A safari is an incredible experience, and an encounter with an elephant can easily become one of those moments you never forget. Elephants are intelligent, social and emotionally sensitive animals with a complex social life, which makes watching them in the wild so fascinating. But no matter how impressive the encounter, it is important to remember that you are dealing with a wild animal, and its behaviour can never be predicted with complete certainty.
Most of the time, elephants are calm and will simply go about their business. But there are situations in which they may feel threatened, irritated or uncomfortable. In this article, we look at how you can possibly avoid getting into such situations, how to recognise the warning signs, and what to do if things do escalate.
There is one important thing to keep in mind: there is no foolproof step-by-step guide for dealing with elephants. Every situation is different, and so is every elephant. A mother with a calf may react very differently from a solitary bull, while factors such as musth, distance, the surroundings and what is happening around the animal can all influence its behaviour.
We have brought together some of the most commonly given advice on staying safe around elephants and understanding their behaviour, combined with what we have learned from our own experiences on countless safaris across Africa over the years. Think of it as useful knowledge rather than a set of rules you can follow in every situation. The better you can read an elephant’s signals and recognise when its behaviour is changing, the better prepared you are to respond appropriately when it matters.
How can you avoid a (dangerous) confrontation with an elephant?
Prevention is the best cure!
Always keep an appropriate distance and respect the space of the elephant. The most important rule when encountering wild animals, including elephants, is to keep a safe distance. A minimum distance of 30 meters is generally recommended. However, there may be situations where you get much closer to elephants, or they get much closer to you. Now what?
Be quiet. Elephants can become stressed by loud and/or unexpected noises.
Avoid sudden movements. Rapid movements can make elephants restless and this can then provoke a defensive reaction. Move slowly and calmly, especially when you are near a group of elephants.
Observe their behavior. Learn to recognize the behavior of elephants. This way you will recognize signals of agitation or aggression more quickly and you will be able to prevent yourself from ending up in a dangerous situation sooner.
Are you with a guide? If you are on safari, follow your guide’s instructions. They are trained to recognize the behavior of wild animals and to know how to act safely during threatening or dangerous situations.
Recognising Warning Signs from an Elephant
Trumpet Sounds: Elephants often communicate by trumpeting. A loud and repeated trumpet can be a sign of excitement, stress or anger. In this way, the elephant can clearly indicate that you must keep your distance.
Clouds of Dust: An elephant can create clouds of dust by banging its trunk on the ground to impress and make itself appear larger. This may be a sign of increased excitement or anxiety. Take this as a warning sign!
Stomping on the ground: If an elephant stomps on the ground repeatedly, this can indicate aggression and a possible charge.
Flapping Ears and Outstretched Trunk: An elephant that flaps its ears and holds its trunk high may feel agitated or threatened.
Shaking the head: If an elephant shakes its head, it can indicate irritation, agitation or an imminent attack. Take this seriously and keep your distance!
The elephant holds its tail stiffly up: This can be an important signal of possible aggression. This behavior serves as a warning signal and can indicate that the elephant is in a defensive or aggressive state. Be alert to this signal and again, keep your distance!
This baby elephant demonstrates what an elephant charge looks like. Fortunately, this one is still small and cute! Video via YouTube: The Bushway Company
What to do if you are on foot?
Although you will normally stay in your vehicle during a self-drive safari, there are situations where you may find yourself on foot and unexpectedly encounter elephants. This can happen at a bush campsite, where elephants may wander between the campsites, during a guided walking safari, or simply when you are outside your vehicle.
Being on foot puts you in a much more vulnerable position, so it is important to know how to react if you suddenly find yourself face to face with an elephant.
Stay calm! It is very understandable that you might panic, but please try to stay calm. Elephants can respond to threats or potential danger. If you stay calm, you don’t show aggression or threat. This reduces the chance that the elephant sees you as an enemy and actually attacks you. The perfect time to pull out your meditation techniques! Zennnnn…..
Avoid direct eye contact. In the animal world, direct eye contact can be taken as a sign of challenge. It can provoke the elephant, especially if the animal is already tense. So try not to stare directly into the elephant’s eyes. Flirting is pointless!
Take cover. If there are any obstacles nearby, such as large rocks or trees, take cover behind them. Try to get out of sight of the elephant. (Where are those rocks when you need them?!)
Do not run! It can trigger the elephant to run after you, and believe me, with all due respect to the elephants and absolutely no intention of body-shaming: despite their impressive size, they can move surprisingly fast. You may think you can outrun one, but trust us, you really can’t! They will catch up with you with ease!This can lead to a dangerous chase with all its consequences. Stand still or walk away slowly. If you do get into a situation where running is your only option: run in a zigzag pattern to make it harder for the elephant to follow you and make sure you do NOT end up between the elephant and its herd. Then you’ll have to explain to the herd what you’re doing, good luck with that! 😉
Make yourself big and be loud! This tactic requires nerves of steel, but it COULD save your life if an elephant actually attacks. If you’re lucky, the elephant feels intimidated by you, changes its mind and breaks off the attack. Phew!
