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Author Archives: Mark Deeble
Alan Root
Alan Root was a filmmaker’s filmmaker – he combined a sharp intellect and a need for adrenaline-fuelled adventure, with a knowledge of African natural history that was unparalleled. He was passionate and humorous – a quick-witted story-teller who … Continue reading
The story of a tusk – 28KG / VOI RIVER / 30/5/14
The Ivory Burn is about to happen and for days the internet has been full of pictures of the pyres being built, conservationists having their pictures taken with tusks, and heart-felt video pleas. Despite the piles of tusks rising … Continue reading
Posted in Tsavo
Tagged Africa, Deeble and Stone, elephants, ivory, Kenya Wildlife Service, KUAPO, Salisha Chandra, Save the Elephants, The Elephant Movie, Tsavo
37 Comments
The Elephant Movie – the sound of it
Sound. We don’t pay enough attention to it. We all have our favourite evocative smells – lemon verbena, petrichor, Atlantic cliff gorse on a summer afternoon… I think I can identify at least half a dozen Cornish sea fish … Continue reading
Satao – the enigma
Alive, Satao was almost unknown; dead, he became legend. How did it happen? A year ago, Satao fell to a poacher’s poisoned arrow in a remote corner of Tsavo East National Park. When news of his death became known … Continue reading
Satao – one year on
Recently, I flew to find Satao’s remains. The anniversary of his death was approaching and I felt compelled to visit. Besides, I rationalised, I was curious to see to what extent the nutrient overload had killed the vegetation, and … Continue reading
Posted in Tsavo
Tagged biodiversity, Deeble and Stone, elephants, Great Elephant Census, Kenya, poaching, Satao, The Elephant Movie, Tsavo, tusk, tusker, wildlife filmmaking
26 Comments
The Elephant Movie – the beginning
Together with a small team, we are making a film about elephants. It will have taken over five years by the time we finish – but the research phase will have taken almost thirty. The idea has arisen … Continue reading
Posted in Tsavo
Tagged Alan Root, biodiversity, Deeble and Stone, elephants, Kenya, The Elephant Movie, Tsavo, wildlife feature film, wildlife filmmaking
32 Comments
Ndume : the story of an elephant
It reads like environmental pulp fiction: A tribal family’s ancestral forest home is surrounded and cutoff from the main forest by illegal loggers and slash-and-burn farmers. When they eventually break out to try to rejoin the main tribe, they … Continue reading
Posted in Tsavo
Tagged bull, Chota, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Deeble and Stone, elephants, Kenya, Ndume, Sheldrick Trust, The Elephant Movie, Tsavo
79 Comments
Hope for elephants – one woman’s passion
There is a lot of news about elephants, and a lot of noise about them. I subscribe to forums, and newsletters from elephant-centric NGOs, and sometimes it can be hard to remain positive. Every day we get email alerts highlighting … Continue reading
Elephant Rock
There is a rock at the end of Kivuko kopje that has intrigued me ever since I first walked past it. Three years ago, we refurbished an abandoned cattle camp at Kivuko as a base for filming. We cut an … Continue reading
Posted in Tsavo
Tagged Africa, African wildlife, Deeble and Stone, elephants, Kenya, Rubbing rock, Tsavo, wildlife filmmaking
8 Comments
(Ambos)ele
Once every few years a group of Tsavo eles journeys to Amboseli. Recently, we did the same. We flew into the late afternoon sun, away from the ochre dusts, towards Kilimanjaro. Ever since I was a child in … Continue reading
Posted in Amboseli
Tagged Amboseli, Deeble and Stone, drought, elephants, Kenya, Mzima, Mzima: haunt of the Riverhorse, The Queen of Trees, wildebeest, wildlife filmmaking
22 Comments
Mark Deeble 