“The number one for me is the elephant. They are mind-boggling to be around. When you are close to an elephant and you hear the elephant breathe and move around, it’s awe-inspiring. You are so close to a force of nature that is just extremely powerful. You hear the breathing that calms you down and it gives you a very powerful emotion and connection to nature. That’s what I experienced for the first time when I was close to an elephant. That elephant can kill you in an instant but it’s also, on the other hand, so calm and has this kind of authority to it. It’s a magical creature.

You can feel the animals’ presence on its surroundings as well. Any other animal is very aware; as soon as there is an elephant entering the scene, everything moves aside and you feel its presence.

There’s also the intelligence. When you see elephants take care of their offspring, of their little babies, and how they help them around and look after them, they are such a close family union, which reminds us of our own family. If you have kids, it reminds you of how much you love them; you see the same love for their offspring. That is something that really moves and touches me. That’s why I love the elephants.

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My Big 5

Elephant
Chimpanzee
Giraffe
Leopard
Buffalo