The Cowboy and His Elephant: The Story of a Remarkable Friendship

The Cowboy and His Elephant:The Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Malcom MacPherson warmed my heart.The story begins in the late 1980s on the plains of southern Africa. A baby elephant, weighing about 150 pounds, was born into a herd of elephants. A single elephant can eat more than 300 pounds of food a day. A herd constantly moves in their quest for food. They can easily trample down fences and they were becoming a threat to a local tribe, eating crops in the fields, and endangering tribesmen. When the baby elephant was two years old, the entire herd was “culled,” slaughtered within a few moments. Only the baby’s life was spared. She was named Amy and transported to America to be sold.Bob Norris was a successful Colorado cattle rancher and horse breeder. The T-Cross Ranch was one of the larger ranches in North America. A handsome fellow, Bob became the Marlboro Man and appeared on TV and billboards all over the world. But that’s another story. One day a fellow came by the T-Cross asking if he could temporarily rent some stalls in Bob’s huge barn. The fellow needed a place to house a few baby elephants, just until they were sold. He managed to sell all but Amy. Norris’s heart went out to the pitiful little thing. She was obviously severely traumatized, terrified and bewildered. He bought the elephant, knowing how incongruous having an elephant on a ranch would be, but not fully realizing the impact it would have on his life.An incredible bond developed between the rancher and the baby elephant. Bob felt his first obligation was to help Amy overcome her fear of the world, of her mistrust of humans. Gradually she began to trust him and to discover how to play with some of the ranch animals. Amy would accompany Bob on chores and became a beloved member of the Norris family. Her intelligence was obvious. She learned to open gates, to turn on faucets, to outsmart the other animals.Elephants continue to grow throughout their life. It was clear that Amy’s life on the T-Cross could not go on forever. Bob’s goal was to help her develop confidence. Her bulk and grace were obvious. Bob discovered there was no better friend, but if she chose, no worse enemy. She needed to be with other elephants, to find her real place in the world. Bob’s goal now was to find a permanent home for Amy, a challenge that took time, determination and resources.I loved The Cowboy and His Elephant which deals with two of my favorite subjects: cowboys and elephants. The author vividly describes the various settings of the story, the strong personalities of both Bob and Amy, and the plight of the elephant in the wild, and in captivity.

this is a wonderful story about an animal and a man who loved her. You often hear about dogs, cats, even goats that people become attached to and think of as family. Who would think a 4000 pound creature could be the most lovable? I laughed, I cried, I felt joy, I felt despair. I could not put the book down. Luckily I had a long flight and was able to complete the entire book. I recommend it highly to anyone who has ever loved an animal, a child, or another person.

How enjoyable this book is and how tenderly it expresses the love and concern of so many of the caregivers to Amy the Elephant! I had no idea that an elephant can have such a playful sense of humor! This book is quite an educational experience AND it touched my heart! I plan to share it with my dear friends - as long as they promise to return it to me!

An interesting story of two unique characters, how they met, and their unique relationship!

I loved this book. I loved the story and the way it was written.

This is a great story about an orphaned elephant and a steward of the land. Unless you have a ranching or farming background, you might have a preconceived notion about animals and the true connections they can foster with humans. Therefore, I would encourage you to read and understand how a living creature can learn from men, yet man learns even more when they build these kind of personal relationships with our fellow creatures in the wild kingdom!

This was such a great story. At times I had to stop reading it because I was crying! This book was funny, sad, happy and also made me mad. There were some pretty interesting and cool facts about Bob Norris and his life

I have always been fascinated with elephants! I love that they have such strong emotions, are so intelligent, and take care of each other. I loved this true story! I love cowboys, and I love elephants, so naturally I had to read this! Would greatly recommend it!

Great life story.

What an amazing read! Makes me all the more curious about these incredible creatures! Well written and almost too good to be true!

This was a disappointing book. It is the tale of an unfortunate elephant who was "rescued' from a cull in Southern Africa. The book begins with promise. Mr. Macpherson portrays wild African elephants very well. His descriptions of their social structure are believable and probably quite accurate, as is his description of the catastrophic cull. Unfortunately from then on, the book misses the mark. Macpherson seems to miss the very pertinent point that the kind and caring man who "rescues" the baby elephant from the cull, is in fact someone who makes money by providing dealers in exotic animals with their merchandise. We are then treated to volumes of praises for the cowboy who purchases the elephant from the dealer. This "cowboy" is in fact a very wealthy rancher who is apparently unsurpassed as an animal lover - so much so that he does not like to use the words "kill" or "slaughter", preferring instead to use the euphemism "HARVEST", despite the fact that he breeds and raises cattle for slaughter! This caring animal lover has owned exotic animals previously: a bear which ended up in a zoo.The cowboy has a few years of fun with the elephant teaching her ridiculous tricks for entertainment and to stroke his ego. As she grows in size and strength, this wealthy cowboy hires a professional elephant trainer who uses the BULLHOOK on her. This is apparently acceptable. Once the unfortunate elephant grows to the size of a teenage African elephant, our animal-loving cowboy sells her to a CIRCUS!The book ends with a glimmer of hope: Amy the elephant is taken from the circus by an inexperienced man whose heart is in the right place. After many trials and tribulations he manages to return the elephant to Africa where she belongs. We are left wondering whether that was a kind or cruel act. How would an elephant who has never had the opportunity to learn from her own kind or experience anything remotely resembling a natural life fare in the wild?

I loved this book!

absolutely wonderful ! A great read, very satisfying, a great ending to the elephant's story....no need to nervously avoid the ending