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Revered 49-year-old forest ranger, Titus Onyenwe, known far and wide as the “Elephant Whisperer,” has spent 30 years forging a bond with the majestic inhabitants of the sprawling Omo Forest. He takes Dayo Oyewo on a remarkable journey into when he first ventured into the dense, shadowy forest in 1990, nights of silent vigils and patient observation and how he became a cherished companion to the ‘gentle’ giants
Nestled deep within the dense Omo Forest in the Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State lies a story as old as time itself – a tale of profound connection and mutual respect between man and beast.
This forest, a sanctuary of ancient trees towering like sentinels over the land, harbours within its depths a bond that transcends the spoken word and a friendship that has been quietly nurtured for decades.
At the heart of this tale is Titus Onyenwe, a 49-year-old forest ranger, whose life has been intricately woven into the fabric of Omo Forest.
His journey began in 1990, when the thick canopy of Omo Forest first cast its shadow over him.
Brought to this untamed wilderness by a white man, who had partnered with the then Nigerian forest elephants, Onyenwe was tasked with a daunting mission to monitor the elephants that roamed the vast lush lands.
Omo Forest, a sprawling labyrinth of life, is home to the majestic forest elephants.
The forest, located about 135 kilometres from the bustling city of Lagos, is a world unto itself.
It boasts of over 200 types of trees, their canopies forming a natural cathedral under which life thrives.
No fewer than 125 species of birds add their songs to the chorus of the forest, while several mammals make their homes in the undergrowth, moving through the foliage with the grace of those who have known these woods for generations.
Yet, this paradise is under threat. Over the years, illegal poaching, logging, and farming have encroached upon the sanctuary of the forest elephants, turning what was once a safe haven into a battleground for survival.
The trees that have stood for centuries now face the sharp blades of axes, the birds’ songs often interrupted by the roar of chainsaws, and the elephants—wise, gentle giants—find their paths increasingly obstructed by the advance of human activity.
It was into this fraught environment that Onyenwe was thrust, a young man from Orita, a community close to the forest, with roots in the southeastern region.
Although his family’s heritage lay elsewhere, his destiny was undeniably tied to the Omo Forest. Alongside a friend, Onyenwe began his work, setting up a camp in what would later be known as Erin Camp, or Elephant Camp.
For two long years, Onyenwe toiled in the camp, his senses ever alert, his spirit ever patient.
The forest, with its dense undergrowth and towering trees, seemed to hold its breath, keeping its secrets close.
The elephants remained elusive, shadows in the mist, their presence felt but never seen. Many would have lost hope, but not Onyenwe.
He understood that the forest and its inhabitants moved to a rhythm all on their own—a rhythm that required patience, respect, and above all, time.
Then, one day, as the sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light onto the forest floor, the moment came. Onyenwe, going about his duties, caught sight of them—his first glimpse of the magnificent creatures he had come to know only through stories and signs.
It was as though the forest had decided he was ready; that he had earned the trust not just of the land, but of the elephants themselves.
From that day forward, Onyenwe’s life changed. The connection he forged with the elephants was not just born out of observation but from a deep, almost spiritual understanding.
He learned to speak their language and interpret the subtle nuances of their sounds and movements.
The forest, once silent and impenetrable, now revealed its secrets to him, whispering them on the wind, through the rustle of leaves, and in the quiet, powerful presence of the elephants.
Omo Forest, with all its beauty and peril, had become more than just a place of work for Onyenwe—it was his home, his life, and his greatest teacher.
And the elephants, with whom he had once only hoped to share space, had become his companions.
Speaking to our correspondent during a reporting trip to the forest, sponsored by Wild Africa Fund on July 31, 2024, Onyenwe revealed that a white man, who partnered the then ‘Nigeria Forest Elephant’ brought him and his friend to J4 Forest in 1990, to monitor the elephants.
He said, “There were elephants there at that time, but we did not see them until after two years. I worked in the camp for five years before another person was employed.
“The process of my contact with elephants started the day I spotted them while working in the camp. It was that day that I started trailing them. During that period, I would follow them wherever they went from morning till night. Once it was dark, I would sleep at the location I stopped following them and continued the next day.
“There was a time they charged at me after noticing I had been following them. That day, one of them started to trumpet and charge towards me; it went back and did the same five times. Throughout that time, I did not leave the spot I was in. And by the time the elephant realised that I did not move, it went its way and left me unharmed.”
This dedication and patience paid off when the elephants began to accept Onyenwe’s presence. He learned to recognise their different sounds, from the snapping of wood while eating, to the distinctive rumble when they wanted to rest.
Onyenwe could sense their emotions, understanding when they were calm or agitated.
