NELSPRUIT - The video footage posted by Youtube user exRanger7 clearly demonstrates how dangerous an elephant can be.
The incident occurred between Nkuhlu Picnic site and Skukuza Rest Camp on March 29 and involved a KNP -employee according to exRanger7. "You can hear this in the comments on the video," he said. "I don't know what he was thinking. He had nowhere to go if the Ellie decided to set after him. He just would have endangered the other KNP law abiding visitors' lives," exRanger7 added.
He gave a short description of what happened as experienced by the visitors who took the video footage:
"As you can see from the pile of cars on both sides of this large male elephant, we did not want to risk passing.
Luckily a game warden came by and was willing to do what we did not envisage as the bravest venture, especially in the light of new vehicle prices in 2013.
That's after the same elephant already decided to scare us #*#less after it partially crossed the road from left to right.
We had seen its face from no more than 1.5meters up close coming at us while we put our vehicle in reverse and doing all we can not to let him know how scared we were."
exRanger7 said it is most likely a regular staff member and not a game ranger. He also states on his Youtube channel that scenes like these are far too familiar for regular visitors of Kruger National Park. He says, “Just be patient and wait your turn. Animals have right of way here.”
The driver of a white bakkie narrowly escapes the full brunt of an Elephant charged.
If you consider the following, it makes the encounter even more chilling:
Weight of 1400 bakkie = 1 349kg
Weight of an African Elephant Bull = 5 000 - 6 000kg
Correction - Although some of the male staff members initially identified it as a 1400 bakkie, our motoring editor confirmed that it is indeed a hardbody. The rest of the information remains the same.
Re: Kruger Park elephant tramples Chinese tourist
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:08 pm
by nan
imbecile
with so much cars, in all sense... nobody can escape
happily he doesn't run after this car
Re: Kruger Park elephant tramples Chinese tourist
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:14 pm
by Richprins
Welcome to Eloff street in Kruger...I would also seek escape!
Re: Kruger Park elephant tramples Chinese tourist
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 6:23 am
by Tshukudu
And in the background once again you can see another stupid person out of his/her car.
Re: Kruger Park elephant tramples Chinese tourist
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 7:54 am
by Bushcraft
Back to the Chinese tourist.
Take a look at where this happened, what time it happened, what time the camp gates open.
Is it possible to get to that location in half an hour from the nearest camp