Timothy

I am in a small bus with a delegation from Cameroon, Congo and Senegal. We are in Amboseli National Park, in southern Kenya, showing them how communities here are involved in conservation and how Kenya Wildlife Service manages the park and tourism. The delegation is comprised of directors of wildlife agencies, government officials and park managers. It is fun to see these grown men, yes, all men, in awe of the wildlife. They come from forested landscapes where it is difficult to see wildlife and when you do, because of poaching, the wildlife disappear quickly.

As we bump along the washboard road, we catch a glimpse of a male elephant behind an acacia tree. We stop and watch. When he moves from behind the tree, my jaw drops at the size of his tusk. It is hitting the ground, absolutely enormous. You wonder how he can even lift his head with the weight of these tusks. I learn later than the elephants name is Timothy and he is 45 years old.

Timothy is 45 years old. He is known as one of the largest tuskers in Amboseli. When I looked him up I found a number of lovely photos, like the one below from Paul Obuno. I also found one with a spear in his head. Timothy was speared in 2016, right on the left side of his head. You can find the image on line. This is a common retaliatory action from local Maasai when elephant come out and raid 'shambas' gardens or trample homes. Fortunately, Timothy wandered to help and a team was able to tranquilize him and pull out the spear.


Photo (c) Paul Obuno.

The delegation is utterly impressed as they watch Timothy and the other wildlife in Amboseli. It is impressive, truly. But what these men do not see are the real issues facing this landscape and others in Kenya. With a population of 44 million expected to double by 2050, there is just not enough space for wildlife with the current development trends. Don't get me wrong, if Kenya embarked on proper and binding land use planning, it could thrive economically and ecologically, but without that planning rampant development continues to block wildlife corridors, put severe pressure on protected areas and accelerate conflicts with communities.

The median age of elephants in Amboseli is 55. So Timothy will hopefully live another decade. I cannot help but to wonder what this landscape will be like in ten years, and what challenges Timothy and the other Amboseli elephants will face.