The Moment on the S137
A calm elephant sighting on the S137 quickly turned serious when an elephant bull appeared to get a fright near a safari vehicle before stabbing into the engine area with one of his tusks.
The incident happened during a safari on 22 May 2026 and was shared by the South Post at Kruger team. Thankfully, everyone involved came out safely, with no injuries at all.
Watch the Sighting:
Giving the Elephant Space
The bull was first seen walking calmly down the road. According to South Post, the guide read the situation carefully and gave the elephant plenty of space to continue past the vehicle.
For a while, nothing seemed unusual. The elephant was moving along the road, and the vehicle had given him room.
These moments are common on safari, especially in areas where elephants regularly use the roads. But as this sighting showed, even a calm encounter can change very quickly.
The Moment Everything Changed
As the bull reached the front of the safari vehicle, the situation suddenly shifted.
The elephant bumped the vehicle and appeared to get a fright. Seconds later, he stabbed into the engine area with one of his tusks before dragging the vehicle around.
It was a frightening moment for everyone in the vehicle, but the guide remained calm throughout the incident.
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South Post Team’s Statement
South Post at Kruger released the following statement after the incident:
“Today, 22 May 2026, we experienced an elephant incident while out on safari today.
An elephant bull was walking calmly down the road, and our guide read the situation carefully, giving the bull plenty of space to continue past the vehicle, as this is their home and their road.
The bull walked past the vehicle calmly, but as he reached the front of the car, he suddenly lost his temper and bumped the vehicle, with one tusk going into the engine area. Our guide remained calm throughout the incident and handled the situation as professionally as possible with the guests.
Thankfully, not even a scratch on anyone and no injuries at all.
This is a reminder that every wildlife encounter is different, and situations can change very quickly. We have had elephants and entire herds walk past our vehicles hundreds of times without any interaction, and today was simply one of those unpredictable moments that can happen in nature.
Wildlife will always be wild, and while we take every precaution to respect the animals and keep our guests safe, nature remains unpredictable. We can use this as a learning lesson and a reminder to always respect these incredible animals and never underestimate nature.
The most important thing is that everyone came out of the situation safely.”
No One Was Hurt
The most important part of this incident is that everyone was safe.
South Post confirmed that there was “not even a scratch on anyone and no injuries at all.” For a moment that could have ended very differently, that was the best possible outcome.
A Reminder From the Bush
Elephants and safari vehicles often pass each other without any problem. South Post said they have had elephants and entire herds walk past their vehicles hundreds of times without interaction.
But wildlife remains unpredictable. The S137 incident is a reminder that every sighting is different, and even when the right precautions are taken, situations in the bush can change in seconds.