Experts say elephant attacks are becoming more common

On March 30, a bull elephant attacked a safari vehicle in Zambia’s Kafue National Park and overturned. The male animal injured five passengers and killed Gail Mattson, a 79-year-old from Minnesota.

Wildlife experts say elephants have become more aggressive toward humans due to growing pressure on their habitat and herds. According to the World Wildlife Fund, elephants have killed more than 200 people in Kenya in the past seven years. In India, several hundred people die each year in unfortunate encounters with elephants, says Joshua Plotnik, an elephant behavior and perception researcher at Hunter College in New York City.

“As human development increases and elephants’ natural habitat decreases, the frequency of interactions has inevitably increased,” said Plotnik. “This unfortunately leads to more deaths in elephants and humans.”

Chase LaDue, a A conservation scientist at the Oklahoma City Zoo said the location and timing of safari vehicles can contribute to an attack. And “just like humans,” he said, “elephant can become frustrated and lash out after having just been through a stressful experience.”

““When you drive up to a herd of elephants, you don’t know what happened 30 minutes ago,” LaDue said. “Maybe they just came out of a stressful situation and thought they were safe, and you caught them at the wrong moment.”

In the March incident, LaDue noted that “the vehicle was in an awkward location with vegetation that made it difficult to give the elephant the space it needed.”

Not all encounters end tragically. In March, a bull elephant used his trunk like a crane to repeatedly lift and drop a wildlife-watching truck in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park. The driver chased the elephant away with loud noises such as screaming, revving the engine and slamming the doors. No one was injured.

Wildlife experts say African elephants, the world’s largest land mammals, require enormous amounts of space and resources to survive. However, human development is eroding their habitat. Tourists on safaris are also encroaching on their shrinking habitat. In such situations, human-elephant conflict can occur.

“The cases of these HECs are increasing as elephants leave national parks or protected habitats and enter crop fields and farmland in search of high-quality food sources,” Plotnik said.

Elephants are also more prone to aggression during certain phases of their life cycle. For example, males can become dangerous when they signal their availability to potential mates.

During musth, their testosterone levels rise and they secrete a chemical that leaves moist streaks down the side of their face. LaDue said uninformed visitors might mistake the drops as tears or crying, but experienced safari guides should know better.

“Surely any guide would recognize these (signs) and give male elephants a wide berth,” he said.

Females, who can give birth at any time of year, are very protective of their young. LaDue said the young can be playful and mischievous and run away. If a safari vehicle or caravan were to get between the baby and the mother or the herd, a dangerous situation could arise.

“Females have a strong interest in protecting their calves at all costs,” he said. “They may unknowingly put themselves in the danger zone when they separate a calf from the rest of the herd. Or perhaps they have not realized that the mother is on one side and the calf on the other. These types of conflicts are relatively common in Africa.”

LaDue is aware that wilderness activities come with risks. To ensure a safer experience, he recommends travelers check with safari companies to see what training their guides have undergone. At a minimum, they should have experience in first aid and emergency medical care. Some countries also have accreditation programs, he added.

If you come across an elephant in a community or city, Plotkin says you should avoid it. National parks, game reserves and protected areas where elephants roam freely limit the number of daily visitors or vehicles to reduce stress on the massive animals.

“As natural habitats with high-quality food continue to disappear, not only will we see more and more HEC, but the need to find more effective solutions will become even more important,” Plotkin said. “The goal is human-elephant coexistence and requires coordinated efforts from governments, tourism agencies, local communities and conservationists to help both humans and elephants.”