What was meant to be a peaceful wildlife excursion in Botswana’s Okavango Delta turned into a terrifying fight for survival for two British and two American tourists.
While gliding through the shallow waters in traditional canoes, the group unexpectedly encountered an angry elephant that flipped their boats and attacked one of the women.
Too Close for Comfort
The tourists were being guided “gondola-style” through the reed-filled waters when the guides steered dangerously near a female elephant and her calves.
Protective of its family, a bull elephant suddenly charged, splashing through the shallows.
Despite desperate efforts by the guides to pole away, the massive animal quickly closed the gap.
Canoes Flipped and Chaos in the Water
Dramatic footage shows the elephant using its trunk and tusks to overturn both canoes, tossing the four tourists into crocodile-infested waters.
In the panic, the guides appeared to abandon the group, heading for the safety of the riverbank while the tourists were left struggling in the water.
A Woman Knocked Underwater
At first, it seemed the bull had stopped its attack, but a second video captured it returning and striking one of the women from behind with its trunk.
She was knocked under the water and, for a moment, it seemed she might not survive.
Only sheer luck and the elephant losing sight of her under the murky water saved her life.
After a tense few seconds, she managed to resurface, gasping for air, before her husband rushed to pull her to safety.
‘A Very Lucky Escape’
A former South African game ranger who reviewed the footage said the group’s survival was nothing short of miraculous.
“If that elephant had kept her down for even a few seconds more, she could have drowned.
All four of them could easily have been killed,” he explained, calling the incident a clear result of the guides misjudging the safe distance.
Crocodiles and Hippos Add to the Danger
Witnesses also pointed out that the waters are home to crocodiles and hippos, any of which could have added to the tragedy.
“They definitely had someone looking over them that day,” one local observer commented.
Safari Companies Keep Silent
Tourism operators in the region refused to say which company was responsible for the trip, but one staff member confirmed the group included both British and American visitors.
Though they lost valuable equipment like phones and cameras, the fact that nobody was killed was seen as a blessing.
Not the First Scare in the Delta
This wasn’t an isolated case. Just two months earlier, another group of British tourists narrowly escaped when their safari boat was rammed by a furious female elephant protecting her calf.
Though the boat was almost overturned, the animal eventually backed off once she felt her young was safe.
Prince Harry’s Connection to the Delta
The Okavango Delta is famous not just for its wildlife but also as a personal favorite of Prince Harry.
He has visited the region on romantic trips with both his former girlfriend Chelsy Davy and later with Meghan Markle, cementing its place as a special getaway for the royal.
The Deadly Reality of Elephant Encounters
Despite their majestic appearance, elephants can be extremely dangerous.
Male bulls can reach 13 feet in height, run at 25 mph, and are responsible for around 500 human deaths every year.
Tragedies have occurred before—just this past July, two tourists from the UK and New Zealand were killed by a protective female elephant in Zambia.
A Reminder of Nature’s Power
The latest attack in Botswana serves as another stark reminder: while safari adventures bring people closer to nature, wild animals remain unpredictable. One misjudgment by guides can have fatal consequences.
This group of tourists will likely remember their brush with death as a once-in-a-lifetime story of survival.