Kruger Park bull elephant tras

Kruger Park bull elephant trashes car and gores British tourist

A British teacher and her South African fiancé thought they’d edge closer to a bull elephant in musth. What happened next was a sobering reminder of the power of these mammoths, and their consequences that await humans who forget that

Kruger Park bull elephant tras

You can hear Afrikaans voices speculating about the large bull elephant as it walks up to the small vehicle. But the interest and curiosity turns to panic within seconds as the bull elephant’s behaviour turns violent.

The elephant’s ears can be seen flapping – signs that, to many South Africans, would be more than enough to communicate the message that the animal is to given some space, fast. But Sarah Brooks, a Lincolnshire teacher, and her South African fiancé were likely to afraid to move as the one-tonne pachyderm bore down on them. Eyewitnesses reported that Brooks edged closer to the elephant after it began to perform mock charges and ear flaps, but these reports could not confirmed.

The elephant’s tusk punctured Brooks’ small vehicle, goring the back of her upper thigh. Her fiancé suffered only minor injuries.

Kruger National Park officials destroyed the animal to prevent it harming any other park visitors. KNP spokesman William Mabasa responded to the resulting controversy by confirming that the elephant in question had a history of violent behaviour and was in its musth phase (‘in heat’, a time of heightened aggression), but South Africans have taken to social media to protest. Many believe that stricter measures to educate tourists about animal behaviour are needed.

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