{"id":503744,"date":"2026-01-09T12:50:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T12:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/503744\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T12:50:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T12:50:07","slug":"angry-elephant-tips-over-safari-vehicle-were-rangers-to-blame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/503744\/","title":{"rendered":"Angry elephant tips over safari vehicle; were rangers to blame?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jan. 8, 2026, 11:30 a.m. ET<\/p>\n

An enraged elephant was captured in video tipping over a safari vehicle in South Africa, and several commenters were quick to blame rangers for the dangerous encounter.<\/p>\n

The video by @ankeschnepel and posted on southafriworld\u2019s Instagram page<\/a> is purported to have taken place in the Mabalingwe Nature Reserve, located less than a two-hour drive from Johannesburg.<\/p>\n

There were no apparent injuries, but surely the safari tourists were shaken.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The video prompted several commenters to allege negligence by the rangers, also known as safari guides. There were two other game-viewing vehicles in the vicinity.<\/p>\n

\u201cRangers should\u2019ve known better\u201d and were “too close” were common refrains among the critical comments.<\/p>\n

But others came to the defense of the rangers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat could the rangers have done any differently?\u201d one commenter wrote. \u201cIf you have ever been in an African game drive, an elephant herd can suddenly emerge out of literally nowhere. And if one of them decides you are in the wrong place, this can happen without provocation. Elephants even knock over other elephants without any provocation. So rather state what you think the rangers should have done differently if you say that the `Rangers should’ve known better!!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Several observers pointed out that the bull elephant was in \u201cheat\u201d or musth, noticing the oozing temporal glands behind the eyes. An elephant in musth becomes highly aggressive and very dangerous.<\/p>\n

Also on FTW Outdoors: Can you spot the deadly snake lurking ahead? These kids didn\u2019t<\/a><\/p>\n

There were also reports that a newborn calf was with the herd, and the bull was in protection mode.<\/p>\n

Another commenter alleged that a tourist was to blame.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomebody in the car took a photo with their camera flash and that irritated the elephant,\u201d the commenter wrote. \u201cThere were no signs of them flapping their ears showing their presence. It was a very sudden movement despite the elephant running in the background. Game vehicles often hold their ground and the elephants are unbothered, curious but not bothered unless it\u2019s a male [in] heat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, one commenter from Johannesburg seemed to submit an update from local authorities about the encounter, writing, \u201cA statement was released by Mabalingwe HOA stating the elephants were on edge because of a newly born calf (unknown to the ranger at the time). The [patriarch] is seen in the video tipping the vehicle in an act to protect the herd. They have since blocked all the roads in the areas surrounding the elephants to give them time to get their new member of the family integrated into the herd. In closing, anytime you go to the bush you are stepping into their world and anything can happen. I don\u2019t do not believe this incident was caused by negligence.\u201d<\/p>\n