One Good Turn...
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
teenaged 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, and 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.
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
teenaged 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, and 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.