A New Hope For Gordo

June 21, 2007, 11:00 am; posted by David
Filed under Articles, David, Humor | No Comments

Life is hard on the plains of Central Africa. The savannah is a dry, arid wasteland, rain is scarce, and the sun is relentless. The people who live here struggle to eke out a living growing local crops like barley, guava, potatoes, and baby carrots, to sell at the flea markets that sprout up every Thursday afternoon through sundown Saturday. They compete with an eclectic mix of gun dealers, antique sellers and baseball card vendors for the dwindling crowds, hoping to make enough cash to feed their families for another day.

One stall stands out from the others, though. Behind the withered crops and stunted vegetables, hoping to help his adopted family earn a living, is a 3 year-old juvenile African elephant who represents an attempt by the local Zamboni tribe to reach out across racial and genus barriers and help a troubled young elephant escape a life of alcohol and violence.

His name is Gordo — and his tale is one that is much too common these days in Central Africa.

Gordo’s mother was killed by poachers and he was raised by his father, a rogue elephant addicted to the fermented berries of the Poco-Poco tree. Like his father, Gordo also began experimenting with alcohol at a young age, and was soon raiding small villages and terrorizing local tribes. This is how he was captured and found himself facing relocation in the local court system. But thanks to an innovative local magistrate, Gordo was offered an opportunity to accept placement with a local family, designed to break the cycle of addiction and violence.

His days are now spent working the family plot, manning the flea market booth, and entertaining the local children with his basketball skills. He is also trying to learn English, so one day he can attend school and earn a high school diploma. If he is successful, he will be the first member of his species to accomplish this — and the audacious plan to reform rogue elephants through family placement may move from a compassionate experiment to a full-fledged pork-barrel project for the federal government.