He also learned to speak to them in his native language, and they would listen. If he needed them to follow him, they would obey. His connection with the animals deepened, and he became known as the “Elephant Whisperer of Erin Camp.”
Onyenwe said, “From that day on, I followed them and learnt about their ways and how to communicate with them. I never learnt this anywhere but here at Erin Camp. No matter how far or near an elephant is, once it makes a noise, I will know it is there.
“They don’t just make a sound anyhow. If they are eating now, they will break some wood; the noise will be different at that point. If they want to rest, they also make a different sound; no one can easily understand this, but I do.
“If I see an elephant inside the thick forest and it comes in my direction, while others run away, I will wait. And if it attempts to attack anyone, I will speak a certain language to it or beat my hands twice and it will listen.
“Over the years, I also tried to speak to elephants in my native Igbo language and they now listen. I also speak to them in different languages. If I tell an elephant that I want it to follow me somewhere, it will follow me.”
However, one unforgettable encounter stood out in Onyenwe’s mind. He said he was accompanying his employer’s wife in the Pio Forest when they stumbled upon an elephant.
He said as she took pictures, the flash attracted the animal, and it began to charge towards them.
The forest ranger said he instinctively told her not to run, and to her surprise, the elephant approached, placed its trunk on her body, and then retreated.
“Although I never knew the implication of what I said because it was my first time, it worked. So, the elephant moved close to her and placed its trunk on her body, and that was how it went back and left. That was when I began to learn more about elephants and started to communicate with them,” he added.
The Programme Manager of the Forest Elephant Initiative, which involves the Nigeria Conservation Foundation, Wild Planet Trust, Whitney Wildlife Conservation Trust, and the Ogun State Ministry of Forestry, Emmanuel Olabode, described Onyenwe as an asset, who could pass what he had acquired on to the next generation.
While corroborating Onyenwe’s claims, said only a few people in the world had such a gift.
Olabode said, “It is not that he was taught all this. He just had several encounters with them. These are things you can’t see on the pages of a book. He is an asset because he has what he can pass on to the next generation; he was there all alone among the elephants, when they were very young, and he was able to survive.
“He has been a blessing to this project and he has a wealth of experience. He has been here for a very long time and that means a lot. The story that he shared with us is not what we can learn from a textbook. You have to be in the forest and wilderness to have that experience. Few people in the world have that gift.”
Speaking about his encounter, Olabode said he thought Onyenwe was fabricating things when he first told him he could communicate with an elephant.
He said he had his first-hand experience when forest farmers and illegal loggers invaded the elephants’ habitats, forcing the elephants to migrate to a nearby village called Itashi.
Olabode said, “The Itashi experience involved the two of us. We were trying to ask people to move away from the elephant. It was close to me, and by the time I turned back, I was face-to-face with the elephant. At this point, the elephant was attempting to charge at me, and I didn’t want that to happen.
“I don’t know how he did it; he was clapping his hands and the elephant turned back and went to him, and the elephant was just right in front of him.”
According to him, he was surprised to see how the elephants obeyed Onyenwe, and he led them into the forest and out of sight.
In recognition of his dedication and commitment to the cause of wildlife, particularly elephants in the Omo Forest, Onyenwe was given an award during the World Rangers Day campfire night held in the forest on July 31.
Human-elephant conflicts
Meanwhile, human encroachment into the Omo Forest Reserve habitat of elephants has led to frequent encounters between humans and elephants, resulting in conflicts.
Wildlife also needs space and respect to thrive, but economic activities in the area are said to be disrupting this.
According to Olabode, this is also a thorny issue in Omo Forest Reserve because of forest dwellers living within the forest where the elephants reside.
“During the second tenure of the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, people were encouraged to go into agriculture; there was a lot of talk about agriculture on the radio, but the government did not provide agricultural lands.
“So people came in because they didn’t know what a forest reserve was. To them, a forest is just a forest. Many people came in from Ondo and Osun states to farm here, and it was just the two of us here then.
“So we could not move around the entire space to stop them. They opened up the core of the elephants’ habitats. They set fire to destroy the trees for farming.
Olabode added that farmers’ crops were destroyed by elephants which provoked them into attacking the animals.
Olabode, who noted that there is a need for habitat management and land use management, noted that it might not be ideal to say that the entire habitat should be vacated because of the elephants, but a section could be well-preserved and carved out for conservation purposes.
“I am aware that the government is already working on that, and I hope it comes to fruition soon,” he added.
Olabode, who decried the challenges of having to confront some recalcitrant dwellers, who had retained some of the areas as their farmland, said this might continue to occur until the forest was declared a wildlife sanctuary.
This article was partly funded by a grant from the United States Department of State through Wild Africa. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated herein are those of the author[s] and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of State.
