The elephant is a creature of majestic beauty and elegance, adored and respected by most people and, in many ways, a reminder of a remote world, about which we can only imagine. Endowed with great intelligence and a huge faculty for memory, the giant of the jungle saunters with remarkable grace that belies its stature.
Among the locals of Zimbabwe, a clan is named after it: Nzou/Samanyanga – they of big horns, is their totem, a symbol of greatness, leadership and gentleness. Those who are carry the totem do so with great pride. One of Zimbabwe’s great sons, iconic musician Oliver “Tuku†Mtukudzi is a proud member of that clan. One of his songs bears lyrics that honour and praise the elephant: “Nyararai henyu Samanyanga, inga ndimi mhuka huru waniâ€, he sings. (Be still, the Great Elephant, for aren’t you the biggest of them all?).
Sadly, this is no time for the Zimbabwean elephant to be still. It is in grave danger, going by the tragic events of the last two years in Zimbabwe’s national parks. While the world’s attention was captured by the tragedy of Cecil, the lion, in July this year, after its killing at the hands of American dentist, Walter Palmer, a bigger calamity has been quietly unfolding in Zimbabwe’s national parks, away from the eyes of the world.
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