A self-proclaimed "animal telepath" claims to have communicated with a killer elephant, revealing the anguish and torment behind the four human deaths at the beast's feet. Dunja Will, known as the 'Outback whisperer' on Instagram, posed the question to Rani the elephant as to why she killed four people. Rani's response was: "I don't snap out of nowhere."
Five days at a Sri Lankan sanctuary
The animal communicator spent five days at an animal sanctuary in Sri Lanka, where she discovered Rani pressing her head against a wall and "could feel her despair right away." Crucially, Dunja points out that elephants can internally regulate elements of their reproductive cycle, and rarely fall pregnant while in captivity.
Dunja said: "The moment I saw her I walked straight over. The caretakers started shouting 'Not this one, she's dangerous'. But I knew she had something urgent to tell me."
Rani's account of grief and pain
"She told me she had two miscarriages. Elephants are deeply family oriented, losing them broke her heart."
"Then she showed me where it sits. The emotional pain settled in the left part of her belly. Whenever someone gets too close to this part, is when she reacts."
"It happened more than 25 years ago. And she is still grieving. She has never been given time to process it. She gets put back to work, over and over. Rani is still in the same place doing the same work."
Elephants in cultural celebrations
Elephants are traditionally used in the "Perahera" parade. Across Sri Lanka, captive elephants are kept by private individuals and Buddhist temples alike, with a number of these animals participating in cultural celebrations such as the Kandy Esala Perahera. Such events have come under considerable scrutiny, with critics arguing that dressing up elephants and compelling them to participate amounts to torture.
Dunja went on to say: "I keep thinking about how many animals are called dangerous when they're really just in pain. Rani is a perfect example. Every animal has a reason to react the way it does. Everyone judged her without even asking. I can't change her situation on my own."
"But every person who sees this and understands it is a step towards things actually changing. That's why I'm showing it instead of keeping it to myself, the chains, the work, the conditions. None of that is okay...!"
"And no, I couldn't set her free. I was there as an invited guest, not an owner. Nobody can walk into a place like this and take an elephant. What I could do was understand her and pass that on to the people who are with her every day."
"Every animal is telling us something, and there are so many out there waiting for someone to actually ask instead of assume."
