Elephant wrapped round a tree

Here are a couple of my favourite photos. I shot this Elephant at close range as he was closing fast, with serious intent. The first shot stopped him but missed the brain, the second put him down. This took place on top of a fairly steep slope; the Elephant slid and rolled down the hill and came to a stop half-way down, front legs hanging down one side of a tree, back legs hanging down the other.

Word spread quickly and within an hour or so the locals started arriving, armed with knives and axes etc, to cut up the carcass for meat. However, before this could start we needed to get the beast down to the bottom of the hill. There was a discussion about how to deal with the situation.

I then watched what I think must have been the most dangerous job in the world. One of the locals got the task of standing down-slope and chopping down the tree so the Elephant would be free to roll all the way down. Imagine, it's bad enough knowing that a tree is going to fall on you, but a tree falling on you, followed by an Elephant falling on you is enough to test anyone. Boy did he have to move fast when the tree started to go!

These are some great pictures, with an excelent story as well. These are the kind of things you encounter on safari that you could have never imagined and will remember forever. It's not always about hunting and the size, etc. Having said just said that, I am curious where you were hunting and the how big those tusks were? Luckily the tusks stayed intact on that tumble downhill!

Great story and pictures Gloucester, thank you for sharing. What did the other tooth look like, the one sticking up is beautiful?

Gloucester... what an experience! Thanks for sharing the story. Good elephant too and what a way to take one - well done! Cheers from Tanzania (hopefully your next adventure). Karibu.

These are my favorite kinds of posts. Sounds like a great experience, and some good photos to go with it. thanks for sharing

Super pictures and story, who would ever imagine an outcome like that? It's amazing how word can travel so fast in the middle of nowhere, do they use drums to send the message or cell phone?

Good pictures and story! Nice bull Gloucester!

...Great story & pictures!! Did they draw straws to get the honor of chopping down that tree? That would be about the one lottery I could win!!

Great Pics

Nice bull & good shooting!

Great story great pics and super nice looking bull! How close was he when you put him down and what were you shooting! Thanks for sharing your story.
That guy with the ax is not all there its bad enough to face one with a rifle but an ax LOL no thanks!

Thanks for your thanks Billy. To answer your questions: I shot him at 10 paces with a Westley Richards 375 H&H using 300 grain handloaded Barnes Banded solids. He was closing fast.

Hello, I've really enjoyed your story. Go more complicated situation for the man who cut the tree. He must be a very agile person to dare to accept an assignment so dangerous. As I see the 375 H & H Magnum continues to fulfill its mission with large animals.

A greeting and congratulations,

Oscar.

It is the little things around shooting an animal / while hunting that creates the urge to go back out there!
Thanks again!

I think the best one I've ever seen was the "Deer in a Tree". A friend was guiding a client for Red Deer in some pretty steep hill country. By all accounts the client put a nice shot into a good stag but when they followed up the trail, both the trail and the deer just disappeared. Several of us got called in to bring the dogs and help out. We followed up the trail for a few hours with no luck what so ever. Eventually a local hunter with a good hound called us up to a point just beyond a ridge, within 75 meters of the start of the blood trail. His hound had winded the dead stag but couldn't locate it. The stag apparently had enough left in him to make a good leap as he crested the ridge. The terrain dropped off almost straight down at that location. You guessed it the deer was hanging in the fork of a tree, just a few feet below the ridge but at least 20 feet up from the base of the tree. If I hadn't seen it for myself I'd have never believed it.