Just after sunrise last Sunday, while driving in the Mopani area of the Kruger National Park, we encountered this enormous Elephant bull in musth staking his claim to the narrow road. He was on his way to Mooiplaas waterhole and did not have any intention of letting four humans in a tiny (by his standards) metal cocoon derail his plans. In the end he made us reverse for over a kilometer before veering off towards the water.
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
Elephant bull owning the road in Kruger National Park
DeWetsWild 
Pingback: Celebrating our Tuskers on World Elephant Day | de Wets Wild
Pingback: African Elephant | de Wets Wild
No… I’m not going to argue!! 😉
That’s the clever response, AJ!
What a magnificent beast 😍 I just love all the pictures…. thanks for sharing them 🙏
What a pleasure to share something so beautiful with people who appreciate it in the same way we do, Rainsinn!
Pingback: Wrapping up the “Dads Trip to Mopani” | de Wets Wild
I remember Mooiplaas and the road to it, very well. I had lots of encounters with elephants there. I wonder if any of the baby elephants I saw in the Mooiplaas area and around Letaba and Mopani, fifteen years ago, which was when I last visited KNP, are the grown up elephants you saw on your recent visit to the Park?
That’s a wonderful thought, Kim, and it must be so! Several of the big old tuskers have become “regular” sightings on repeat visits, so the same must be true for other less easily recognisable animals.
Daardie olifant lyk asof hy weet hy gaan beroemd word hier op die blogs. Wonderlike foto’s van ‘n fantastiese model!
Hy het fantasties saamgespeel en ek het van oor tot oor gesmile, Tannie Frannie. Daar’s vir my niks in die natuur so mooi soos n groot olifantbul nie.
Awesome encounter. He certainly gets the right of way.
Awesome indeed, thanks Miss Judy!
I’ll stick with photographing lizards… small lizards. >grin< Great photos!
Thanks, John!
These are some great photos and no, you will not get an argument from me.
🙂
Thank you very much, P J B!
Wow! Amazing picture of the elephant bull! Have never seen such a good pictures of the beautiful elephant before, It seems to be so calm.😊 Have seen elephants rollover over big buses. Are you an “elephant whisperer”?😁
Actually this one was quite irritated by our presence, John, and I had to keep a respectful distance from him to keep him from a full-on attack. Glad to know though that the photos convey a bit of his majesty!
I would definitely agree. Gorgeous photos.
Thank you very much, Cee!
Hahaa, niemand vertel vir ‘n olifant wat om te doen nie!
Veral nie n bul in musth nie!
🙂 I love this.
Glad to hear that, thank you!
A wonderful encounter and excellent photographs.
Thanks very much, Anne! He was a bit more assertive about his rights to the road than the elephants in Addo seem to be.
Chalk and cheese in their behaviour!
I think I’d yield the right of way!
That would be the prudent course of action, definitely! 😀
William Shakespeare had said: To be, or not to be, that is the question.
And I suppose you said at that moment: to be crushed or not, that is NOT the question. 🙂 🙂
😀
I’d rather not be crushed just yet, so I will try to keep a respectful distance from these big guys!
I’m glad the road was straight so you reverse more easily! Congratulations to the photographer for keeping their cool in the face of such a mighty force.
Thank you very much! Actually the road was full of turns – it was only on the straight sections where I dared to stop to photograph him!
Eek. You did well then. You will be able to write a book about your adventures as a wildlife photographer. 🙂
What a blessing – thank you!
Excuse me Mr Elephant, but would you mind…? No? Ok! He is beautiful, though.
He is an absolute masterpiece, Lois! You really needed to see him in real life to appreciate just how magnificent he really is.
No argument from me!
Glad we’re on the same page, Beth! 😀
oh wow, how cool (and most probably terrifying) fantastic photos
Very cool indeed, Julie – made me smile all day! And, by giving him the respect he was due, not that terrifying.
I guess I didnt think of it that way. But yes if we respect a wild animal for its right to exist and we are just visiting their world briefly.
Wat n ondervinding! Mens kan nie met so n ou speel nie. Gelukkig het hy darem besluit om n ander paadjie te loop. Jy het darem n goeie klomp fotos geneem. Wie het bestuur en wie thet geneem?
Baie dankie, Ineke! Ek was agter die stuur en agter die kamera terwyl die ou grote ons gewys het wie is baas van Mooiplaas.
Dis nie kinderspeletjies met so n meneer oppad na sy instinktiewe maat nie.