“Timbo, The Rogue Elephant”

Village elders came running to the Nyankunde Hospital to get Dr. Bob’s help. An incredibly angry old male elephant had gone wild and was tearing up the village gardens, destroying homes, and threatening the lives of the villagers. Would he please come immediately and shoot the elephant?

Dr. Bob took no pleasure in killing wild animals and did not go on hunting safaris, but this was an extraordinary situation. Male elephants, in their golden years, had a strange characteristic of going quite mad on occasion. This “Timbo”( the Swahili term for the great beast) was apparently in his dotage and was acting out his stored rage by harassing the village and its occupants. He had gone rogue. 

The powerful”elephant gun”, a Weatherby Magnum was taken out of storage, together with two shells, and everyone was led to the offending animal. Villagers did their best to steer the elephant into an open space, Doctor Bob went into a spot where his weapon would have the most effect and fired the first shell. The big beast , struck in the heart, collapsed. A second shot made certain that it was decidedly dead. The villagers spread the word to neighbouring communities and soon the animal was expertly cut into meal size portions that would keep families well fed for a week.

Dr. Bob was rewarded with a fine cut, a ’filet mignon” that was put into the freezer to provide dinners for a long while. Ruth, Bob’s wife, prepared special meals of beef and elephant, for their guests  and Bob urged each guest to take one slice from each of the platters. They were asked later to say which of the two pieces were exotic elephant. No one could tell the difference.