Hmm, just spitballing here, but what could you point to on an elephant that’s unique (and/or in the public thoughts of elephants)? Memory, size, trunks, large ears, grey skin, tusks, fear of mice, (name of them?) pachyderm?
For memory - Because they’re the only animal that can remember how to score a strike?
Trunks - Because their trunks have room to spare?
Size - Because even the lions aren’t willing to tell them they crossed the line.
Mice thing - Because they always beat the mice’s half ounce balls.
Or maybe it’s something to do with bowling? Turkeys, lanes, (heavy/big balls), spares, lines, shoes…
Shoes - Because they can finally borrow shoes that fit?
Turkeys - Even elephants love getting turkeys?
Spares - I dunno
They now stand outside places, like a university a few miles away from me, and have incredibly idiotic stands meant to take advantage of people going through hard times.
They do far more than that to be considered cultish. The elders of an area have a large degree of input on things like marriage, for instance, which goes hand in hand with men moving their new wives to areas far away from any family. Combine that with the typical cult emphasis on only socializing with people in the cult, and you’ve got a beautiful combination to keep women oppressed and without options. I’ve had to sit and listen to a poor woman come to terms with leaving everything, adult children included, behind and hope that her family would still help her after 30 years, because she had no other means of support. It was horrifying, because even the resources I was trying to pair her with wouldn’t be enough to help.