Our safari guide at Madikwe was driving down the trail and came across a bull elephant walking in the road toward us. As we got closer, the guide could tell the elephant was in musth (a period when the elephant has high levels of testosterone). Knowing that elephants in musth can be more aggressive, the guide stopped. As the elephant got closer, the guide started backing up. As he did so, the elephant begin walking faster toward us, then running.

The guide starting yelling and banging his hand on the side of the jeep. He quickly backed the jeep off the side of the road, but then became stuck in the mud. You can see as the elephant began to walk past us, he then turned and walked toward the jeep. He was within one meter of the jeep and could have easily flipped the jeep with his tusks.

At this point, the guide was standing on his seat with two bottles in his hands ready to throw at the elephant to get it to back off. Finally, the elephant backed off and walked away. An elephant encounter to remember!
December 2022

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