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In 1986 Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from college. On a hike thru the bush, he came upon a young bull elephant standing with one leg in the air.
The elephant seened distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephants foot, and found a large thorn deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could Mbembe worked the thorn out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down his foot.
The elephant turned to face the man, and with a very stern look on its face, just stared at him. For several tense moments Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly and walked away. Mbembe never forgot the elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later he was walking through a zoo with his teenage son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at them both a moment and lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down.The elephant did this several times, then trumpeted loudley, all the while staring at the men.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant? Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the rail and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared at him in wonder.
Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again, wrapped his trunk around one of Mbembe's legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, killing him almost instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
The elephant seened distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephants foot, and found a large thorn deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could Mbembe worked the thorn out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down his foot.
The elephant turned to face the man, and with a very stern look on its face, just stared at him. For several tense moments Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly and walked away. Mbembe never forgot the elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later he was walking through a zoo with his teenage son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at them both a moment and lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down.The elephant did this several times, then trumpeted loudley, all the while staring at the men.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant? Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the rail and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared at him in wonder.
Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again, wrapped his trunk around one of Mbembe's legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, killing him almost instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
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