It is one hell of a thing. Gail Mattson lived in Minnesota USA for 79 years and I am sure that during her long life she never suspected that it would be ended in a remote wilderness area in far-flung Zambia at the hands of a raging bull elephant. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxvwEuRPHso
Elephants are, as we all know, the largest of all animals that stomp around on our planet. They are the most powerful of all land animals by some degree, but they are at the same time extremely gentle, sentient and intelligent animals whose language and various ways of communicating we are just beginning to learn. We do know that they can communicate with each over vast distances; that they can connect using subsonic sounds that we can’t hear and that they use their feet to feel vibrations, but we really don’t yet know precisely how. They also have complex family and social structures that while different to ours work perfectly well for them.
Gail Mattson must have felt the same thrill at the sight of her first wild elephant in Africa that most of us experience. There is something primordial about the way that these magnificent animals stride across open plains, that stirs the soul in some inexplicably deep, ancestral way. The profound contentment of being amongst them as they munch their way through the bush is a life changing experience. These are truly glorious beasts and for most people when they return home their abiding memory is of these gentle pachyderms going peacefully about their lives, as they have done for eons.
For those on safari with Gail, sadly their memories will be wildly different. They were on the end of a rare attack that ended tragically. In forty-two years of guiding, I can count on the fingers of one hand how many truly earnest charges I have had. Mock charges where the elephant is testing you or wants you out of his way are common, but charges where you are targeted are few and far between. It was sheer bad luck that Gail and her group were the victims of that kind of attack after just a week in Africa.
A recent incident in Pilanesberg, South Africa appears to be a result of ignorant and unsupervised tourists frustrating an elephant to the point that he was prepared to challenge a vehicle easily his size, by using his upper trunk to lift the front end of the truck high into the air before dropping it soundly on the ground. This he did a couple of times before he disinterestedly strolled off, dominance asserted. The guide may, or may not, have been culpable in not controlling the tourists but did not do much wrong once he was in the vehicle. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INNrT7HwjZU
Why would an elephant charge and attack a vehicle? The usual reason is that either the animal has suffered trauma at the hands of humans, usually poachers in the case of a wild elephant living in a remote area or possibly farmers in a more populated area who are defending their crops. A wounded animal is a dangerous one. In a similar vein, which is somewhat rarer in my experience, the elephant could be suffering from some form of excruciating pain, such as severe toothache. A few aberrant assaults may also be caused by a mental disorder.
An experienced guide will immediately be able to recognise a serious charge. A mock charge can vary in intensity but usually happens when you are relatively close to the animal, and he feels threatened enough to want to assert dominance. He usually spreads his ears to look even more intimidating, as if that is necessary. If you back off in a vehicle or run away on foot, he may well follow up and take the opportunity to press home his advantage. I was taught by the legendary Lloyd Wilmot that an elephant’s nerve will always break if you charge it head on with a vehicle. I have had many hair-raising experiences putting this into practice, mostly when driving thirsty elephants off the borehole pump at Savuti, when destruction of the pump would have cut off everyone’s water supply, theirs included. I also had to use that tactic when a ‘crazy’ elephant at Third Bridge in Moremi started terrorising the campers by charging into campsites and scattering people who were sitting around their campfires at night. Lives were in danger, so I challenged the elephant in the dark with my Toyota and, unexpectedly, it charged me back. We collided with force, my bull bar pushed back and his trunk flailing towards the windscreen. I revved the engine and pressed ahead with my attack while hooting and beating on the side of the vehicle. His nerve did thankfully eventually break, and he turned and fled, but I then had to move him out of the campsite, so I chased him firmly enough that he got the message. He did not come back that night.
While I tell myself that it took balls to take on that elephant in a vehicle, it takes extraordinary resolve and courage to face off an elephant when you are on foot. My close friend and a leading guide, Al McSmith, proved why it is worth the extra money to go on safari with an experienced safari leader when a fearless client recorded this show down that Al had with a determined bull. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9WW3QbOgQA
If an elephant starts a charge for no obvious reason as appears to have happened to Gail and her crew, a seasoned guide will immediately understand that there is nothing as important as getting the hell out of there with utmost urgency. All other considerations such as good photos, a cool adrenaline rush, or a viral social media opportunity for the clients must go out of the window as you flee the scene. There will be plenty more opportunities to see elephants that are more congenial.
Perhaps the Zambian guide did not immediately grasp the potential threat as he appeared to be driving at a calm and constant speed over even terrain, which allowed for the stable video opportunities that we can see. The video was focused on the elephant and not the terrain and vegetation in front of the vehicle, so it is possible that he was forced into a sudden stop, but I am concerned that there is little indication of any real urgency on his behalf until the elephant was upon them. I suppose that this will be a case where only the guide will know if he should or could have done things differently and whether he made a miscalculation that will haunt him for the rest of his days.
My advice for those who encounter elephants when using their own vehicle is to assess the group’s mood from a safe distance before approaching them. If they are relaxed and going about their lives peacefully, it is generally safe to approach slowly and with respect. Don’t irritate them by going too close and avoid separating a herd, because you may inadvertently get between a mother and her calf, which could have dire consequences depending on her reaction. If they are showing signs of agitation, then stay back and wait for them to move off or consider taking an alternative route. It is never worth trying to force your way through a distressed herd as things can turn sour very quickly. How can you tell if the herd is uncomfortable with your presence? There are many signs, but they will invariably stop eating and start milling around. The females might gather their young and put themselves between you and their calves. All eyes will be on you and the closer adults might spread their ears and start kicking at the ground. Trumpeting under these circumstances is often an indication of fight or flight. If you find yourself uncomfortably close to the herd you will really hope that they turn tail and flee. The trick to avoid getting into a dangerous situation is to pay attention to their body language, as it is not difficult to pick up any tension.
You can get caught in a situation that you couldn’t reasonably foresee – such as coming around a corner and surprising an elephant who shows signs of aggression. Your best chance is not to back off but to stand your ground and wait quietly for the animal to get over its surprise and settle down. If it starts coming towards you with intent, then you may want to consider charging it while making as much noise as possible. Shouting, banging on your car and hooting are all things that can help to discourage the elephant from attacking. Trust me, its nerve will break, if yours doesn’t break sooner.
If, however, you are charged from a distance, as happened in the Zambian incident, then get out of there as quickly as possible. If you are on a decent track, you can easily out distance the animal. Don’t hesitate and don’t stop until you are very sure you are safe, as an elephant can chase you far further than you would expect and might burst through the foliage far too close for comfort. If you are off-road in thick bush or rocky terrain look for a gap that will take you away from the charging beast and go as fast as you possibly can without destroying your vehicle. Again, don’t stop until you are certain that you are out of danger.
A game walk is the best way to get close to nature, but if you are walking where elephants occur then go with the best guide that you can find. An inexperienced guide (even one with a rifle – or perhaps especially one with a rifle, because of the false confidence that a gun can bring) might misjudge a situation or try to take you closer than necessary to impress you. Remember that elephants have spent millions of years avoiding bipedal hunters and when you are on foot, they instinctively regard you as a threat and will not allow you to get as close as you can in a vehicle.
And should you live in America and have booked your African safari, I implore you not to consider cancelling. The news storm that was generated by this tragic occurrence reflects just how rarely these accidents happen. I can assure you that statistically you are far safer in the African bush than you are popping down to Walmart on a Sunday morning in your gun-ridden society.
