The Elephant

… who dented the car without touching it!

It was the end of another beautiful day in the bush. The sun was setting, leaving behind bright shades of purple, red, and orange lingering in the sky, slowly giving way to a curtain of darkness that swallowed everything around. In the wilderness, the transformation from day to night is a mysterious thing. Suddenly, everything around you goes quiet for a moment, as if the bush is holding its breath, preparing for the change. Diurnal wildlife fades away, making room for nocturnal creatures, while the sun bows out and the moon, along with millions of stars, takes over, illuminating the sky. And then, as if on cue, the bush comes alive again—but in a completely different way. Nightjars begin their calls, echoing in the distance, and jackals start vocalizing, calling to each other. Even though the dark makes the bush seem almost lifeless, it’s anything but.

We had just left our beautiful sundowner spot where we enjoyed a drink while witnessing this amazing transformation from day into night. We set out on our night drive, and not long afterward, as we climbed a steep hill, we suddenly came across one of the giants of the African bush. Elephants are known to be more unpredictable at night, fully aware that they have the upper hand in the darkness. What followed is a perfect example of this.

A Close Encounter with a Giant of the Night

This lone elephant bull was feeding on a hornpod tree. Unfortunately, because we were coming up a hill, we only saw him at the very last moment, stopping just 10 meters away from him. We had obviously disturbed his meal, and he made his displeasure known with a big head shake. Immediately, we switched off the car and all the lights, knowing that elephants do not like light being shone on them, and we kept as quiet as possible.

As we sat in complete silence, the elephant tried to impress us with his size, exaggerating his movements. This seemed to pique his curiosity. He then proceeded toward the vehicle to investigate, likely wondering, Who are these people who aren’t scared of me? He came right up to the front of the car, showing off his massive size by standing sideways and holding his head high. He was a huge elephant! Even as he got closer, we didn’t move. Puzzled, he approached the car further, his tusk now touching the bullbar, and started smelling us, his trunk curling over the bonnet as he tried to catch our scent.

The Moment of Truth

After trying to understand who we were, the elephant wanted to see how far he could go and what our reaction would be. He started pushing the car with his tusks. This was the limit, I thought to myself, and I calmly asked him not to push the car and to be careful with his next move.

Surprised by our reaction, the elephant took a step back and stopped. But that wasn’t enough to satisfy his curiosity. He was still inquisitive, wondering how far he could push his luck. He stood there for a good five minutes, seemingly deciding on his next move. And then, mustering all his courage, he acted. Suddenly, there was a big banging noise, and the whole car rattled! A rock had hit the car! This was his next move—he threw a massive rock at the car, hitting the bullbar and denting it!

The Aftermath

That was enough. I raised my voice and told him, “Don’t you throw rocks at us! What is up with you? Go away!” My words startled him, and he suddenly realized he had pushed the limits too far. He dashed away from us at an alarmed pace, but not long after, he settled down and resumed feeding on a nearby tree. What a crazy experience! Whoever was falling asleep in the vehicle was now fully awake as we slowly moved away, leaving the elephant to his dinner. We got back on the road, ready to embrace the excitement of not knowing what might be waiting for us around the next corner.