This recorded sighting of a breeding herd of elephants in the Kruger National Park in the South Africa turns into an alarming situation in which a few of the elephants decide to charge the vehicle in their presence. Watch as the elephants turn on their onlookers and how these safari guides had to handle the situation:
Courteney Blunden, owner of Africa on Foot Camp in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, offered his comments regarding what happened in this shocking clip. Without having been at the scene, Courteney can’t assume what might have led up to or succeeded the event and can’t judge the way the guide involved handled this charge.
“If I was the guide in this scenario I would have started my vehicle as soon as I noticed the first aggressive elephants, your engine is far more intimidating to animals than your voice and your vehicle can be used as a weapon, should the need arise. If the vehicle is running, you can also begin to move away from the threat, which is, by far, the first and best thing you should do.
When viewing elephant, guides should always have a planned escape route. Vehicles should preferably be positioned facing the chosen direction of exit, in case of a charge or the occurrence of aggressive behaviour. Once you have moved away, it is not logical to try and carry on viewing the already upset animals, as this will only further their unease.”
Interestingly, the clip shows 3 elephants acting out towards the vehicle, but contrary to what would be expected, it was not the largest elephant that carried out the charge. Courteney offers his insights:
“Breeding herds are notorious for this sort of behavior and, as you can see in the clip, it was the smallest and the least expected elephant which actually carried through with its charge, showing us that a threat is not always displayed by the final aggressor. The matriarch started the charge and one of her family members backed her up and followed through! Impressive how they stick together.”
