Elvis

Rhinos seem to like me. Today I came face to face with Elvis, a two year old, 2,000 pound, blind, black rhino as I was leaving a meeting with Faith, the head of Lewa’s educational program. Faith went one way, I went another. Wouldn’t you know it, Elvis ignored Faith and came after me. He soon had me cornered in the office courtyard. Elvis stepped closer and closer. His snout pressed me back toward a hard, mud brick wall. “I’m going to get crushed,” I thought. What was I to do?

I did what anyone would do: I reached out and scratched his forehead above the second horn. Elvis seemed to like that so I patted the side of his neck. He liked that too. Then I slipped to one side and tried to walk away. Didn’t work. Elvis followed, pressing against me with his rough, dusty, boulder-like head. I sped up. Elvis kept pace. Worried, I jumped into an office. Standing outside, Elvis paused, flicked his ears, thought for a minute and then started into the office. The two guys in the office jumped up and climbed out of the windows. When Elvis was half way inside, I put one foot on the windowsill and lifted myself up to jump out too. Elvis backed out. I climbed down. Peering through the doorway, I waited until he wandered away.

Elvis being scratched.

Being a slow learner, I got my camera and returned to take a picture of my new friend, Elvis. He was quietly standing by a doorway getting his nose rubbed. Suppressing my jealousy of Elvis’s fickle nature, I snapped a picture. The gentleman then swatted at Elvis with a stick to send him on his way. Spurned, Elvis spun around and charged my way at a gallop. I, in turn, spun around and sprinted as fast as a 64 year old man can back to the safe haven of the same office as before. Deciding that I was no fun, Elvis left the building!

Elvis leaving the compound.

Seriously– Elvis was hand raised from a baby because he was born blind and would have died otherwise. Though he is used to people and generally gentle, he is still a wild animal and is unpredictable and dangerous. I would never have approached him, except that he trapped me in a corner and petting him to make friends seemed the best option. When he began pressing against me, I thought that he might hurt me. Not out of malice, just because he didn’t know any better. And when he ran at me, I was actually scared.

Note to file: Rhinos like me but they can be dangerous.