06/05/2026
We were doing a slow morning game drive through Tarangire National Park in Tanzania in February (2026). It had been a nice morning of game driving when it suddenly got a little overcast as we saw a few elephants in the distance. We shut off the engine and waited. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was my father, texting to tell me my last remaining grandparent (my grandfather) had just passed as my father held his hand. It was expected, but still hit me with a thud. I took a deep breath - looked up from my phone - and right there next to the truck was this big bull elephant. Quiet and serene in a moment of peace, he sat there, looked at us with contentment, and stayed a while as a few other bulls meandered up behind him. I thought of my grandfather - 102 years old on the day he passed and a giant of a man (though little in stature). It all connected for me - family, nature, earth, the big life of a wonderful man being shown to me through the peaceful eyes of an elephant. I'll never forget it. He flapped his ears, crossed in front of the truck, and quietly disappeared into the bush.
Pic by me (Toby Brown) of Sights Of Africa - RIP W.O. Brown
