Visitors caught off guard by herd of elephants at the Kruger Gate

Some tourists at the Kruger National Park (KNP) were caught off guard by a herd of elephants at the Kruger Gate on Monday, September 20.

A video showing the visitors walking around between the nearby bridge and reception building, has since trended on Twitter, raking up thousands of views.

Edward Themba, a senior guide working for Gap Tours and Transfers, told Lowvelder that a colleague of his had sent him the video, after which he uploaded it to Twitter.

Hey…hey…hey….It almost ended in tears at Paul Kruger gate today!(video sent by fellow guide)😁😁😁😁😁😁 pic.twitter.com/6mTAtyurTO

— The Real KING OF THE JUNGLE (@EdwardthembaSa) September 20, 2021

“On the video, you can see a herd of about eight to 12 elephants on their way to a nearby river. The matriarch of the herd was walking in front. Two ladies who were taking pictures were right in the middle of their pathway to the water,” explained Themba.

The matriarch proceeded to chase the two women out of their way, ensuring a clear path for the rest of the herd.

“The elephant was in no way attacking the ladies. The matriarch was simply pushing them out of the pathway. If she wanted to attack the women, it would have been another story.”

According to Themba, guests to the KNP are allowed to get out of their vehicles in this area, and a lot of people do so to take pictures of the statue of Paul Kruger. He explained that this is quite risky, as it is not a fenced area, but that this incident is quite unusual. “If it happened to me, I would also have been surprised.”