Meet Kenya's iconic animals

They strode the Kenyan plains like the proverbial colossus. Their names — and fame — are deeply engraved in the annals of history, both locally and internationally. They are Kenya’s iconic animals, a rare breed that cemented the country as the ultimate wildlife safari destination.

From the deserts of Marsabit to the dusty plains of Maasailand; from the slopes of Mount Kenya to the shadows of Nairobi’s skyscrapers, these animals led a wild life oblivious to the snoopy eyes and cameras that trailed them. Meet Kenya’s kings (and queens) of the jungle.

Long before we became a nation, there lived two of the most ferocious lions in Kenya. The pair came to the limelight sometime in 1898 as the construction of the much-derided “Lunatic Express” reached the Tsavo plains.

The felines had some fetish for human flesh, ambushing the Indian workers from the railway tracks, in the bush, and even pulling them out of tents and train wagons. So terrified were the railway workers that word prevailed that these were no lions but ghosts of departed African chiefs who were unhappy with the railway project.

It took several weeks for Colonel John H Patterson to bring the brutes down, and only after they attempted to take him down too from his flimsy watchtower. The lions were shipped to the Chicago Museum at a fee of $5,000 (Sh591,500). There has been a clamour for the museum to return these lions to Kenya.

He was known as the King of Marsabit. Ahmed was the bull elephant that rose to international fame owing to his tusks, then the longest and heaviest in Africa, at 70 kilos each. But he was a recluse. “He was seldom seen, only known by reputation rather than by sight,” states the book, Kenya: Through my Father’s Eyes by Salim Amin.

So long were Ahmed’s tusks that it was said that Amed could only climb the hills of Marsabit National Park backward. At a time when trophy hunting was legal in Kenya, there were fears that Ahmed would bite the bullet. The December 7, 1970 issue of the New York Times said that a television item in Europe had indicated that two American hunters were planning a visit to Kenya to bag Ahmed’s tusks.

It took a letter-writing campaign by schoolchildren to urge President Jomo Kenyatta to beef up security for Ahmed. He obliged and issued a Presidential Decree that placed two armed men who shadowed Ahmed around the clock.

Ahmed died in 1974 at the age of 55, but not before featuring in several films including The American Sportsman. His remains are preserved at the Kenya National Museum.

Although chimps are not native to Kenya, Sebastian found his way to the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, a haven for abandoned animals or those that lose their parents, when he was about eight years old. It is believed he was hand-reared before being donated to the orphanage in 1963.

Those who visited Sebastian at the orphanage can attest to the fact that he lived large and ‘ate life with a big spoon’, literally. Apart from admiring himself on a silver tray, the comical Sebastian loved the taste of ice cream, served in a nice bowl and a big spoon to boot.

He provided relief to many when he smoked cigarettes, legs crossed in a relaxed fashion. On occasion, Sebastian would be driven into the park for ‘game viewing’, occasionally hooting at other animals that unfortunately, had to fend for themselves.

Though official records show he died of old age in July 1996, some are convinced that he succumbed to lung cancer.  

In December 1969, a baby elephant was born in Amboseli National Park. He was named Tim by Cynthia Moss, the intrepid American researcher who had arrived in Africa a year earlier. Like humans, elephants warmly welcome the birth of a new baby. The birth of Tim elicited a similar display of affection.

Tim belonged to a family led by an old female (elephants are matriarchal) that Cynthia had named Teresia. Teresia had a second female called Trista, Tim’s mother. Tim’s mother died when he was only eight and at the age of 15, he left home to explore the dusty plains of Amboseli. That was in 1984.

As he grew older, his special features came to the fore. His tusks were long, almost touching the ground he walked on. They were heavy too, weighing about 132 kilos in total and like Ahmed’s, must have been the envy of poachers.

In his sunset years, Tim ‘retired’ around Kimana, an area where agricultural activities were taking root. He loved to raid tomato farms and was speared several times but survived. The legendary tusker died of a twisted gut in February 2020.

Like Ahmed, Tim’s body lies at the National Museums of Kenya where future generations can pay homage to the King of Amboseli.

His death six years ago in the hands of those who were supposed to watch over him sent shockwaves across the country. Mohawk – aptly named due to a tuft of hair on top of the head similar to the hairstyle adopted by today’s young generation, was taking a stroll near Kitengela, the fast-growing town to the south of the Nairobi National Park.

Their peculiar looks made him popular with tourists and he was often photographed, leading some tour vehicles on the paved road near the main gate. However, the rivalry between him and his two half brothers made him a sort of an outcast, often leaving the confines of the park several times.

At the time of his death, he was trying to establish some new territory. Before his death, he had attacked a motorcycle rider. Mohawk gained more fame after his death with the hashtag #JusticeforMohawk trending for some time. He was interred in an unmarked site within the park.

“A king has rested,” said the brief June 18 obituary on the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Twitter handle. Like Mohawk before him, Sirikoi was another iconic lion going by the KWS tribute. He was born in January 2014 in Nairobi park’s Sosian Valley, a son of a “dominant and charismatic pride”.

His tactical and amazing hunting skills, according to his keepers, enabled him to take down big prey like giraffes and buffaloes alone. Sirikoi’s distinctive dark mane must have struck fear in other lions as it is a” strong indicator of a lion’s health, vigour, and strength as well as testosterone levels”.

As per the norm in the lion world, another male though will take over his two former female companions rearing his cubs. According to KWS, Sirikoi will join other icons of the wild kingdom as he is “immortalised at the National Museum of Kenya, as an icon of Nairobi National Park”.