In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after
graduating from Northwestern University.
On a hike through the bush, he came across a young
bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.
The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached
it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's
foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.
As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe
worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant
gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a
rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.
Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but
being trampled.
Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned,
and walked away. Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that
day.
Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the
Chicago 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 Mbembe, lifted its
front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that
several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't
help wondering if this was the same elephant.
Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the
railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the
elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe's
legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
graduating from Northwestern University.
On a hike through the bush, he came across a young
bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.
The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached
it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's
foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.
As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe
worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant
gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a
rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.
Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but
being trampled.
Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned,
and walked away. Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that
day.
Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the
Chicago 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 Mbembe, lifted its
front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that
several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't
help wondering if this was the same elephant.
Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the
railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the
elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe's
legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.
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That's a keeper!
