The Eye
Domenic Matai, Joseph Mutemi, and I were out patrolling the savannah midafternoon when we spotted a herd of elephants making their way in a line across the horizon. Domenic headed off at an angle to intercept them so I could get a good shot of the approaching family.
The matriarch led the group with a year-old baby at her heels. Another female followed behind, her small calf hugging her haunches. Several aunties, nannies, and other youngsters made up the family group, plus one large bull elephant bringing up the rear.
Perhaps one of the females was in estrus. Bull elephants usually live on their own or in small bachelor groups unless they are in musth, when testosterone levels are high, and they are looking to mate with a female. Bull elephants can be aggressive and unpredictable in this condition.
The matriarch stayed on course, then turned to avoid us and headed 90 degrees to the right. The rest of the group peeled off, one by one following their leader.
The babies stuck close to their mothers and nannies as if there was a magnetic force between their small bodies and the protective bulk of their caregivers.
The family headed north except for the bull who stayed on course. He kept on coming right at us. My heart raced as the huge elephant got closer and closer. He had my full attention.
We locked eyes for an instant. It happened so fast I honestly don’t know what the message was. That eye plus his massive size sent my nervous system into high alert. His eye was light brown, I could see his iris.
There was intelligence there and a message. Was it a warning? Was it a greeting? My entire body absorbed the encounter, even now, months later, I can still feel the electricity of the moment and the awareness that we are all connected.
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