Bed Bath and Phnom Penh

Look at the elephants. They might look at you back. They might not even care. Note how the animal kingdom regards mankind. Those that are smaller or mostly defenseless often take the sight of man as a sign to run. Those not domesticated, that is. Over time, behind the walls of a zoo or within a home, animals learn to regard man with indifference or codependency. Elephants though, they carry on. Larger animals, stronger animals, they carry on. There is nothing in man to fear. His guns, his traps, those are worth paying attention to. The doughy, furless bipedal creatures themselves offer little in the way of a challenge or a threat. They carry about, pointing at an empty piece of land and then down to their symbols, then back to the land, jibbering in half-excited tones. They do have plans beyond what the stomach, or the pack, or the sex organs want, and for that they should be commended. Most of the time, they have plans beyond those, anyway.