Anyone For An Elephant?     You never know what might happen when you do someone a favour.  When an admiral of the United States Navy tried to help out the premier of Cambodia,  it led to all sorts of trouble for the Los Angeles Zoo.     This is the shameful story.  Only the names have been changed.      During the late 1960's and early 1970's, Los Angeles was known to be the only city in the United States with it's own foreign policy.  Our mayor was  out of town as often as possible nursing a delusion of grandeur and  embracing thoughts of presidency.  He was always speaking on behalf of our Vietnam policy and making lots of friends in the military.  It was one of those friendships that led to the Los Angeles Zoo being asked to accept a  male elephant.  The story the veterinarians and I recieved firsthand from the assistant director of the zoo was stranger than fiction.     The premier of Cambodia had become deathly ill and was in need of a  delicate surgical process not available in his own country.  The nearest help available was on an American aircraft carrier stationed off the coast of his embattled kingdom.  So the navy flew him to the carrier and a team of expert surgeons saved his life.     The Cambodians had a strange way of saying thank you.  A simple thank- you note would have been more than enough, but tradition is tradition and must be observed.  The Cambodians tradition demanded that a male  elephant be given to the man most responsible for the saving of another's  life.  And the premier decided that the admiral directing the fleet operations from the aircraft carrier was the man deserving of the honour.     Now the admiral was the epitome of a crusty old salt.  He had a raspy  voice, short white hair, and skin wrinkled and blotched from thousands of hours of chafing wind, salt spray and reflected sun from all the seas of  the world.  He was just the kind of man who didn't need an elephant. But it would be an unforgivable breach of protocol to refuse a gift of such magnitude.  So in the style of a man who has learned to survive wars and presidents, he acknowledged the offer and began making plans to accept  the elephant.  I'll bet your thinking, "What's the problem?  A free elephant seems like a pretty great deal, right?"  Wrong.     The problem is that elephant was a male.  Male elephants are dangerous. They resist training and become unmanageable at various times during the year.  After many deaths of keepers and trainers, zoos throughout the world have decided to keep only females.     When the admiral called the mayor we assume the conversation must have proceeded something like this.     "Mayor, it's the admiral.  Your city has a fine zoo I'm told."     "Yes, Admiral, I practically built it myself."   "The wife and I have come by a little gift and we would like to donate it to your zoo."     "Sounds great, Admiral.  What is it?"     "It's a male elephant, Mayor."   "Sounds a generous gift.  Let me call our people at the zoo and make the arrangements."     So the mayor called the zoo.  We know how the conversation went on our end.     "Mayor, we really can't accept the male elephant.  It's just too danerous.  That animal would hurt somebody out here.  You could count on it, Your Honour."     The mayor took the news reluctantly and phoned the hopeful admiral to  break the bad news.  At this point we can only speculate on the pressure  that was exerted on the mayor.  Anyway, the mayor called back our way  and addressed our director in the following manner.     "I would consider it a personal favour if you would provide a home for the admiral's elephant.  It will require that you send some of your staff to Cambodia to pick it up.  The navy will pick up the tab, and your people will  go first class.  I trust you'll have everything arranged at the zoo so that we can say thank you for the admiral's generous gift.  By the way, the  admiral's wife has made a small request.  She would like the tusks as a souvenir.  I trust you will work that one out also.  I really do appreciate your cooperation in this opportunity to help our country."     It would be impossible to refuse to do the mayor a personal favour, so our director, "Yes, Your Honoured" him half to death and agreed to care for a male elephant.  He was met with a lot of resistance by the staff, but no one wanted to call the mayor back, so a date was fixed.  A team was sent to the other side of the earth to receive an expensive gift.  Expensive to us, that is. It was to cost America more than three hundred thousand dollars just to accept the elephant.     To tell you the truth, there were a number of us that would have loved to  go to Cambodia, and we were disappointed when only one keeper was chosen.  The director and the head administrator of the Los Angeles Zoo Association went to handle the protocol and make the necessary arrangements.  A crate would need to be built and preparations for the extensive flight would need to be made.     Our clever director had the enormous crate built out of teak, tons of it, all  of which was to become his when the elephant was unloaded at the Los  Angeles Zoo.     The group was gone for two weeks, and the zoo was abuzz with gossip  and speculation concerning the male elephant.  Every keeper was sure  that they would have told the mayor where to get off, but theirs was breaktime bravery.  We all would have done what the director did.  Still, breaktime was the only opportunity we got to direct the zoo, and  we tried to make the best of it.     The return was well attended by those who anticipated a raging bull  elephant.  The crate was a good deal smaller than expected, and although it was teak, it was unfinished and no one suspected that it had any value  at all.  