When an elephant strayed into a windswept hamlet in a remote village near Amboseli National Park in Kajiado County, rampaged around Saitoti ole Santamu's homestead and ultimately killed him, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers thought this was just another case of conflict which would soon be forgotten.
This could not have been further from the truth. Mashuru village residents were baying for the Jumbo's blood. So for two days, they demonstrated and blockaded the Emali-Loitokitok road. And entreaties from KWS personnel fell on deaf ears.