Israeli Professor Jeheskel Shoshani, a world-renowned researcher of elephants at Addis Ababa University, was among the victims of Tuesday's minibus explosion in the Ethiopian capital's downtown area.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it remains unclear whether the explosion was terror-related and if Shoshani was aboard the minibus when it exploded.
The transfer of Shoshani's body is being handled by the US consul general in Addis Ababa, as the professor also holds American citizenship.
Three people were killed and nine others were injured in the explosion, which occurred as the minibus was traveling on the road which runs between the Hilton Hotel and the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry.
The explosion appears to be the latest in a series of terror attacks the Ethiopian capital has seen, which the government has blamed on extremists who are supported by neighboring enemy country Eritrea.
In a recent interview with Haaretz, Shoshani recounted finding the corpse of a large elephant that had been shot by hunters.
"It was a large male, and the poachers wanted its ivory, so they sawed off its head," he told Haaretz. "When I saw that, I thought about the last moments in the life of this elephant. Elephants have language - they talk to one another with sounds that we can't hear. I asked myself what sound he made a moment before he died.
"I have studied the elephant brain, and there are many similarities between it and the human brain. It's possible that they remember more than we do. But because of one bullet, all these memories disappeared. It made me so sad. And the fact of the matter is, the poacher himself doesn't even get much money for it," the Israeli daily quoted Shoshani as saying.
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7 comments:
It is indeed a tragic sad day. This man was a true champion for Elephants. I met him in 1977, when Bucky Steele had his first elephant baby born, which he named Shoney, in honor of Prof. Shoshani. This dear man was a comfortable sitting on a bale of hay talking elephants, as he was presenting his finding in front of world renowned scientists.
Rest in Peace, dear Shoney.
Wade Burck
I had Hezy as a teacher many years ago and stayed in touch thru the years. I will never forget his lust for life, everything was an experience to him. He really lived life each day to the fullest. He will always be a inspiration for me. The world has lost a truly wonderful human being, Be at Peace Hezy! Kathy Brader
Kathy,
I will never comprehend how such a gentle, kind man could have met such a violent, unjustified end. The world's elephant population lost their greatest friend. The only consolation is that he will be able to continue his remarkable studies, with the elephants that have preceded him. I pray there is somebody still here who will be able to fill his shoes.
Wade
Hezy was a most miraculous man. He was so quiet and so ebullient at the same time. His passions ran very deeply and we shared an unparalleled love of elephants between us and a total disgust at the cruelty that is so often perpetrated upon them. His untimely and unnecessary death is a tremendous loss to not just the elephants of the world but to all humanity as well. He was a very special human being. I will never forget him.
It is so tragic that one day you would speak fondly of your college professor and the next day someone is telling you he was dead from a bombing. He was such a special human being. i was privalidge to be on a the shelton mastodon dig with hezy and my son was allowed to work it also because of a conversation he had with hezy. I will never forget upon finding something the lambs ram horn he would blow to summon the excavators his question to the finder "Is it wood or is it a bone?" We knew he must have known all along but he wanted us to think. What a gift he was to the anthropology students and to the world. He had a love of life and of elephants that could not be measured. He was and is still my inspiration and my son's. He loved Hezy like an uncle or grandfather. To his wife Sandra I say you have my deepest sympathy for your loss. christine Mundrick and son, Darryl,from the Shelton Dig last two years of it. We Love You Hezy Thank you for the best years of my life.
Chris,
Welcome. Glad to have you here. This brilliant, dedicated man wanted everybody to be as brilliant, and dedicated. If you asked him a question, he would ask for your thoughts, making you think and not just accepting what another was telling you. When he interjected his thoughts into your's it made all the sense in the world.
The Nobel Prize missed the boat with Prof. Shoshani.
Regards,
Wade Burck
I learnt with shock the horror demise of professor Hezy. He taught me a lot about elephants especially determining age using tooth lamina's when he visited National Museums of Kenya-Osteology department in 2000.I will greatly miss a great man.May God rest his soul in eternal peace...
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