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Google Doodle released a doodle today dedicated to Ahmed the Elephant with illustrations of elephants and tourists.
Ahmed was an elephant who was born in 1919 in the forests of Kenya in Mount Marsabit.
Ahmed the elephant's early life is very little known about. Ahmed became the focus of attention after being spotted in the 1960s by hikers in the Northern Kenya mountains. Following this discovery of Ahmed for his big tusks, he gained world recognition and came to be known as “The King Of Marsabit.”
The hikers claimed that Ahmed’s tusks were so large that they scraped the ground, this unique attribute set him apart from other elephants.
Stories of “The King Of Marsabit” began to circulate across Kenya. The legend also drew media attention. Ahmed the elephant became the subject of many television projects that included an ABC series and a documentary in the year 1970.
However, with the rise of pop culture school children began campaigning for Ahmed’s protection from poachers. These school children sent letters to Kenya’s first President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta asking for his protection from poachers who were after the elephant for his massive tusks. Following this, President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta placed Ahmed under his protection by Presidential Decree.
Two security guards were appointed to keep a watch on the elephant throughout the day to save his life from poachers. Ahmed died of natural causes at age 55. Kenya celebrated the elephant's legacy following his death. President Kenyatta called upon taxidermists to make arrangements to preserve Ahmed's body for future generations at the Nairobi National Museum where his body has been meticulously preserved and saved and can be still found today.
The reach of this doodle spans various regions including Kenya, Iceland, Uruguay, Chile, Pakistan, France, Ireland United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany among other countries.
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