The Rock with an Elephant Soul

“There’s a rock painting I want to show you,” my safari guide tells me as we move through Kenya’s Northern Rangelands, near Sarara and their sister camp, The Tree House. I don’t yet know it, but I’m about to encounter what I can only describe as an elephant soul.

I’ve seen African rock paintings before. Bushmen figures etched long ago. Elongated giraffes and eland, faded by weather, time, and the careless touch of modern hands. I imagine Bashia is leading me to something similar. I’m wrong. 

He maneuvers around sage-scented scrub searching for familiar landmarks. “There’s no clearly worn path yet because the painting was only completed two days ago. Not many people have seen it.” And, there will never be any signs, he adds. 

This area is not on the popular safari circuit. It has long been a favorite haunt for poachers, followed by trophy hunters, who consequently wiped out the wildlife. But, in recent years, the local Samburu people and others are reversing that trend by bringing in tourism to boost the local economy. It’s working. The animals know it’s safe to come back.

We pull up to a massive boulder the size of the width of a soccer field. At first, I don’t see anything but a reddish, gray and brown tinged rock face. A beginner rock climber’s dream. But as I stare, she comes into focus. A massive elephant head, extending the full length of the boulder, painted by someone who obviously has a feel and love for his subject and his canvas.

Greeting the Elephant’s Soul

I back away so I can take in the enormous painting. The elephant is staring right at me, her ancient energy embedded in the permanency of this rock.

Youri Cansell, Artist

My guide does not know much about the artist or why he chose this spot. I find out later that Youri Cansell, a young Frenchman also known as Mantra Yoz, is famous for his photorealistic, detailed works and is one of the world’s top contemporary graffiti artists. (See some of his images here.)

Growing up, Youri wanted to be a naturalist. Now, he makes larger-than-life murals of his favorite beings he found in Nature as a child – butterflies, frogs, raptors,  and… an elephant.  And he does them without the use of grids.

He has given this rock a soul. I can feel it. It’s a homage and honoring of the largest land animal on earth. An apology for what has, and is still, happening to their kind. A big elephant-sized message to welcome elephants back to this land.

But at this moment, I don’t want thoughts and explanations for what is in front of me. I simply want to stand in the sacred energy of this collaboration between artist, rock, and elephant.

I imagine that for eons into the future, both the Samburu people and the wild elephants, who randomly find this spot, will do the same.  They will stand here, in awe, experiencing the massive boulders’ equally massive elephant soul.

For more posts about Elephants, follow this link.