Random Facts About What It's Like To Be Killed By An Elephant (14 items)

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  (#1) You Will Be Stabbed With His Tusks

  Being killed by an elephant usually involves lots of stomping. Something that's equally painful and terrifying? His tusks. Elephant tusks are made of a strong ivory quite capable of tearing right through human flesh and even shattering human bones. Elephants use these tusks to fight each other and to fend off predators and, in some cases, to attack people who invade their safety and their space. Because of that, one of the first things you might feel is the impact of these tusks.

  Billionaire Tom Siebel was once attacked by an elephant, and the tusks are definitely much of what he remembers:

  "It knocked me to the ground with its trunk, it rolled me, punched me, put a tusk through my left thigh, gored it, then ripped it out sideways."

  Although he survived the attack, Siebel was never quite the same after his injuries, and he has the scars to prove it.
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  (#2) He'll Beat You With His Trunk

  An elephant's trunk might seem like a big, soft, sensitive area, but it's a lot more than that. It's also an incredibly strong muscle. Separate from the rest of the body the nose alone weighs 400 pounds, and when that hits you, you know it. An elephant's trunk is stronger than any man you'd come up against. An elephant can lift up to 770 pounds with his trunk.
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  (#3) You'll Probably Die To The Sound Of Shattering Bones

  Compared to the strength and rage of an elephant, your bones might as well be toothpicks. A single kick from one of these animals can shatter your ribs, one step downwards can completely obliterate any of your limbs. With only his trunk, an elephant can crush your skull in and one bad toss can snap your neck. In other words, you'll probably feel your bones breaking under the force of this wild attack. Tom Siebel remembers the sound well from his attack:

  "It stepped on my leg, kicked my leg, broke six ribs and ripped up my shoulder. I remember every instant of it, trying to protect my head with my arms. I remember the blows to my lower extremities, and it just hurt so bad I couldn’t believe it. Imagine what it’s like taking an elephant tusk through the thigh or hav[ing] a six-ton animal step on your leg It just snaps. The pain was intolerable. I had one thought: “Please, God, make this stop.”

  This can also be murder on your internal organs. Lungs can be punctured, stomachs can be ruptured, and your heart could even be crushed in your chest!
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  (#4) He'll Begin Trampling You

  We all know elephants are huge animals - the largest land mammals on earth. Because of this, one of their most dangerous weapons are their feet. When an elephant kills you, they'll probably use their feet to attack you last, but that can easily be the worst part. Elephants weigh about six tons, and when they rear up and come down on you, they do so with their full weight. They will switch feet, nudge you around, stamp, and kick you. It's at this point you're likely to start to die, though it depends on your injuries how exactly that death will happen.
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  (#5) You May Be Thrown A Great Distance

  After they're done pummeling you with their big long nose, they may use it to toss you aside like a sack of potatoes. Before he was attacked, Tom Siebel had time to see his safari guide tossed around by an elephant, and the sight definitely left an impression:

  "I’d say the animal is four yards away and this guide then shoots and misses. It goes above its head. Then the elephant came up to him and [with her] trunk just threw him aside. I could hear the air decompress out of his body as the animal hurled him over maybe 10 yards to my right."

  Luckily, the guide was virtually unhurt by the attack, despite being thrown. It's unlikely you would be so lucky if an elephant decided they wanted to throw you.
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  (#6) You May Be Left Half-Alive In The Middle Of Nowhere

  Some people do survive elephant attacks initially, but they don't always do so for long. Elephants are not predators. They do not eat their kills, they do not relentlessly attack you until you're dead, and while they are aggressive, they're not killing you for fun. Because of that, if you're unconscious or stop moving, they may just stop attacking you. After they stop, they'll move away from the area rather than watching you for movement, so you may be able to regain consciousness.

  However, after an initial attack, you're likely to be left in pretty poor shape. You may be gored, you may have broken limbs and ruptured organs, and you may be completely unable to move. What's worse is if you're out by wild elephants you're likely to be alone and stranded out in the middle of nowhere - the elephant's natural habitat. This means you're perfect prey for scavengers and other local predators. Whether infection, blood loss, organ damage, or other animals kill you, you can bet the ensuing death will be a slow and painful one.

  Long story short, don't piss off an elephant. The results are not pretty.
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  (#7) It May Happen For Seemingly No Reason

  Despite their enormous size, elephants tend to keep pretty peaceful. Their herbivores, they're fearful of predators, and they have an intricate social hierarchy. But sometimes these guys just snap. From the outside, it may seem like this happens for no reason at all, but to be honest humans are usually the cause.

