WATCH: None injured when elephant stormed vehicle in Selati Game Reserve
Following an incident where an elephant bull charged a safari vehicle, EcoTraining released a statement that sheds some light on the incident.
An elephant bull in musth damaged an EcoTraining vehicle on the Selati Game Reserve.
EcoTraining provides safari guide and wildlife training; the occupants of the vehicle were guides and trainees from the company.
According to its statement, an EcoTraining instructor and trainees came across a breeding herd of elephants on a routine activity.
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“The vehicle stopped to observe the elephants and give them a chance to settle down. A bull, who was with the breeding herd, mock-charged the vehicle.
“The elephant bull mock-charged again when they moved forward slowly, and then made contact with the game drive vehicle and displaced it off the road.”
As can be seen in one of the videos that have surfaced on social media, and confirmed by the statement, the trainees were moved to a second vehicle once the first had come to a standstill.
“Both EcoTraining instructors who accompanied the trainees have more than 25 years of experience in the field.”
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The general manager of Selati Game Reserve, Bryan Havemann, was contacted shortly after the incident and went to the scene to assess the situation.
“Although the vehicle was damaged, thankfully none of the people on the vehicle were injured,” said Havemann.
EcoTraining said that all the people involved in the incident had received professional counselling afterwards.
The statement clarified that elephant bulls in musth experience high levels of testosterone and may display aggressive behaviour.
