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I have to agree, what on earth was the driver of that little car thinking to allow that ellie to come so close.
Very lucky indeed to have got off so lightly.

Well all I can say is that these pics reinforce my respect of ellies, yes I am frightened of them, but I respect them first and foremost. I think I would have had an "accident" if I had been in that car

I will not have an accident, it will just happen without any effort.

I think the white Citigolf Pictured at Kruger Gate mentioned by Snoobab was the result of the following incident occurring in the early 90,s, as related to me by a Park vet:

Two male foreign tourists went on an afternoon drive in their rental car and ended up in the middle of a breeding herd of elephant.

Thinking this an excellent photo opportunity, they started GETTING OUT of the car!

An elephant rolled them and the car down an embankment, and the herd departed. Neither man was seriously injured, but they were understandably suffering from shock and one of them wandered off down the road.

Apparently an old "Oom and Tannie" stopped to help the wanderer, and take him to camp. Unfortunately the foreigner had "befouled" himself during the attack, and the "Oom" wouldn't let him sit in the car. He had to make the trip to camp sitting in the open boot of the car!

Staff eventually found his incoherent comrade after dark, by which time the wanderer had demanded and organised a lift out of the Park to the nearest airport, and the first possible flight out of the country!

Wonder if they ever returned?

Maybe someone can add to the story.

Richprins

A brilliant story Richprins but I know nothing more about it apart from what I read in the newspaper at the time...sit in the boot!!! ...I havent laughed like that for a long time!!!
This story reminds me of the story of the Japanese tourist that pitched up in his underpants at the Stolznek Rangers house (about 20kms from the nearest tourist road) on foot one Saturday afternoon as the Ranger was taking a well earned break watching cricket on TV...cant tell you more because I'll have to mention names and I've been told I'm not allowed to so just use your imaginations and build your own stories.

Sound like the same one Richprins. There was a small article under the pics and I remember something about them getting out their car.

There was an article in the local "koerant" last week about 2 women who were also attacked - can't for life of me remember where in Kruger though. They had been watching a small herd, the matriarch had looked a bit menacing but had eventually trundled off with her herd. They wanted to do a u-turn, not realising that another elephant was behind them. He apparently was very aggressive. Bounced their car (Mazda) and butted the front and driver's side. Then tried to lift the car fork-lift style. Luckily there was an embankment next to them which stopped him turning them over. They had the common sense to keep still and not scream. The elephant eventually lost interest and left. Another guy further down the road had witnessed it all, had his video camera in hand, but told them he was too petrified to film the whole thing! They were shaken up, a bit bruised but nothing serious thank goodness. The guy helped them pull the bumper out so they could limp their car to camp. My family had an incident many years ago with a drunk ellie (maroelas). My dad couldn't get car in 1st gear so we reversed down road with drunken elephant charging - not fun!

Maybe the recent attack increase can be attributed to the SHARP increase in numbers of elephant and the resultant overcrowding pressure causes them to snap???

Thats what I think ,and have said so in the culling thread .

Aargh! Please don't start the culling debate in the Chit-Chat forum.

Restio

Peter and Bucky's replies are absolutely relevant to this thread. I'm sure that you would look for reasons if your car were attacked by an ele, especially if you hadn't done anything to cause it!

The last time an ele took a swipe at our car it was right in the midst of the "chasing across the fence" episode near Shingwedzi to the Transfrontier Park.

They are definitely highly intelligent and respond to pressures. 99 percent of the time one should be completely safe, as long as you sit still.

Richprins

restio

What is a troll?

Richprins

Going off topic here...

A troll is a monster. I was saying that the elephant culling debate belongs in its own special thread. It is a big and serious debate, worthy of serious attention, but we shouldn't let it take over the whole forum. If it did that, it (i.e the debate) would turn into a monster. Obviously I was being metaphorical and utilizing hyperbole for rhetorical effect. Chit-chat being a light-hearted and jokey sort of forum, I was saying it in joking and light-hearted way, appropriate for this forum. If my joke fell flat, I'm sorry.

Twala, this same article or rather about the same two people are in the You Magazine published last week, one of the woman wrote the down the whole story and sent it in......

restio

Points taken! Well done!

Richprins
(Junior Virtual Troll)