It was the morning of 31st December 2011 at Amboseli National Park when my daughter and I went for the last day of our safari trip in Kenya. It surely was one of the most memorable trips of my life, and this particular event added some adventure to it.
Amboseli National Park
An elephant herd was crossing the safari path, which is a very common attraction for tourists. What safari drivers usually do, whenever they see an event happening anywhere in the game park, is start communicating it to other vehicles patrolling the area, and that’s how they all gather to enjoy the show.
In this particular event, we were the very first to realize that a big herd was about to cross the road. Hence, our vehicle was in front on one side, while on the other side we had another big queue, leaving a sufficient path in between for the herd to cross.
If you are a follower of National Geographic, Animal Planet, or BBC HD documentaries on Wild Africa, you probably know that an elephant herd is led by a dominant matriarchal female who decides where to go and ensures the safety of the herd. During an interaction with other species (including humans), the leader can go wild, and the same happened to us.
While the crossing was in progress, the leader occupied the road and stood in the middle of the path, showing her aggressiveness to the spectators at both ends.
Suddenly she got annoyed for some reason and started running towards our vehicle. It was indeed a shocking moment as I was not expecting it at all.
Immediately, I stopped taking snaps and hid myself inside the vehicle (it was a HiAce van with a flexible top). My daughter, who was capturing it through a movie camera, followed me.
Our driver (Mr. Peter), who was a very cool fellow, also got worried and, as a reaction, started the engine to be ready to make any possible move in the worst-case scenario.
Thank God, it did not happen.
We were lucky, as the noise of the engine perhaps made the angry lady change her mind. She stopped, turned back, and followed the herd that had already crossed the road and was safely away by then.
Attacks by wild animals are rare since the wildlife tourism system is well-developed in most parts of Africa, particularly in Kenya. However, it could happen anytime.
We saw many vehicles that were open from all sides while tourists were taking snaps of a nearby lion pride. This could lead to an unpleasant incident.
So, my advice is to please consider your safety and never become overly excited or complacent while on safari. Do not make noise nor try to disturb the animals in any way.
Always follow the instructions of your guide, as they are well-trained and understand the behavior of these species very well.
I will write a detailed blog on my Kenya expedition very soon. Thank you for reading this. Please let me know if you have ever come across any such incident.