Elephants Do Cry

Innocence it is said, is a naïve and idealistic view of the world naturally occurring from a lack of experience. This was certainly true for Hugo, a young African forest elephant. He loved his family and the uncomplicated life he had as part of the herd into which he was born. Sheltered from the evil, pain and suffering taking place in the fragile environment in which the herd lived, he was free to be curious and pursue his passion for all the beautiful things surrounding him.
The herd’s seasonal pilgrimage in search of food and water had Hugo full of anticipation. Unaware of the dangers that lurked outside his immediate environment, he saw the trek as one big adventure full of new and exciting experiences. This year he hoped would be no exception.
Poaching was rife across the area the herd was travelling and it had placed the forest elephant populations under serious threat. The adult elephants in the herd were well aware of what they faced on their trek as they had completed it so many times before. This year however they were not alone and the journey’s end was not a guarantee.
The first legs of the venture were fairly uneventful. However, a lack of worldliness and inexperience would soon see Hugo’s life take a turn for the worst in the unfamiliar territory.
How did a butterfly start a sequence of events that has dire consequences for Hugo and his family? What is a wildebeest doing in an elephant herd? And why will this year’s migration be remembered as the most challenging one the herd has ever undertaken?