I filmed this video during the research for my picture book HOW TO BE AN ELEPHANT while out in the field at the Mpala Research Centre with elephant expert Sandy Oduor. We had just spent the morning identifying and counting elephants on the grounds when we came upon this migratory herd of about 30-40 individuals on the left side of the road, previously unseen at Mpala. Unlike resident elephant herds, this herd did not recognize Sandy Oduor or our jeep, so when we stopped to give them some space, an older female turned and bluff-charged our vehicle (as the video shows). Sandy decided it would be safest to continue forward to avoid the danger of becoming surrounded by the herd, but as we drove further other family members came out from the bushes on the left and crossed the road in front of us (see my video “Elephants Trumpeting”). It was a very tense situation for both the elephants and for us, but luckily the herd let us pass and we made it back to headquarters safely. In hindsight, it was an extremely dangerous situation, more than I fully understood at the time. Book research is not for the faint of heart!

This elephant video was filmed at the Mpala Research Centre, Laikipia District, Kenya in May 2014 on my Samsung Galaxy 3. Special thanks to elephant researcher (and expert driver) Sandy Oduor for getting us out of there swiftly and safely!