Elephant sightings can be enthralling and a bit scary, especially if there is nowhere for your car to move.
With all animal sightings, you have to respect their space and keep a careful eye on any behavioural changes – especially when it comes to the world’s largest land mammal.
A couple encountered an elephant bull in musth while on a trip in the Kruger National Park and were shaken by the animal’s behaviour.
Musth is a natural process in adult elephant bulls caused by a rise in the reproductive hormones in the elephant’s body. This surge in hormones can lead to the animal feeling more restless, energetic, aggressive or unpredictable than usual– and generally irritable and oversensitive to sounds and movements, according to Wildlife SOS.
‘We had a frightening experience last month in Kruger Park when we met up with this enormous roadblock in full musth. My wife was driving at the time and this fellow was determined that we would not get past him,’ said Jan Potgieter.
‘My wife could not reverse because we had a Suzuki Jimny behind our camper van that we were towing. We sat dead still as this giant male Elephant gave us the stare and performed head shakes and ear flaps to let us know that we were not welcome,’ Potgieter continued.
‘Eventually, after being about 3m from my wife’s side of the camper the Elephant bull moved slightly away to the opposite side of the road, and my brave wife Belinda Potgieter put afoot, and we managed to escape unharmed. It was terrifying, and my advice to anybody is that they should respect these beautiful creatures and know that we are in their territory.
‘We should both also probably learn how to reverse the camper when towing the Suzuki Jimny,’ he concluded.
Take a look:
Pictures: Jan Potgieter
