The Cowboy And The Elephant

The Story of a Remarkable Friendship.

In the early 1990s, a female baby elephant was born into a herd which lived on the plains of Zimbabwe. Her mother had carried her for two years, and normally she would have nursed her for five more. But the wild elephants were to face a predator for which they were no match - the cull. Only the newborn female's life was spared.

Terrified and bewildered, the young elephant was transported to America to be sold. There she met the person who was to change her life forever. Bob Norris is the original "Marlboro Man", appearing on billboards across the world, and working as a real cowboy on his ranch in Colorado. He felt an enormous empathy with this damaged, vulnerable creature, for reasons that were partly personal and partly from the cowboy's code of stewardship towards animals in need.

Bob adopted Amy - as he named her - and patiently set about helping her recover from her ordeal. Through close observation, gentle training and endless perseverance, Bob gradually coaxed Amy into overcoming her mistrust of humans. The little elephant became a "hand" on the ranch, and grew to be a much-loved member of Bob's family. But Bob knew that the ultimate goal was for Amy to regain her independence - and go back to the savannahs of Africa . . .

No one who reads 'The Cowboy And The Elephant' can fail to be moved by this heartwarming true story of an incredible bond forged between the most unlikely of friends.