Dorine Reinstein
Shocking footage of a recent elephant attack in South Africa’s Kruger Park has left numerous travelers doubting that a self-drive safari is a good option for their next holiday. Nothing could be further from the truth, though, as exploring Africa’s wildlife at your own pace is one of the most rewarding experiences the continent has to offer.
The video, which has gone viral on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enzsujSTeBo), shows a rental vehicle following an elephant in the game park. The car gets dangerously close to the animal despite it showing signs of distress. Seconds later, the elephant charges and overturns the vehicle, eventually pushing it off the road. The two British tourists in the car were hospitalized with injuries caused by the elephant’s tusks.
Although the incident was unfortunate, it doesn’t mean self-drive safaris are dangerous. Bettina van den Hurk,
general manager of Private Safaris, said self-drives are as safe as the client makes it. Often travelers are fooled by an animal’s cute and cuddly appearance, which makes them forget about the necessary safety precautions. “Respect that this is wild animal territory. This is Africa!” ven den Hurk said. “They might look all cute and cuddly but are actually not used to humans. Keep calm and quiet and don’t let children get out of hand with wild movements,” she said.
Heeten Kalan, owner Swagat at Kruger Park Lodge, agreed and said hundreds of thousands of people self-drive in South Africa's national parks every year, because a self-drive safari offers flexibility and a sense of adventure that is unparalleled. Kalan explained tour operators and travel agents can have an important role to play in ensuring the self-drive experience is a safe and happy one. They should adequately inform travelers about the safety rules when visiting an African park. He said: “For example, many national parks in the U.S. allow people to exit vehicles, but this is not the case in South Africa. We emphasize this point with all our clients so they can have a safe and fun experience in South Africa's national parks.”
According to Kalan, the main thing to remind clients is that they are in the wild and anything could be lurking behind a bush or a shrub. Visitors should keep a healthy distance from animals, especially elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, lions and leopards. He explained accidents tend to happen when visitors get overconfident: “We see many people hanging out of their car windows and standing up through the sun roofs to get that special picture. The parks specifically ask visitors not to do this because it is a safety hazard, and yet visitors ignore this rule. We have been at lion sightings when a large male lion appeared from behind the bushes and behind all the vehicles walking meters away from people hanging out of their windows. You want to avoid those situations.”
“Having been charged by a huge bull elephant in musth (a period among adult male elephants when testosterone levels are elevated and they tend to be more aggressive.), I know to keep at least 200 meters away from any elephant. Incidentally, I found on that occasion that I could not reverse up hill as quickly as an elephant could run!” Mark Henson from www.safarikzn.com said with a laugh. He explained travelers should try not slip into the zoo and commercial safari park mode. It is important to remember this is an area where wild animals roam freely. It’s their territory, and you are their guest, he said.
According to Henson, travel professionals can indeed help clients by researching and communicating all the guidelines of the game parks prior to the client’s arrival. They should further also advise their clients to collect any additional relevant information regarding safety on arrival. For clients who wish to undertake their first self-drive safari, Henson suggests they book at least one game drive with a guide so that they can get a feel for the area and the wildlife they may encounter.
Common sense is the most important tool one needs on a self-drive safari, according to Andy Raggett, owner Drive Botswana. He explains self-drive safaris are perfectly safe as long as the basic rules of common sense are followed, as well as the following:
• At all times remember that you are in the animals environment and space, and respect that.
• Never drive closer than 20 meters (that’s 65 feet) to larger mammals, elephants and buffalo in particular.
• Never sound the horn, rev the engine excessively or make noises at animals to get them to prick their heads up for a better photo (people do actually do this!).
• Be especially careful approaching solitary male elephants and buffaloes as well as animals with young.
• If an animal looks stressed or injured, give it a wide berth.
• Never carry fruit (especially citrus fruit) in your vehicle in a wildlife area. Elephants have a very keen sense of smell.
When travelers violate these basic rules, they compromise their own safety but also the safety of the animals. The elephant that was featured in the video on YouTube was shot and killed by the Kruger National Park’s management. Although this move sparked an outcry on social media sites, park spokesman William Mabasa defended the decision, saying: “Our rangers reported that the same elephant bull had been involved in previous fights with other dominant bulls since it has been in musth phase." He added the animal would have been put down anyway, as it was “unusually aggressive,” and added that visitor safety always come first.