# I might choose an elephant **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 30, 2000, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351 "2000-08-30T16:09:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/1 "2000-08-30T16:09:34Z")
I got an idea while posting in another thread. Suppose you could have any pet in the world. Ability to be domesticated, money for keeping and feeding, and space is not an issue. What kind of animal would you choose? My first thought was an armadillo. My second was an elephant. Now I think I want to make a list: Leptoceratops Griffin Raccoon Giraffe Rat (already got one) millipede Fruit Bat Capybara Brachiaosaurus I will leave it at that because taking care of all these is going to be quite a task. Anybody else have a dream farm? ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/2 "2000-08-30T16:12:39Z")
Leave me alone. I already noticed I spelled “brachiosaurus” wrong so don’t point it out. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/3 "2000-08-30T16:31:47Z")
Jackelopes! Cabbits! Invisible Pink Unicorns! ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/4 "2000-08-30T16:36:26Z")
A dragon (or 6), a gryphin(sp) & an alicorn. I’ll work on a few, slightly less essential, pets for my Christmas list… ---
**Author:** ![Edwardina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Edwardina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edwardina)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/5 "2000-08-30T16:41:20Z")
Wow, interesting topic. In a “fantasy” context, the first thing that comes to mind is having beautiful, exotic animals as part of the decor, you know what I mean? Peacocks and unicorns roaming the grounds, butterflies and hummingbirds in the garden, a huge tank with all kinds of aquatic critters like octopi, stingrays, puffers, seahorses, jellyfish . . . I’d love to swim with a dolphin. I’d love to have a pet fire lizard. But, when it comes right down to it, all exotic pets aside, if I had unlimited space, and didn’t have to wonder how I was going to feed them, I would go right now down to the Humane Society and rescue every animal in there, every bird, bat, cat, rat, horse and dog, and give them all the gift of living out their lives in a loving environment where all their needs are met. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/6 "2000-08-30T16:52:17Z")
Fantasy? - Fire lizard - a gold queen of course! Real animal - a tiger. ---
**Author:** ![Kiki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kiki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiki)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/7 "2000-08-30T16:52:36Z")
As long as it wouldn’t maul me to death or hurt anybody I would want a black panther as a pet. But I’ve always wanted a polar bear too. Maybe I’ll keep the panther inside and the bear outside! ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Thing\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_1)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/8 "2000-08-30T16:59:32Z")
I would love to have some Naked Mole Rats (AKA Saber-toothed Sausages) Cool little critters. Horses are cool too. And maybe a Tiger. John ---
**Author:** ![SouthernStyle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@SouthernStyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernStyle)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/9 "2000-08-30T17:33:06Z")
I want a tiger, perhaps a lioness, maybe a leopard. It’ll look so cool lying next to the giraffe. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/10 "2000-08-30T18:14:11Z")
real animals - more of my Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (I’ve got three), horses - especially the bay? really pale, gold colour, tigers, dolphins, cheetahs, grey wolves, owls, various hawks. And a really large house & grounds to keep them in! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/11 "2000-08-30T19:43:07Z")
I have to go with adopting the entire animal shelter. ---
**Author:** ![Pucette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@Pucette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pucette)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/12 "2000-08-30T19:44:23Z")
Capybaras?!?!?! I thought I was the only one who thought they were cool! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/13 "2000-08-30T19:53:20Z")
I would want some sea monkeys that actually look like the advertisement shows. ---
**Author:** ![Sea\_Sloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Sea\_Sloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sea_Sloth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/14 "2000-08-30T19:56:12Z")
I’d want a sloth. We could eat papaya and nap together all day. ---
**Author:** ![SouthernStyle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@SouthernStyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernStyle)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/15 "2000-08-30T20:06:47Z")
You can have my ex-wife. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/16 "2000-08-30T20:09:46Z")
Real animals - the odd ones you never see in zoos. Aardvark, anteater, pangolin. And, most importantly, a duck-billed platypus. My personal zoo would be incomplete without one of those. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/17 "2000-08-30T22:03:26Z")
I want a koala bear. They sleep 22 hours a day so I wouldn’t be spending much time taking care of it. On the other hand they stink to high heaven, and I’d have to import about 20 eucalyptus trees from Australia because they don’t eat anything else. I think I’ll just try to smuggle my dog in from the States instead. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/18 "2000-08-30T22:09:35Z")
• A penguin family • Some Eastern Cottontail bunnies - they are SO cute! • A brown bear cub • A dolphin • Every feral cat on my street If only this were really possible … ---
**Author:** ![Turpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/19 "2000-08-30T22:10:19Z")
I am so dumb. I forgot what pet I would \*\* really [/b} want in my OP. Forget about capybaras and tigers (seems to be a popular choice) and fruit bats and griffins. The answer is so obvious: I want Falkor. You know, _Falkor_, the luck dragon from the Neverending Story. Either Falkor or Bluto from Labyrinth. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2000, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351/20 "2000-08-30T22:18:14Z")
I want a raven. I see them sitting around in the trees when I go walking, looking atmospheric and going “Grawk!” I think a raven would add a nice touch to home or office. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-choose-an-elephant/31351.md?page=2)