Fortunately, this was not an attack, but a ‘very intimate encounter’ between us and a very curious elephant (while camping in Okavango Delta in Botswana). We remained calm and quiet and the elephant continued on its way.
What to do if you are in a car?
Are you in the car when an elephant threatens to attack you? Read the tips below!
Stay in the vehicle. The vehicle serves as a protective barrier between you and the elephant. So stay in the vehicle unless, for example, the guide indicates that it is safe to get out. In all other cases it is really wise to stay put!
Drive away (backwards). If there is time and space to drive away quietly, do so. This gives the signal that you are not a threat to the elephant. This may make him decide not to launch an attack. Make sure there are no other elephants on your escape route. Let’s be honest, 1 angry elephant is more than enough right?!
Turn off your engine. When you find yourself in a situation where driving away quickly is not (any longer) possible, turn off your engine and sit still. The sound of the engine can irritate and provoke and trigger the elephant to attack. When you ‘remove’ that sound, it can calm the elephant at that moment and possibly make it change its mind and walk by without attacking. So turn off the engine and say a prayer!
Keep extra distance when you see a herd of elephant with calves or a bull elephant in musth. Read more about that below!
We came across this elephant during our game drive. You can see that he is alert, but remains calm. We were able to pass the elephant quietly.
Mums and bulls in musth - Understand and avoid
Mother elephants can generally be more dangerous because they have a strong instinct to protect their calves. So be extra alert when you approach a herd of baby elephants. If a mother elephant feels that her young calf is being threatened, that is reason for her to attack. So as much as you want to cuddle that baby elephant, stay far away or mommy will get you!
Bulls in musth are far more dangerous because of their elevated testosterone levels, which can lead to aggressive and unpredictable behavior. During this period, they are very territorial and can become irritable more easily, making them more likely to display offensive behavior. Bulls in musth can be recognized by drops of urine they exude, a strong musky smell they exude. Whenever you suspect you’re seeing bull in musth, seriously keep your distance! If necessary, also warn other people that there is a bull in musth, so that they can also avoid it. During our last trip we ourselves had to drive away very quickly because a large bull in musth came walking towards us, quite scary!
Charge!
We had already spent two days exploring the area with a local guide who knows the Hoanib region inside out and was very familiar with Oscar, a well-known desert elephant in the area. We had seen him several times during those days and he had always been calm and relaxed. There was nothing to suggest that this encounter was going to be any different.
Later that afternoon, Oscar made his way into the Hoanib riverbed during golden hour. Joost was driving, our guide was sitting beside him and I was in the back. Our guide asked Joost to gently reposition the vehicle so Oscar could continue on his path without us getting in his way.
Oscar slowly came closer. Everything seemed perfectly calm. Then, just as he was almost beside us, he placed his trunk over one of his tusks and suddenly charged straight at the vehicle.
Luckily, Joost managed to get us out of there just in time, despite the deep sand we were sitting in. Definitely one of those moments when you are very glad to have some 4×4 skills!
Shortly afterwards, we came across two other guides with their guests. We told them what had just happened, only to discover that they had experienced exactly the same thing with Oscar earlier that day. They too had been completely caught off guard by his sudden charge.
It was only later that we learned that Oscar was actually in musth. We had noticed the moisture on his head, but our guide did not believe he was in musth. There was no strong musky smell, no dripping urine and no other obvious signs. Quite the opposite: Oscar had been remarkably calm and relaxed. We also learned that he had been driven out of his herd just a few days earlier. Musth and being recently kicked out of the herd: apparently, that was quite the recipe for a very grumpy Oscar.
Our guide explained that the desert elephants in this area are less accustomed to vehicles and visitors and can therefore be less tolerant. The deep sand in the riverbed also makes it difficult to get away quickly, which is why guides often keep the engine running. Still, we cannot help wondering whether the sound of the engine may have added to Oscar’s irritation.
For us, it was another reminder that even when everything seems calm, you are still dealing with a wild animal, and things can change in a split second.
Elephants: Majestic, intelligent and mostly harmless animals
While we are now aware of the potential dangers, it is also ab-so-lute-ly important to remember that most elephants are friendly. They are social, curious, intelligent and above all they are emotionally sensitive animals. In general, they are more likely to flee than fight. Please respect their habitat and behavior and above all you will have a wonderful and safe safari experience surrounded by these beautiful ‘Gentle Giants’. We can’t get enough of it ourselves.
We photographed these beautiful ‘Gentle Giants’ during sunset in the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Conclusion
Safety is crucial when approaching elephants. Keep your distance, understand their body language and avoid (risky) confrontations. Elephants are usually friendly and sensitive and are generally more likely to flee than attack. Please respect their natural behavior and admire these beautiful “Gentle Giants” with care.
Do you have a special experience with elephants? Share it below!
