ABSTRACT
Kruger National Park is hailed by many as one of the most beautiful places in the world. All of the “big five” game animals (African elephant, black rhinoceros, Cape buffalo, African lion and African leopard) can be found there. As the jeep rolled slowly along the trail, Pierre, Nathalie, her fiancé, and JP were simply in awe. The vast expanses of the savannah were like nothing they had ever seen before. As the jeep pulled up and over a hill, suddenly a herd of African elephants came into view. The driver pulled the vehicle to a stop and everyone was silent—taking in the incredible sight. A particularly large elephant, possibly the matriarch took notice and fixed a gaze on the new visitors. Moments later the large elephant began moving toward the jeep. Then faster, and even faster. Pierre, Nathalie, Michael and JP looked at each other with slight smiles. As the large creature drew closer and closer with increasing speed the smiles quickly faded. Nathalie took her place under the back seat of the jeep and the ranger stepped up on top of it. With two tons of elephant rapidly approaching in a threatening manner, the group did not know what to do—it all happened so fast! The ranger held out a bamboo cane and the elephant stopped a few feet short of the jeep, turned and ran away. On their ride back to the lodge, the ranger confided that the giveaway had been the elephant’s ears. They were flapping and not pinned straight back which usually indicates a real charge rather than a fake one.
