ViralHogOn the list of things you should never do, jumping into an elephant enclosure should rank pretty highly – probably right after sticking your hand in a toaster, and before performing karaoke on camera.
However, it didn’t stop one man at Copenhagen Zoo, who decided to get a closer look at two of the zoo’s resident elephants, by jumping into their enclosure.
While this isn’t the brightest idea at the best of times, it’s even more stupid when the elephants in question have a young calf with them – which these elephants did.
Fun fact – elephants, like a lot of animals, get pretty aggressive when they think their kids are at risk, and these particular elephants were no exception.
The moment they spotted the man they charged at him and began stamping their feet. Not realising the danger he’s in, the man foolishly decided to come closer making the elephants even angrier.
It’s around this point the man realises how stupid he’s being and decides to show the elephants he means them no harm by replicating the stance Owen Grady takes when trying to placate the velociraptors in Jurassic World.
ViralHogOr at least that’s what it looks like he’s trying to do. To be honest, the fear of being squashed by an angry mama elephant means he sort of crouches as he’s doing it, making him resemble a man about to make an accident in his pants, more than a qualified velociraptor trainer.
The man eventually retreats out of the enclosure with the two now very p*ssed off elephants following, making sure he leaves their territory.
Following his escape, the man made the best decision of the day and fled.
ViralHogNow, it should be obvious to everyone reading this, you don’t go into an elephant’s territory unless you’re a zookeeper or an elephant yourself.
In fact, scratch that, just don’t go into any animal enclosures without permission. Not that being qualified means you’re completely safe from the animals in the enclosure.
Last year, a young zoo-keeper was attacked by a Siberian tiger in front of horrified visitors when she went into its enclosure to feed it.
PixabayThankfully, onlookers at the zoo were quick-thinking enough to throw things at the tiger and shout at it until it ran off. The unnamed zoo-keeper was left seriously injured but thankfully, she managed to survive her ordeal.
The Siberian tiger – the largest species of cat in the world – was supposed to be contained in another part of its enclosure while the woman brought in his food, yet reports said there was ‘clearly a problem’ and the tiger was able to attack.
A spokesman for the zoo, at the time, said:
The animal entered the enclosure when the keeper was there. The tiger attacked the human.
Visitors with their shouting, stones and other improvisation managed to distract the animal. This allowed the zoo employee to hide in a back room.
Later, zoo staff arrived at the scene and sedated the tiger.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.