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Elephant attacks American tourist
When Jeremy Allen McGill set out in China's "Wild Elephant Valley" nature reserve yesterday, he was probably just hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the magnificant beasts. But McGill got that and a lot more -- for unknown reasons, an elephant used its trunk to pick McGill, who teaches English in China, up and then tossed him.
An official said that three elepants were roaming as close as 65 feet from McGill, and also noted that elephant attacks have happened before -- "mostly after the pachyderms were spooked by camera flashes or loud noises from visitors."
Bear attacks and moose tramplings aren't uncommon here in Alaska, and though they most often occur when someone has surprised the animals or gotten between them and their offspring, they often result from brave people trying to get close enough for a good photo. The same thing happens in Yellowstone with wild animals that have gotten so used to humans they casually munch away until someone gets too close.
Sixty-five feet from an elephant might count as too close for me. You?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Cheryl Jan 29th 2008 11:43AM
You try being to close to one and getting attacked...of course you are putting yourself in harms way and just count yourself very lucky if you live through it... They are wild animals and you are intruding on their space...you are unwanted and unneeded, they see you as a threat and rightly so to their environment. It's our fault when we get hurt, they are doing what comes naturally...whereas we should know better. I hope they didn't go after the animals... the teach should have been futher away. After all he could have been killed.
traci Jan 30th 2008 9:57AM
thats what humans get. when will they get it??? leave the animals alone!!they are NOT here for our entertainment!!!
andy Jan 29th 2008 11:49AM
whoa, calm down cheryl..you sound like an animal lover and a people hater, the guy was just interested in seeing the animals in their habitat, that doesnt make him, or anyone else, a terible person. i'm sure he knew the risks, any resonable person would. you should get out of your armchair once in a while and see the world like the poor man who got tossed was doing, maybe you wouldnt be so quick to blame those pesky humans.
Jade Jan 29th 2008 12:34PM
Why is it when someone gives a logical explanation and it happens to be on the side of the animal they're branded a "people hater". Sorry, but Cheryl is correct. Do **YOU** like having flashes blinding your eyes? No....why should you think other animals would (remember, we *are* an animal as well)..? Why should you think you have every right to intrude on their space?
Marcia Jan 29th 2008 12:01PM
The teacher should have stayed farther away. I don't know about China, but in Africa people are warned everywhere about what to do around elephants and to stay clear of them. They are WILD, as are all WILD animals, especially in their own environment. Any human who gets too close is looking for trouble and is to blame if anything happens to them. Doesn't mean I am a "human hater", but a realist when it comes to WILD animals. We humans should know better.
liltaquita Jan 29th 2008 3:24PM
I agree with Cheryl, I don't hate people, but we can be incredibly stupid. What do you expect is going to happen when you hang around an area where a 2 ton animal lives, eats and broods. People, mostly nature freaks, want to be one with nature and the animals, but aren't smart enough for that. Think of that idiot who lived with the bears, Grizzly man. He thought he was a bear and wanted to live amongst them, then he was their dinner. Pretty ironic...and moronic to say the least.
Carl Jan 29th 2008 12:27PM
OK, so someone in ALASKA is writing about this incident in CHINA, and there is a photo of an AFRICAN elephant.
DQ Jan 29th 2008 1:51PM
Actually, I don't believe that's an African elephant in the picture. Just because there's a dark black guy in the pic doesn't make it Africa. African elephants have ears shaped just like the African continent, not round like the one in the pic.
BenSawyer Jan 29th 2008 6:11PM
Carl, That is an African elephant in the photo. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!! Notice how the ears extend above the head and their size. The Asian elephant has ears that are lower than the head and are in fact much smaller in size. Nope he is African 100 percent and another interesting fact is the are so different they cannot interbreed with each other.
Michelle Jan 29th 2008 12:28PM
Why is it, so many people think they can close in on wild animals for a close up picture? You are entering their territory, and that disturbs them. It is like another human getting up in your face. I have seen many times over the years people trying to a picture of an alligator from the side of a road. People, those things can run faster than a race horse for the first 35 feet! and you want a lovely close up to show off?
Taylor Jan 29th 2008 12:32PM
We are taught never to get to close to strangers. We are taught never to get to close to men we don't know...so why a wild elephant? What was he hoping to get accomplished with such a stupid act?
Bradley Jan 29th 2008 12:38PM
65 feet from an elephant is too close for me.
Di Jan 29th 2008 1:04PM
Get the rest of the story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325894,00.html
caribeyond Jan 29th 2008 12:42PM
I have been attaked several times by the large female primate called homo sapian. It is also best to keep 65 feet away from them!!
Joe Papierz Jr Jan 29th 2008 12:41PM
"IF" the guy survives, perhaps he will spring a few bucks for a nice telephoto lens for his next expedition. In the menatime, others should learn from his experience. NEVER get too close to wild animals of any kind in their own environment. It their home, not yours.
Alice Jan 29th 2008 12:41PM
You can't be too cautious; I've watched people walk up to within 5 ft of buffalo in Yellowstone. Foolish! Painful way to die.
I found out the hard way about wild horses at Assateague - had a rental car (my own had roll-up by hand windows), was in a parking lot watching the horses, when one suddenly turned and galloped toward the car. As I struggled to find the window control, his jaw closed on my arm. I had a very large bruise, a lot of pain and felt very fortunate not to have broken bones. Later we discovered a forgotten apple in the car; what a nose on that horse!
Jim Jan 29th 2008 1:05PM
You're sitting in your house and you see a small critter like a mouse, you set a trap tryingto kill it. This clown was in the elephants house. People need to learn respect and caution around wild animals.
John Gadd Jan 29th 2008 2:10PM
I'll stick to looking at pictures of them from my desk.
Didymos Jan 29th 2008 2:41PM
When pachyderms attack Homo sapiens, they become "KILLER ELEPHANTS." These animals begin to enjoy this "murderous sport." This is well known in countries infested with pachyderms. There is only one course of action which has been necessitated by the beasts themselves. Annihilation! Wild African Elephants don't belong in China in the first place. It's unnatural.
Sharon Jan 29th 2008 2:55PM
Actually DQ there are two kinds of African elephants, there are bush and there are forest elephants within the African species. The forest elephants have more oval ears and their tusk are straighter and point downward. There are also differences in their head shapes........do your research.