Charge!

As most of you know, I went to Zimbabwe June 29-July 7  to visit David again and during this time he was off work so we spent the whole time together, which was nice. One morning he asked me if I was going to send out an update like I had done before. I told him there was nothing really new to write about and my friends and family have heard everything I've done already. Little did I know that very same day would provide quite a tale to be told!

It is "elephant season" in Victoria Falls now, and animals come into town to find water and food since the bush is very dry this time of year. David had warned me of the elephants roaming the streets, and I was anxious to see some up close since I've only seen them from across the river, on a game drive, or at the zoo. That afternoon we decided to walk into town. We stay at a place called Penny Wise Cottages and it's about 1 km from town.  We walk on tarred, paved roads all the way and the neighborhood is mostly residential until you get into town.

We were a few blocks from town when we saw several large elephants coming out of the bushes on the side of the road. David told me to not get any closer due to the fact that they are have been known to kill people when they are in town and easily agitated. 

I held back but took out my iPhone to take some pictures. We watched the elephants walk down the road until they were out of sight, and started to walk again. Suddenly David said to hold up because there was a bull elephant still in the bushes. I didn't see him, but David's a guide so he looks for these things. (I'd probably be dead after this incident because I was just awed by the fact that real elephants were walking on the road and my biggest concern at that moment was how my photos of them were coming out.) 

The elephant started coming out of the bushes and David pulled me back and said under his breath to keeping backing up slowly. We stepped back a few feet, watching the elephant the whole time, with a couple of other guys who were heading to town. All of a sudden the elephant turned to face us directly and started to pick up his legs to run. David screamed, "Run. Cheri! Run!" and I turned around and ran as if my life depended on it.

The other two guys took off like bullets too but in a different direction. The only thing I could think of during these few seconds was, "I'm going to die unless I find cover. I need to get behind that wall and run into that house. Please, God, let the door be open. If it's not, I'll run behind the house and into that shed." It's amazing how fast your brain comes up with Plan A and B when your life is on the line. 

I was in flip-flops and running so fast that I started to stumble. I knew that the elephant was going to catch up with me after I fell. I felt complete terror inside my whole body. 

Just then David yelled at me to stop running. I recovered my balance, and turned around. The elephant was standing in the center of the street looking at us. Then he threw his trunk up in the air and trumpeted SO loudly as if to say, "Don't f--- with me!" I will never forget that image as long as I live. 

He looked massive and wild, and I knew that if he had wanted to kill us, we would be dead. Surprisingly for their size, they can run much faster than humans and, as one of Africa's Big Five, if he is intent on killing you, you will die, unless he is shot. Elephants charge to kill, or to scare their prey by doing what is called a "mock charge." I can say, categorically, that it works. I had never been so scared in all my adult life.

I hugged David and kept saying, "I can't believe this. I can't believe this. We almost died. We almost died." (I tend to repeat myself when I'm freaked out.) My adrenaline was so high. I told David I was sorry for not listening to him when he told me to get in the car and roll up the window when we saw the leopard in Hwange National Park. If you recall, I was so excited I was hanging out the window taking pictures as the leopard strolled by our car. David was saying, "Cheri, this is one of the Big Five. Roll up your window. He could attack us even in the car." I ignored him and kept taking pictures. I have now learned to respect his instruction and these animals.

I asked David since he was wearing running shoes why he was so far behind me. He said he wanted to stay back so if the elephant kept coming it would get him first. (Okay, all together now, "Awwwwww....how sweet.") 

I said as I was running I was thinking about the horror of being trampled to death and David said, "Oh, he probably wouldn't trample you. He would grab you with his trunk, throw you on the ground, and pierce you with one of his tusks." 

Oh... that's so much better...

The group of elephants crossing the road into town.

The lone bull elephant that charged us.