Where no elephant has gone before

When a New York Times reporter asked George Mallory (1886–1924) why he wanted to ascend Mt Everest, the peak that would eventually take climber's life, replied, “Because it's there.” Other mountaineers have given their own reasons for risks they take: test themselves limit, find out who really are, be surrounded by beauty, or as Alan Arnette declared, “to see sun rise before it does”. In 1963, Kisoi Munyao ascended Kenya present his nation with gift: planting its flag on second highest of multiple summits at midnight December 12th, became independent. And perhaps, in 1959, when first African reach 5199 m, hoped inspire continent. But an elephant (Loxodonta africana) climb nearly high? It's question posed note published 1944 Journal East Natural History Society (Vol XVIII, Nos 1&2, page 93), which recounts how MP Taffe and JH Greenaway found remains staggering elevation “15,000–15,300 feet approximately” (the latter height being over 4600 m). It lay scree slope, propped up boulder. The vultures had left only bones, some hide, few inches trunk, weather beating. finders believed animal broken foreleg, sentencing death exposure. These are same those described later sources lying northeast summit rather than Taffe's northwest, variously 4267 4400 m. exact location “Icy Mike”, this came known, was, however, settled now-disaggregated skeleton was rediscovered 2004 (at around 4480 m; https://tracks4africa.co.za/maps/w248111) Iain Douglas-Hamilton (Save Elephants; Nairobi, Kenya), filmmaker Bob Poole, adventurer Hans Rey. Nowadays you can go guided trek it, although many bones disappeared trophies. any there? produced note, certainly perplexed: “What doing height, great distance from food, must remain mystery”, wrote. We might never know sure, but we do that, despite huge energy cost drag bulk mountainside, enter alpine zone various mountain ranges. Kenya, where well-worn trails been identified, these animals recorded 4000 feed Dendrosenecio (formerly Senecio) keniodendron – giant groundsels (see Biotropica 1984; 16: 246–48). Reaching 6 m more surreal plants (Figure 1) commonly divided trunk topped rosette large leaves giants, quite fitting elephant's lunch. Life-histories game (1914; York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons), coauthor Theodore Roosevelt wrote them: “Groundsels several species throughout world common roadside weeds, nowhere except highlands Africa exhibit such tree forms.” Growing stands, appear 3500 Elephants like 1 tall, knocking them down splitting trunks open protein-rich pith inside. literature records damage areas done this, even eliminating “most adult below 3800 two major valleys (Likki North Teleki)” (Oecologia 1982; 55: 243–47). Giant Kenya. G Baviere (CC BY-SA 2.0) Perhaps then, Greenaway's munching groundsel something drove upslope. A fire? predator? possible since turns elephants not high climbers past, lion tracks observed 3600 leopard kills 4300 packs wild dogs reported 4250 spotted hyena's were once 4800 (J Afr Nat Hist Soc 1993; 82: 55–79). Alternatively, perhaps spooked other fleeing predation, paper reports zebra droppings carcass bull buffalo 4700 higher our mountaineering pachyderm! just exploring, because, humans, indeed do. end, is probably right: so high, there nothing eat air cold thin, may forever mystery. I'll wager should ever gaze upon breathtaking spectacle believe went does. Adrian Burton