- I wish I could get into the frame
a little bit better for scale.
Here, let's see if I step down off the vehicle like this.
(dramatic music)
- [Camerawoman] Okay, come back, come back, come back,
come back, come back, come back.
(animal growling)
(dramatic music)
- [Narrator] Deep in the wilds of South Africa, the brave
wilderness crew and I are embarking upon the adventure of a
lifetime, as we track one of Kariega Game Reserve's most
iconic animals: the African Elephant.
After off-roading high up into the mountainous terrain,
we came upon a small herd of rogue bulls,
and had a heart-racing encounter.
- You stay, big boy, you stay.
- [Narrator] Not only did I go face to face
with a young, confident challenger, but we soon found
ourselves smack in the middle of an elephant battle.
The heart-racing scene that played out before us
was one of the most incredible moments
we have ever captured on camera.
- Sweet.
- [Narrator] Yet, little did we know,
there was still one more twist to this tale.
The Kariega Game Reserve is a world-renowned
wildlife sanctuary that spans over 10,000 hectares.
And aside from its roaming pride of lions, the next greatest
animal you can encounter are its elephants.
One in specific, known as the Big Tusker,
is an icon in his own right.
Weighing an estimated six tons,
you would probably think that this massive land giant
would be rather simple to spot.
Yet his elusive nature keeps him incredible well-hidden.
We thought that the Big Tusker had completely eluded us, yet
just when we were ready to call it a day, he mysteriously
materialized from the shadows of the underbrush.
- Guys, we have found the Big Tusker.
He's right here off the side of the road.
This is him right here, look at him coming out.
Wow, look at the size of that elephant!
If you thought the elephants we saw earlier were big,
they don't even compare to this giant.
Look at him coming right toward the vehicle.
- [Cameraman] Look at those tusks.
- Look at that, you can see he's covered in mud,
notice on the dark coloration,
and some of that mud is still wet.
They'll do that to help keep themselves cool,
regulating their body temperature.
Look at him, just feasting away on those trees,
you can see him using the trunk to just pull off
clumps and shove them into his mouth.
You just have to sit back and absorb
how intimidating the size of that animal is.
That was cool to see the three sub-adults up there
in the underbrush fighting, but this, oh man,
it doesn't get any bigger than the Big Tusker.
Okay, he's coming a little bit closer.
We want the animal to just be curious with us,
we don't wanna do anything to make him
want to come closer to the vehicle.
Wow, he's giving you the field guide perfect pose
right there, where you can see the entire size of his body.
Those enormous front legs, look at the size of those feet!
And that trunk, and it's cool the way that it
accordions down, grabs onto things, wraps around plants,
and then can curve up and place all of those delicious
tree branches, he's actually eating branches and leaves,
just shoves 'em right down into his mouth.
- [Cameraman] How much does that elephant weigh?
- That elephant is probably close to six tons, I would say.
- [Cameraman] Wow, 12,000 pounds?
- Yup, that is about as big as it
gets for an African elephant.
I wish we had the elephants from earlier
to compare to this guy, 'cause I know on camera
those look huge, but they don't even compare
to the size that the Big Tusker is.
I wish I could get into the frame
a little bit better for scale.
Here, let's see if I step down off the vehicle like this.
Does that give you slightly better scale?
That's me outside of the vehicle,
and you can see how enormous this elephant is.
I would guess that at the arc of his shoulder
right there, close to 13 feet in height.
Now for scale, an NBA basketball hoop is 10 feet.
So, I would say LeBron James would even have trouble
touching the back of that elephant.
Wow.
- [Narrator] Bull elephants can be incredibly unpredictable.
And while they appear to be gentle giants, these massive
creatures can move with incredible speed and power.
Yet in this moment, I simply had to get closer.
And while this was rather dangerous,
keeping myself low to the ground and non-threatening
should allow me to observe while barely being noticed.
- [Camerawoman] Okay, come back, come back, come back,
come back, come back, come back.
Okay, big boy, okay.
(dramatic music)
Okay, big boy, come on, okay.
- How's that for a grand finale?
Traversing through the grasslands, and finally getting the
Big Tusker up close for the cameras.
I'm Coyote Peterson, be brave, stay wild.
We'll see you on the next adventure.
Wow, that was close.
- [Narrator] The Big Tusker is without question
the largest land animal I have ever laid eyes on.
And while he is a dominant force to be reckoned with, this
beautiful elephant is as calm and kind-natured as it gets.
The healthy population of elephants
that proudly roam the vast wild landscapes
of Kariega Game Reserve are a perfect example
of successful wildlife conservation.
In the weeks the Brave Wilderness crew and I
spent filming its thriving animal populations,
I think we all garnered a new respect and appreciation
for the work it takes to keep these species protected.
If you would like to visit this magical place, or get
involved with one of its many conservation-based projects,
go to their website so you can learn how to make a
difference in the preservation of these incredible animals.
If you missed our first heart-racing elephant encounter,
make sure to go back and watch, as we found ourselves
right in the middle of an elephant fight.
And don't forget: subscribe, then click
the notification bell so you can join
me and the crew on our next wild adventure.
(animals roaring)