A hair-raising moment occurs when a safari guide has a face-to-face encounter on foot with an African elephant in South Africa.
Steve Baillie remained calm and let the elephant acknowledge him before moving on while photographing this African bull elephant in the Balule game reserve near Hoedspruit.
Mr. Baillie is a highly experienced and qualified nature guide with over 24 years of guiding African wildlife, and he urges others not to make the same mistake that he did.
‘Elephants are intelligent, inquisitive animals, so the young bull was more curious and wanted to get a closer look at the people that were sitting near some bushes,’ said Mr. Baillie.
However, Mr. Baillie stated that the encounter was nevertheless hazardous: ‘It’s vital to remember that I’m a highly trained and experienced field guide with over 24 years of experience in the bush dealing with wild animals.’
‘Such encounters can be dangerous and should not be attempted by idiots.’