However, seeing an elephant eye to eye is an experience one can never forget!
This is exactly what happened with Frank De Beer and the occupants of the safari vehicle he was in, during a memorable game drive.
Large male elephant begins to approach game vehicle
The elephant noticed the safari vehicle parked in the road, and started to steadily approach it.
Everyone must have held their breath when they noticed musth at the side of the elephant’s face. Their anxiety was founded on the fact that elephant males become significantly more aggressive and unpredictable when they are in musth.
Musth clearly evident at side of elephant bull’s face
To explain, an elephant will have what is called ‘musth’ when it is in a biological state known as musth. This condition occurs mainly in adult male elephants and is linked to reproduction and dominance.
During this period the elephant experiences a surge in hormones, particularly testosterone, which can rise many times higher than normal levels.
One of the most visible signs of musth is a dark, oily liquid that runs down the sides of the elephant’s face.
Elephant walks right up to vehicle
This elephant walked so close to the vehicle that the musth was clearly evident. The occupants of the vehicle kept their voice levels to a minimum, and watched with both awe and fear.
At one stage, the elephant used its front legs to dig into the sand, scratching back and forth with its front left leg.
This big fellow was intent on intimidating the game viewers, and many terrifying thoughts were possibly going through their minds at this moment.
When the elephant flapped its ears, the sound could be picked up by the phone’s video system. It was an awe-inspiring moment.
Elephant presses large body against vehicle with occupants inside!
The elephant eventually went around the back of the vehicle, and began to push its mammoth form against it. It stood eye to eye with one of the vehicle occupants and it was a terrifying moment.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
It appeared the elephant would continue to push at the vehicle, however, it eventually stepped back, to everyone’s relief.
In wildlife areas such as Kruger National Park, visitors sometimes see bulls with dark streaks running down their faces and damp patches on their legs, much as these game viewers did from up close.
When this is the case, the elephant is in musth. Rangers and guides often warn people to give such elephants extra space because they can be far more assertive than usual during this powerful natural phase of their lives.
The musth liquid comes from the temporal glands, which are located between the eye and the ear on each side of the elephant’s head. When a bull enters musth, these glands become swollen and begin to secrete fluid that slowly trickles down the cheeks, sometimes leaving dark streaks on the skin.
Musth is strongly connected to breeding behaviour. When a bull elephant enters this phase he becomes highly focused on finding females that are ready to mate.