American Museum of Natural History Research Library
author: American Museum of Natural History

Akeley Expedition to British East Africa (1909-1911); Akeley Expedition to British East Africa; The Elephant Group Expedition
birth: 1909
death: 1911
Expedition. Carl Akeley organized the Akeley Expedition to British East Africa (1909-1911) to collect large game, especially elephants, for the American Museum of Natural History and to photograph the flora, fauna and inhabitants of the region.
The Akeley Expedition to British East Africa (Kenya and Uganda) was led by Carl Akeley and his wife Delia to support the creation of the Hall of African Mammals. The party included John T. McCutcheon, a political cartoonist and war correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, and Fred Stephenson a big game hunter from Minnesota. The AMNH expedition returned to the sites Akeley visited during his previous collecting trips for the Field Museum. In 1909, the expedition connected with Theodore Roosevelt's Smithsonian African Expedition to collect elephant specimens for the Museum. Both expeditions produced films and photographs that documented the region. The AMNH expedition almost ended abruptly in 1910 when Akeley was severely injured by a charging elephant bull, barely surviving the ordeal.
Chronology adapted from Penelope Bodry-Sanders book, African Obsession: the Life and Legacy of Carl Akeley.
August 31, 1909The party departs Naples, Italy via SS Adolph Woermann, where they are introduced to Sir Percy Girouard, the new British East Africa governor, Naples.
Mid-September 1909Arrive in Mombasa, Sir Percy Girouard invites expedition party to travel by private rail to Nairobi, Mombasa.
September 1909In Nairobi the party reconnects with old acquaintances and purchases supplies for the journey. Spend five weeks on the Athi Plains for their first visit hunting antelope and lion, traveling toward the Tana River, Nairobi.
October 1909Spend two weeks hunting rhino and lion, in the Lower Tana River Valley, Delia Akeley captures a small monkey and names her J.T. Jr., Tana River.
October 1909Hunting for elephants in Mt. Kenya, Kirinyaga.
Early November 1909Left Londoniani to meet up with Theodore Roosevelt and the Smithsonian African Expedition (1909-1910) for 3 days of hunting elephants for the AMNH on the newly opened Uasin Gishu Plateau, Uasin Gishu.
Early 1910John and Fred leave the expedition, Carl and Delia continue to Uganda to hunt elephants for months. Both becoming ill, Uganda.
Spring 1910To recover, they visit the Uasin Gishu Plateau again. Carl films Nandi lion hunts and is frustrated by the limitations of the movie camera he is using and inspired to create a better field camera , Uasin Gishu.
Early May 1910Travel to Mt. Kenya to hunt elephant, Kirinyaga.
June 24, 1910While on Mt. Kenya Carl is attacked by a bull elephant, Kirinyaga.
Mid-October 1910Move on to Uganda to hunt elephants., Uganda.
December 1910Carl and Delia spend Christmas with the Tegerts, missionary friends living in Masindi. They continue elephant hunting eventually collecting one last elephant, Masindi.
1911Travel home to New York City, host Manhattan Banquet for their return around Thanksgiving, New York.