During a safari in South Africa, a group of tourists had an unexpectedly close encounter with a bull elephant that turned a routine photo opportunity into an unforgettable experience.
Thomas Chan, a 20-year-old from California, was seated in a jeep alongside his guide when the bull elephant strolled up to their convoy.
The massive animal had initially been inspecting a van carrying students from Thomas’s university, Azusa Pacific, before turning its attention to Thomas’s vehicle.
Recalling the encounter, Thomas said he was mere inches from the elephant, an experience he described as one of the most intense moments of his life.
The elephant had been following a group of females and their calves across the open plains in a game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Despite the enormous animal’s imposing presence, Thomas managed to capture a selfie, which became even more surreal when the elephant appeared to extend its trunk as if attempting to operate the camera itself.
“I couldn’t believe how close I was,” Thomas shared. “At one point, I could have reached out and touched it. When I took the selfie, it swung its trunk, almost like it wanted to grab the camera.”
He added that he had never felt so small and vulnerable, acknowledging that the elephant could have easily asserted its strength if it had chosen to.
Fellow passengers in the jeep shared his mixed feelings of awe and fear. After returning to safety, the safari guide admitted she had also been anxious during the encounter, noting that she wouldn’t have known how to respond if the elephant had decided to charge.
This extraordinary moment serves as a reminder of the unpredictability and beauty of the wild, as well as the respect such magnificent animals command in their natural habitat.
