Durban - Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has issued a warning to people visiting the Hluhluwe Game Reserve in central KwaZulu-Natal, which is home to the Big 5, after a man jumped out of his vehicle and ran into the bush as a large elephant approached.
The reserve is home to lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino among other animals.
Speaking to The Mercury on Monday night, Ezemvelo spokesperson Musa Mntambo confirmed that the incident happened on a road between the Hilltop and Mpila camps within the reserve.
A video of the incident was captured by people visiting the reserve in a vehicle several metres away and posted on social media.
What not to do … No matter how scared you are, running to the bush is never a safe option… You may end up being devoured on by a hungry Lion,
— CertifiedEcoTourismDoyenne (@ms_tourist) November 7, 2022
Leopard, Hyena, Rhino, buffalo … kuningi nje. This is a musth season for oGatsheni until March.. 📹Hluhluwe Game Reserve..#LetsGoWild pic.twitter.com/NdksVfey9z
In the video a white vehicle is seen parked on the left hand side of a tar road with trees and bush on either side. The elephant is on the road next to the vehicle and behind the elephant is a white SUV seen behind the large animal, in the oncoming lane of the road.
As the elephant turns to face the car, the people capturing the video can be heard saying, ”Oh no, oh no.”
The passenger door opens and a person is seen jumping out of the car and running into the bush.
“Don’t get out, no no … he ran into the bush … how’s he going to get back into the car now … what if there is a lion,” several voices are heard saying.
Responding to a question of whether the man made it back to his vehicle, Mntambo said: ”We don’t know but assume so as we have not received any news of a lost or dead person.”
He said Ezemvelo recommends that people keep a distance from the elephants.
“If still possible they must reverse to maintain a safe distance. Unfortunately, we do not know how come that car found itself so close to the elephant,” he said.
Mntambo said in the event that you find yourself in such proximity to an elephant, close the windows and do not move any part of your body.
“That elephant was not fighting, it was just inquisitive. It would have smelled the car and moved on. Getting out of the car is a big NO as you may be running towards other more dangerous predators,” he warned.
Now watch: