Tourists speak out after elephant charges at them during safari - ABC News

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Two tourists are speaking out after they managed to escape an angry elephant while on a canoe safari trip in Botswana, an incident that was caught on camera.

In the video clip, an elephant protecting its herd's young calves charges at a group of tourists on a canoe safari and flips the boat over.

Jeff Melvin was one of the tourists in the group. 

"The first thought that came to my mind was, 'This is the end of me,'" Melvin told ABC News.

Melvin and a fellow traveler, Larry Unrein, said their canoe safari started off as an incredible adventure, but it took an unexpected turn as they approached a herd of elephants.

"We kept telling that they were kind of getting a little annoyed at our presence," Melvin recalled. "And then just in the blink of an eye, things kind of changed."

"What we did not see was the mom with the two babies," Unrein added. "They were hidden in some tall grass, but out of sight."

Within minutes, the mother elephant began charging at the tourist group.

Melvin and Unrein said they escaped with the help of their guides. But moments later, the elephant, which could have weighed up to 10,000 pounds, trampled another fellow tourist, who thankfully survived.

"She was pushed in [to nearby water] twice and held under, and if it wasn't for the water, she would not be with us," said Unrein.

The water acted as a cushion for the woman and also helped conceal her from the elephant.

Ron Magill, a communications director for Zoo Miami, said the woman who was trampled is lucky to be alive.

"That patron was incredibly lucky that this happened in the water, because generally speaking, elephants, what they do when they go after somebody, is they literally try to mash them into the ground," Magill told ABC News.

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Experts say an elephant guarding calves is considered to be one of the most dangerous animals in the wild.

"There's nothing more dangerous than an elephant mother with young calves," Magill said. "They're incredibly protective. I think it's important that people understand you need to respect distance. You need to give animals distance."

Unrein and Melvin say they're thankful they survived the incident.

"I thought for sure I was dead," Unrein said. "And then once I was safe, it was just jubilation. I was very happy to be alive."

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