Why will an Elephant?

Question

Why is it that an Elephant will charge a human but,will never step on them.
My friends son has been asked this at school and I dont have a clue,however it is supposed to be true!

Answer 1

As someone who's been to Africa more than once, I can tell you that elephants indeed will step on people.

However, generally speaking, you're right, they will try to avoid it. The reason is because of balance. The elephant isn't exactly built like a gazelle -- they're very cumbersome creatures that must work hard at keeping upright. Unless specifically trained (like circus elephants) elephants must at all times keep at least three legs on the ground.

Instinctively, therefore, they try to avoid stepping on anything out of the ordinary (not just people). This is nature's way of keeping them out of situations that could cause them to lose balance, fall over, and do considerable damage to their internal organs. I'm sure you can imagine how hard one of them would fall if tripped up.

Answer 2

I would think that once someone has been knocked down by a charging elephant, one could easily get trampled under foot. I even saw horrifying footage of a carnival elephant doing this. What an elephant probably can't/wont do is just lift it's foot and step on someone standing up. Why not call your local zoological park and ask? They're usually very helpful and happy to help people understand the animals.

Answer 3

Maybe they don't like the icky squishing noise?! lol

Sorry I'm not sure, but it could be because elephants are not particularly offensive animals - that is, charging someone is more of a defensive move rather than the pile-driving kill of a stomp. That is, by charging you they are just "encouraging" you to move with their size and weight...whereas stomping on you would show an aggressive streak, which I don't believe elephants tend to naturally show to humans.

Just a thought though, I'm certainly no expert on such things.

Answer 4

Lots of people have been killed after being stamped on by elephants.

Here is a excerpt from the Evening Standard 23.10.02

Dr Rob Atkinson, head of wildlife for the society, said: "I am 100 per cent convinced that the reason for deaths of keepers, like that at London Zoo, is because of the free contact hands-on system."

The report is published in the run-up to next month's anniversary of the death of London Zoo keeper Jim Robson last year. Mr Robson, 45, died from a fractured skull when one of the zoo's three female Burmese elephants tossed him to the ground and stamped on his head.

Answer 5

Because even an elephant know what it is to take a life.

To threaten a person is different than to kill. You see that in nature all the time. If you ever try to chase a squirrel, the squirrel will make a run towards you before it run away. It's a common tactic use in nature.

Answer 6

Maybe it is time to change schools? I thought learning algebra at school ws a waste of time because it had not much to do with life after school, but questions about elephants?

Where are you living? on an elephant farm?

It is easier for an elephant to charge than stamp.. it would take it too long to stamp. They can swim, so I can't see why they wouldn't stamp sometimes as well.

Answer 7

Because the charging in an instinctual behavior used to chase off threats. Most threats would not fit underfoot, and their overall size + the tusks make the charge effective enough. Charging is also how elephants run off other elephants.

I'd also guess they'd prefer not to trample things because it's not easy for them to shift their weight to their back legs enough to get that tiny big of rearing up they'd need to land on something.

Answer 8

Didn't you hear about the British honeymooner who was killed by an elephant earlier in the week? Proof the they do step on people, but not proof that they mean to. I think elephants are clever enough not to kill randomly.

Answer 9

I don't know either, but its a brilliant question. i think it comes from the british empire in india. We are taught not to bite the hand that feeds us....Elephants are obviously taught not to step on the the bloke with the big spiky gaff that he occassionally sticks in him just behind the ears. Plus i think there worried about squashing us cos they're dead nice really....it's all a front.

Answer 10

Elephants CHARGE humans for looking at them, you don't expect to look at them for free!