Random Facts About What It's Like To Be Killed By An Elephant (14 items)

• 

  (#5) You May Be Thrown A Great Distance

  After they're done pummeling you with their big long nose, they may use it to toss you aside like a sack of potatoes. Before he was attacked, Tom Siebel had time to see his safari guide tossed around by an elephant, and the sight definitely left an impression:

  "I’d say the animal is four yards away and this guide then shoots and misses. It goes above its head. Then the elephant came up to him and [with her] trunk just threw him aside. I could hear the air decompress out of his body as the animal hurled him over maybe 10 yards to my right."

  Luckily, the guide was virtually unhurt by the attack, despite being thrown. It's unlikely you would be so lucky if an elephant decided they wanted to throw you.
• 

  (#12) The Elephant Will Trumpet At You

  Even if an elephant attacks suddenly, they still may give you small kinds of warning. One way they'll warn you is to make a trumpeting noise. This involves them lifting their head and nose, then letting loose a loud call that not only you but other elephants will hear. Not only does this alert others to you - a potential predator - but it tells you very clearly to leave. This is your last chance. The noise is certainly a loud one, enough to scare away lesser creatures, but if you insist on staying the decision may be your last.
• 

  (#13) You May Smell A Strong, Pungent Scent

  When you're around an elephant that's going to charge, you may notice no physical signs of aggression at first. However you might smell something a little weird. When a male elephant becomes sexually mature and sexually aggressive, their temporal glands swell up and a fluid rich in testosterone begins running down their face. This musth fluid smells incredibly strong, musty, sweet, and those who have smelled it never forget what it's like. It stinks and you'll be able to smell it from a distance.

  When an elephant is in musth, they become territorial and incredibly sexually active. The majority of elephant attacks involve an elephant who is in this period of his life, so if you smell this scent, it may be best to get out of there.
• 

  (#9) It Doesn't Matter If The Elephand Is Domestic or Wild

  You might think if you're around a circus elephant or well-trained elephant, there's no way the creature could go nuts. Unfortunately that's not true. A domesticated elephant may be more accustomed to being around humans, and it may be trained not to show any dangerous behavior, but it is still an elephant and it can still be pushed to the point of snapping. Every year, three to four elephant trainers are killed by their very own elephants, so it's definitely possible.

  That being said, wild elephant attacks are far more common and more frightening in a lot of ways because you're unlikely to be near help. 
• 

  (#10) It Might Start With A False Start

  When an elephant is getting ready to charge, they sometimes like to size up their opponent first. They do this by showing a fake charge, just to see what you'll do. If you run, the elephant may know you're not really a threat (though sometimes even that doesn't work). If you attack back, or get loud, the elephant may see that you're aggressive, and perhaps a predator. This can trigger them to charge for a second time later.

  During this charge, the elephant is going to make themselves look as large and as frightening as possible. They'll fan their ears, they'll kick up dust, they'll lower their head, and they may make lots of noise. That being said, this is only for the mock charge, when he's testing you. During the real charge, he'll look and act a little different. 
• 

  (#7) It May Happen For Seemingly No Reason

  Despite their enormous size, elephants tend to keep pretty peaceful. Their herbivores, they're fearful of predators, and they have an intricate social hierarchy. But sometimes these guys just snap. From the outside, it may seem like this happens for no reason at all, but to be honest humans are usually the cause.

  Each year, roughly 500 people are killed by elephants. This mostly happens when they are shot at, stressed, or harassed. When an elephant is in musth, they can be very aggressive to anyone who approaches. But to an onlooker, it can seem sometimes an elephant goes off the rails without warning in an instant. This is part of what makes elephant attacks so deadly, because when you can't see it coming, it's hard to get out of the way.

New Random Displays    Display All By Ranking