Last winter I discovered the Textron Elephant & Giraffe Pavilion at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence RI. I spent a bitterly cold afternoon with the elephants, giraffes and their caretakers. Fascinated by the care of their skin and feet, but even more so by the communication and the relationships between these mighty beings and their people. Alice and her sisters are 40 years old and have been at Roger Williams most of these years after having been slated to be culled from their herd.

We share 90% of our DNA with these beautiful creatures. They are critically endangered due to poaching for ivory and loss of habitat. 

On a recent trip to Nepal, I was fortunate to meet an Asian elephant. She allowed me to touch her skin and feed her a bit of rice. She was magnificent.