Daily small challenges
For the first few weeks, Mike spent all his time teaching me the ropes. When handling a traumatized five-ton animal, every procedure had to be flawless.
“Always toss the food from here,” Mike demonstrated, standing well back from the enclosure. “Never, and I mean never, try to hand-feed him. One wrong move and you could lose more than just your job.”
Dumbo’s daily menu was enormous, consisting of apples, carrots, hay, and specially formulated elephant pellets that weighed nearly 400 pounds.
However, one thing here broke my heart. While we were watching, Dumbo didn’t eat a single bite. Mealtime meant vulnerability, and vulnerability meant danger in Dumbo’s world.
