This safari is incredible.
You've seen lions,
cheetahs,
and other amazing wildlife.
Your friends are going to love these photos.
Suddenly, the ground starts shaking.
The soft booming sound becomes much louder.
A massive elephant emerges
from the treeline, trumpeting.
It looks angry, and it's going to attack.
How are you going to survive this time?
You're probably familiar with
these gentle giants called elephants.
There are only two kinds of elephants
still on the Earth these days,
the African and Asian elephants.
Asian elephants are smaller
than their African kin.
On average, an Asian elephant stands
an impressive 3.5 m (11.5 ft) tall
and weighs 5,500 kg (6 tons).
African savanna elephants grow
up to 4 m (13 ft) tall,
and they weigh in at a
whopping 8,000 kg (9 tons).
So let's admit it.
You against an elephant is not a fair fight.
Although you're seeing a slow-moving,
gentle behemoth,
be wary when you're out in the wild.
Elephants can be fatal to humans.
In India,
elephants attack and kill 300 people per year.
Victims include poachers,
tourists, and even local residents.
And now you're face-to-face
with an irate elephant.
If an elephant is trying to figure out
whether you’re a threat,
it will run at you in a swaying,
side-to-side motion.
Its trunk will be loose
and flopping between its tusks.
Be brave.
You can handle this by
standing your ground and staying still.
Don’t make any sudden movements
or turn your back on the animal.
The elephant will likely run a short distance,
come to a halt,
and maybe flap its ears a few times
as it assesses the situation.
If the animal seems hesitant and unsure,
it's your turn to bluff.
Try using a loud, firm voice
to startle the elephant,
showing that you’re not afraid.
If it's bluffing,
the elephant will likely turn around
and go back to its business.
When an elephant is serious
about attacking you,
it tucks its trunk up close to its body,
and its ears will be set back.
You'll need to respond to these signs
that the elephant is not messing around.
Get out of there!
Run for a high spot or some kind of shelter.
If you weighed five tons or more,
it would be hard for you to run in zigzags.
It's hard for elephants too.
So use a zigzag pattern as you run away,
and make the elephant keep changing direction.
Your mass is a lot smaller,
and that will help you.
And remember that
elephants can only run at their top speed
of 25-40 km/h (15-25 mph)
for a short distance.
They're likely to sprint over shorter distances
of about 50 m (164 ft).
This gives you an advantage
and a chance to escape.
What if you can't run, or you tire easily?
If you're going to an area
where there could be elephants,
preparing for the worst could save your life.
If you want to have an ace up your sleeve,
pack a can of pepper spray
or some chili powder.
Squirting pepper spray at an elephant
will cause a massive sensory overload
when its spicy, natural capsaicin hits the trunk.
It's very sensitive,
and the capsaicin will hurt,
distracting the massive mammal
from chasing you.
It might even cause the
pachyderm to run away.
And chili powder can work
the same magic in a pinch.
Whew!
You escaped an angry elephant's charge.
Take a minute and catch your breath.
Thankfully, the elephant's heavy footsteps
gave you a warning.
But an elephant is not the only animal
that may want to have you for lunch.
Many other animals are just as aggressive,
but much quieter.
Like that lion staring at you.
Hopefully, it will wait long enough
for you to pull out your phone,
so you can watch How to Survive a Lion Attack,
right here on