THE UNKNOWN ELEPHANT

“When I feel all is hopeless I think back to that one poached elephant and how angry and upset and hurt I was for him. If I can stop one elephant from going through that again, then it’s been worth it” – Margot Raggett

Northern Kenya, 2014 wildlife photographer Margot Raggett was on safari when at 4am the hyenas began a call! What she witnessed at first light was a memory that never left her and changed her life. It was a young bull elephant who had died from a poisoned arrow; poachers had shot him, most likely for his ivory tusks, but he’d got away, only to die a slow, painful death over the next few days; a victim of human-wildlife conflict. The hyenas had started to eat his dying, helpless body and the sight and the smell was shocking. Margot realised that poaching and many other threats that wildlife face are hidden from tourists and the public so she decided to use the fury, grief and helplessness she felt to raise awareness. The one-off book called ‘Remembering Elephants’ raised £100,000, selling out in two months and realising the good that could come out of raising funds for conservation the series ‘Remembering Wildlife’ was born. As of 2026, 10 books and an audio book have been released raising £1.26million with an 11th book due in October.

Margot named the young bull ‘The Unknown Elephant’ for the Animal HEROES Hall Of Fame as a way for him to represent all wildlife victims of poaching and to continue his legacy of being the inspiration for the ‘Remembering Wildlife’ series.

Photo credit of The Unknown Elephant: Margot Raggett/Remembering Wildlife