Jumbos mourn black rhino killed by poachers (Zimbabwe)

Myrtle Ryan and Peta Thornycroft, Independent Online
November 18 2007

This week three Zimbabwean elephants proved that rhinos and elephants can form close bonds, and that elephants do mourn.

Gruesome pictures flashed around the world this week of the three black rhinos shot by members of the Zimbabwe Army, dressed in camouflage uniforms and carrying AK-47 rifles. Each rhino had had a guard, but they were assaulted during the attack at Imire Safari Ranch in Wedza last week.

When elephants Mundebvu, Makavusi and Toto were taken to where their former rhino companions Amber, DJ and Sprinter were buried, they reacted in almost human fashion, touching and supporting each other and showing obvious grief. While elephants have been known to behave in such a fashion around remains of their own kind, people might be surprised to find them behaving in the same way around rhinos, which are sometimes treated with animosity.

Article at the following link:
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=143&art_id=vn200711...