When people say Africa isn’t for cissies….these photos explain what they mean. But you can still be a cissie and come to Africa, just don’t go camping in the bush on your own.
This is probably the biggest bull elephant I have ever seen and these people were lucky to come out of this situation alive.
I had my own very close encounter with a family of elephant in a 4×4 with the manager of a reserve near Kruger. A huge matriach was in front of us, a mother and baby suddenly appeared at our rear and thick bush lined the track, then they both charged!
The manager did the only thing possible, which was to call their bluff with loud hoots, shouts and revving towards them. The ele’s charged again and again, trumpeting loudly and shaking their great heads. I never took a single breath. I was transfixed with fear and helplessness. We couldn’t back down – that would have been suicide – and the elephant didn’t really want trouble, they were just making it clear that we should be more respectful in future. So they acquiesced and departed in a huff.
In this case, the ele decided to trash the camp. If that monster was coming towards me I wouldn’t be standing there smiling into the camera.
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2 Comments
Hi Carrie,
Love your blog.. gives me real itchy feet.
Wow, surprised the photographer stuck (or was it transfixed) around to take these pics.
My great uncle was trampled to death by a rogue elephant in Rutshuru in the Congo back in 1936 when he decided to go on safari before returning to Europe after working at West Africa Trading Co. What a way to go.
Cheers,
Perry
This reminds me of camping in our landcruiser in Kasane, Botswana. I got woken up by an elephant gently shaking the van whilst eating off the tree above us and my husband not being aware of anything. I didn’t dare utter a sound, but my heart was trying to get out of my body. In the morning he said he was vaguely aware of something and in his dozy state thought monkeys were eating a packet of biscuits! The young guys in the tent next to us had fled and the camping chairs were graunched up.