What Animals teach us about humanity. Yale University Press.
Bradshaw, G.A , Schore, A.N., Brown, J Poole, J. & Moss, C.J. 2005. Elephant breakdown. Nature, 433, 807.
Bradshaw, G.A., and R. M. Sapolsky. 2006. Mirror, mirror. American Scientist, 94(6), 487-489.
About: G. A. Bradshaw is the founder and director of The Kerulos Center for Nonviolence (www.kerulos.org). Her diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in free-living Elephants, and subsequently Orcas, Bears, Chimpanzees, and Pumas, launched the field of trans-species psychology. She holds doctorate degrees in ecology and psychology and a master’s in geophysics and was a Fellow at the National Science Foundation National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. She is a certified mindfulness and meditation teacher. Her books include the Pulitzer-nominated Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach Us about Humanity; Carnivore Minds: Who These Fearsome Beings Really Are;Talking with Bears: Conversations with Charlie Russell and The Evolved Nest: Nature’s Way of Raising Families and Creating Connected Communities. She is the primary carer for rescued colonized Animals, including disabled endangered Tortoises and Wildlife at Grace Village, Oregon, USA.
