One Lucky Elephant and Oprah

The film, One Lucky Elephant, is not your run-of-the-mill Disney animal movie, but get out the kleenex anyway. I watched the documentary at the St. Louis International Film Festival. It chronicles a nine-year hejira with Flora the elephant, and her caregiver David Balding, searching for sanctuary.

David acquired Flora when she was just a baby, when she had been orphaned in  Zimbabwe. He nurtured Flora, taught her tricks and devoted an entire circus to her — Circus Flora in St. Louis, considered a cultural institution. Although I'm a native of the St. Louis area, and a huge animal lover, I never attended Circus Flora simply because of Flora. You see, elephants in circuses make me angry (don't even get me started on Ringling Brothers) — I simply would never patronize them. But unlike the big commercial behemoths, the film reveals that Circus Flora and David have a huge heart.

The human-animal bond between the two is strong. David truly loves Flora and was crushed when he realized she wasn't happy. He felt guilty because of her life in captivity and desperately wanted her to be with other elephants.

David originally hoped to take Flora back to Africa, to be released in a sanctuary there, but because of  political instability, those plans evaporated. He then attempted to get Flora into The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, but was thwarted because, at the time, they were accepting only Asian elephants, not African elephants, so Flora struck out.

As Flora grew unhappier in captivity, she started acting out as any teenager would. She even did the unthinkable and injured humans. Luckily, The Elephant Sanctuary began accepting African Elephants and agreed to take Flora. David was elated, yet depressed because he truly had bonded with this animal and she was no longer going to be with him.

David drove Flora to the Elephant Sanctuary and signed over all rights to her. He hoped that he would be able to visit her frequently but was ultimately told by then-president and founder of The Elephant Sanctuary to stay away, Flora was better off without him. He was crushed.

Word came down from high on Monday that OWN, Oprah Winfrey's Network which debuts in January, has just picked up the film. I can understand why — this touching film documents the human-animal bond and the remorse of owning and exploiting wild animals like no other. The exposure this movie is getting at film festivals, and soon from Oprah, is drawing attention to circus elephants in a new, important way: not through the lens of cruelty, but through the compassion of simply what's best for the animals.

The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is now under new management, so David is hoping that he will be once again allowed to visit his beloved Flora and, while petting her trunk, apologize for the millionth time for what the human race has done to her kind.

In Flora's honor, a non-profit called Ahali Elephants has been founded to help with her upkeep at The Elephant Sanctuary and to raise awareness regarding the plight of African elephants. Ahali means"family" in Swahili. Anyone who views the film knows that David and Flora will always be family.

Please sign the petition to speak out for performing elephants who aren't treated like family and don't have a David to do the right thing.

Photo Credit: One Lucky Elephant & Circus Flora