Celebrating Ahmed the Elephant

Dec 06, 2023

Celebrating Ahmed the Elephant

This Doodle honors the giant tusked elephant, Ahmed — the first elephant to be protected under presidential decree in Kenya.

This Doodle’s Key Themes

Animals
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About the Doodle:

About Ahmed the Elephant

Ahmed was born in 1919 in the forests of Mount Marsabit, Kenya.

About the Doodle:

Little is known about Ahmed the elephant's early life, but he gained his reputation in the 1960s after being spotted by hikers in the Northern Kenya mountains. Known as “The King Of Marsabit,” spotters claimed Ahmed’s tusks were so large they scraped the ground. The legend took hold across Kenya.

In 1970, Ahmed became the subject of many television projects, including an ABC series and a documentary. His rise in pop culture inspired school children to campaign for Ahmed’s protection from poachers. After they sent letters to Kenya’s first President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, he placed Ahmed under his protection by Presidential Decree.

Two security guards watched over him day and night to preserve his life. After Ahmed died of natural causes at age 55, Kenya celebrated his legacy. President Kenyatta ordered taxidermists to preserve Ahmed for future generations at the Nairobi National Museum. He can still be seen there today.

Illustration of the letter G with a yellow elephant.
The Story

About Ahmed the Elephant

Ahmed the Elephant lived in Kenya’s Marsabit National Reserve. The legendary animal is believed to have had some of the longest and the heaviest tusks in Africa. He was declared a national treasure and remains the only elephant in history to be protected by presidential decree.

Where this Doodle appeared

The Doodle Celebrating Ahmed the Elephant launched Dec 06, 2023

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