Black and white photo of an aggressive elephant in a backlit dust cloud

Elephant Aggression after Dust Bath

Kanga Pan, Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe

After drinking at a waterhole during the dry season this elephant retreated to enjoy a dust bath. This created a nice atmosphere with a cloud of dust behind him, backlit by the sun. When it began to show signs of aggression, I slowly backed off to give it space.

There are many signs of aggression an elephants may exhibit when upset and they will use their trunks, ears and movements of its head to indicate this aggression. The ears are held out to make them look larger, they will shake their head from side to side and may raise their trunk. An angry elephant will stand tall, increasing its height by raising its head and chin and look down at an adversary over its tusks. They will often rock a foot, swinging one of the feet up and down, kicking up dust. These signs are their way of letting you know they are uncomfortable and that you should give them space or risk a charge. Photo © copyright by Dr. Edward Mikol.

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