So much for the director's clever plan.  When the door was wung  open, the keeper who had been flown to Cambodia led the elephant out  of the crate.     He was the most pitiful specimen we had ever seen.  He was suffering from malnutrition and was clearly depressed.  His eyes lacked luster, and  even walking was an effort.     We were told that the little male's name was Chameroun (Sham-ah-roon), which means "prosperity" in Cambodian.  If this poor excuse for an elephant was their idea of prosperity, we were being given a graphic  display of how depleted their nation had become.     As the veterinarian and I began the examination, we discovered one thing after another that would require extensive treatment.  Chameroun was  filled with internal parasites, which explained his poor condition.  He would have to be isolated from the other elephants for weeks while he was being treated.  He also had suspicious looking lumps all over his body, which  turned out to be another type of worm that burrows under the skin.  Each worm would need to be removed surgically.  It would take hours and hours.     Chameroun was too weak to be tranquilized, so the removing of his tusks  for the admiral's wife would have to wait until his condition improved dramatically.     As time passed, Chameroun did improve.  But as he improved he became  less docile.  It was clear that it would only be a matter of time until  somebody got hurt.  No one can stop an angry elephant from doing harm if harm is what it wants to do.     The offical day to say thank you to the premier of Cambodia and the  admiral came with pomp and pageantry.  The zoo director thanked the mayor for the contact that led to the procurement of this rarely exhibited animal.  The mayor thanked the admiral and his wife for thinking of Los Angeles when it came time to find a home for the generous gift, and he thanked America for giving him the opportunity to serve his world. Cambodian officials again thanked the admiral for saving their beloved premier.     I never expect to see that many liars plying their trade in one location  again.  No greater invitation for lightning has ever been issued  unanswered.     The best thing that happened that day was a visit by a beautiful actress, Candice Bergen.  She was there gathering information for an uncomplimentary article that she was writing about the mayor.  The  article was entitled, "The Man In The Empty Suit."  Several keepers were  only too glad to explain how the mayor's pressure on the zoo to accept  the elephant was sure to lead to the injury or even death of anyone responsible for it's care.     The keepers were prophtic.  An incident did occur which could have been fatal.  A keeper sustained a severe back injury from Chameroun, and  plans were made to remove the elephant from the collection.  After two years, the now healthy but unpredictable male was donated to a zoo in Mexico.  As far as I know, that is where he is today.     Three Lessons To Be Taught     As I thought through this story, I found three lessons that begged to be taught.     FIRST     There were many times for people to say No.  The admiral could have refused to take the elephant, and in so doing  saved the United States goverment three hundred thousand dollars. The mayor could have refused the admiral's offer when he discovered the danger factor in order to protect the keepers. The director could have said No, on general principls and stood by the men that he was responsible to protect. Learning to say No to situations that have no value or are counter- productive divide wise men from fools.  But this story owned no wise men.     SECOND     We are never bound to obey anybody else's traditions.  Dr. Charles  Sedgwick, our greatest veterinarian, once told me - and I quote - "Always be loyal to your own principals and you'll never have to worry whom to be loyal to."  We only have to listen to the Scriptures and our own conscience. Any other voices need not apply.     THIRD     We need to know that there are unexpected costs when we go out of  our way to help others.  By saving the premier's life, the admiral chose  to be a Good Samaritan. If we choose to play the role of the Good Samaritan, and we should, it is sure to cost us more than we will first anticipate. Do you remember the story of the Good Samaritan? It is found in Luke:  10:25-37     The Good Samaritan was good because he went out of his way. He even anticipated that the favour would cost more than he had already paid.  It cost him time, energy, and money-and there isn't much more than we can give.     I have a close friend who tells a story of his youth. Sonny was late to school and had chosen to hitchhike to get there  quicker.  Fortunately, a benevolent old man pulled over and picked him  up.  Sonny thanked him for his kindness and they made small talk, as  they motored down Washingtom Boulevard, in Pasaena.  Sonny broke into their conversation and said,  "You can let me off here, sir." The old man looked to both sides of the street and said in a confused tone, "But I don't see any school, son." "The school's a block up sir; I can walk.  I don't want to take you out of your way." The old gentleman spoke in a firm but kind way, and said, "Son, when I stopped and picked you up a few minutes ago, I set out to do you a favour.  Now, if I don't go out of my way, I don't figure I've done you one."       Take a moment and think.   When was the last time you went out of your way to do anybody a  favour? What did it cost you? If you thought of anything recent, thank the Lord.  You're becoming  more like Jesus. If you couldn't think of anything, don't stand around feeling guilty, go help somebody.  Needy folks are all around us.     Author ~ Gary Richmond