  Each year, roughly 500 people are killed by elephants. This mostly happens when they are shot at, stressed, or harassed. When an elephant is in musth, they can be very aggressive to anyone who approaches. But to an onlooker, it can seem sometimes an elephant goes off the rails without warning in an instant. This is part of what makes elephant attacks so deadly, because when you can't see it coming, it's hard to get out of the way.
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  (#8) He'll Charge You At Full Speed

  When an elephant has decided to run you down, they don't hold anything back. They'll lower their head, pin their ears to their body, and rush you with all of their force. And if you think elephants look pretty slow, you had best think again. Elephants can run at up to 40 miles per hour, faster than even the fastest humans. On top of that, some African Elephants weigh up to thirteen thousand pounds. That's a whole lot of force coming straight at you. When an elephant charges they don't care what's in their way, be it people, cars, other animals, or even trees. The fact is, once he really charges, you're pretty screwed. 
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  (#9) It Doesn't Matter If The Elephand Is Domestic or Wild

  You might think if you're around a circus elephant or well-trained elephant, there's no way the creature could go nuts. Unfortunately that's not true. A domesticated elephant may be more accustomed to being around humans, and it may be trained not to show any dangerous behavior, but it is still an elephant and it can still be pushed to the point of snapping. Every year, three to four elephant trainers are killed by their very own elephants, so it's definitely possible.

  That being said, wild elephant attacks are far more common and more frightening in a lot of ways because you're unlikely to be near help. 
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  (#10) It Might Start With A False Start

  When an elephant is getting ready to charge, they sometimes like to size up their opponent first. They do this by showing a fake charge, just to see what you'll do. If you run, the elephant may know you're not really a threat (though sometimes even that doesn't work). If you attack back, or get loud, the elephant may see that you're aggressive, and perhaps a predator. This can trigger them to charge for a second time later.

  During this charge, the elephant is going to make themselves look as large and as frightening as possible. They'll fan their ears, they'll kick up dust, they'll lower their head, and they may make lots of noise. That being said, this is only for the mock charge, when he's testing you. During the real charge, he'll look and act a little different. 
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  (#11) Running Away Will Make It Worse

  So, if you see an elephant charging you, your first instinct may be to run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. This instinct actually has two problems with it. The first problem is that elephants are faster than you, by a lot. If you run, they will be able to catch you. The other problem is if you run, it actually makes the elephant want to chase you.

  Even though an elephant is not a predatory animal by nature, they do still respond to the sight of a fleeing animal. It triggers an instinct in them to see you turn your back, an instinct that tells them to run you down and make you stop. Experts say your chances of surviving a charge are actually much higher if you stand your ground. Of course, if the elephant wants you dead, there's little you can do to save yourself.
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  (#12) The Elephant Will Trumpet At You

  Even if an elephant attacks suddenly, they still may give you small kinds of warning. One way they'll warn you is to make a trumpeting noise. This involves them lifting their head and nose, then letting loose a loud call that not only you but other elephants will hear. Not only does this alert others to you - a potential predator - but it tells you very clearly to leave. This is your last chance. The noise is certainly a loud one, enough to scare away lesser creatures, but if you insist on staying the decision may be your last.
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  (#13) You May Smell A Strong, Pungent Scent

  When you're around an elephant that's going to charge, you may notice no physical signs of aggression at first. However you might smell something a little weird. When a male elephant becomes sexually mature and sexually aggressive, their temporal glands swell up and a fluid rich in testosterone begins running down their face. This musth fluid smells incredibly strong, musty, sweet, and those who have smelled it never forget what it's like. It stinks and you'll be able to smell it from a distance.

  When an elephant is in musth, they become territorial and incredibly sexually active. The majority of elephant attacks involve an elephant who is in this period of his life, so if you smell this scent, it may be best to get out of there.
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  (#14) He'll Appear Really Fidgety

  In truth, an elephant really doesn't want to charge you. Even if he's in musth, even if you're harassing him, the elephant would still rather leave you alone. So, when they're put in a position where they feel they have to respond with violence, elephants will start to act a little weird.

  They're trying to decide if they should retreat or charge, and this is a thought process that makes them a little fidgety. They'll swing their trunk back and forth, rock from side to side, and kick their feet in the dirt. Then, right before they charge, they'll curl their trunk inward and flatten their ears to the sides of their head. The more pronounced these little fidgets and signs are, the stronger and more vicious the charge is likely to be.

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