Word was abuzz about herds of elephants that had been spotted in the Lower Imenti forest of the larger Mt Kenya National Park and reserve in Meru County.

People living on the edge of the forest had been complaining about the animals trampling on their crops.

I took a drive towards Nanyuki and branched off into the forest at Meru Technical College. The paved road is lined by Meru Oak trees. There were a few cows and sheep by the roadside.

When I reached a small market called Kithaku, which lies at the base of the forest, I was informed that the elephants were much higher up and deeper in the forest and that it would be difficult for me to gain access without a four-wheel drive vehicle.

However, I figured that a motorcycle was the perfect means of transport into the forest. My friends reminded me that at least four people had recently been killed by the elephants. Buffaloes were roaming too, I was warned.

The sun was now headed West as my friend Gitobu and I hopped onto the bike and headed into the forest. We rode on an all-weather road until we got to the entry into the forest. The now narrow road was lined with naturally growing Newtonia trees, and farther along we found a clearing that showed heavy harvesting of cypress trees. The forest was quiet and cold, with only the chirping of crickets and a lone bird.

Potato farmers

About five kilometres into the forest, we turned left. Gitobu said this was buffalo territory, and we needed to be cautious. If we came across a mother with a calf, we ran the risk of being gored.

Higher up the forest we came to a clearing where farmers were harvesting potatoes. People from adjoining villages are given pieces of land in the forest to cultivate as they tend to the young trees.

“Are you looking for the elephants?” a lady asked us, probably after seeing the camera around my neck.

“Yes,” I said. “Have you heard anything today?”

“Check a few kilometres ahead,” she said.

We continued on our way and came across night guards for the forest farms living in makeshift shacks, but they were of no help.

We walked on for about two more hours, enjoying the picturesque landscape of Meru behind us and the ridges of Mt Kenya ahead of us.

Three men were chopping cutting wood. I explained what I was looking for and without a word, one man beckoned us to follow him. He made his way into a dense part of the forest where a Newtonia tree lay on the ground.

“An elephant brought this down a few hours ago,” he said. “It’s how they test their strength.”

Don't run

We fell into single file, with our guide leading the way. I was in the middle and Gitobu followed closely. The forest was dark and silent and we moved slowly, listening out for any crackle or movement, and came to a wet area. Our guide stopped and said, “Do not fear or run away.”

And standing just a few metres in front of us, were three elephants. One of them was close by, behind a thicket, and another two were farther away to the left. Our guide told us to move to a clearing from where we could see the elephants almost face to face.

One elephant lowered its trunk and made a move with its front right leg. “It has seen and acknowledged our presence,” our guide, whom I later learned was called Muriira, told us. The elephants looked at us and we stared right back. About a minute later, the elephants turned around and walked away.

I was so engrossed in taking pictures that I forgot about the danger before us.

“Elephants are friendly animals. The problem is that people run away when they come across them, and this irritates them. When you stand still the elephants will not attack you,” Muriira said. His observations must have been based on his indigenous knowledge.

This was confirmed by Justus Nyamu, the chief executive of Elephants Neighbours Centre, who said that in the absence of calves in the herd, elephants have no reason to harm humans.

Having completed our mission, we turned back and walked along the narrow forest path that we had taken. Encountering elephants face to face is not for the faint hearted.