A curious elephant at the Olifants West Nature Reserve in South Africa created some entertaining footage after discovering a hidden camera in its path.
Wildlife photographer Frank De Beer had strategically placed a GoPro in the undergrowth to film a herd of elephants roaming the park.
The footage shows the herd calmly navigating the reserve when one elephant spots the camera. With a quick flick of its trunk, the elephant picks up the device, bringing it closer for inspection.
The camera captures a series of unique angles, including a brief but amusing view of the inside of the elephant’s mouth, before the animal tosses it back to the ground.
De Beer, a guide at Simbavati Safari, was thrilled with the footage, stating, “I was very happy with the result, especially when the elephant decided to taste the GoPro. It’s extremely exciting because you never know what you’ll capture.”
He explained that elephants are naturally curious and can often sense when something is out of place in their environment.
In this instance, the elephant kicked the camera before inspecting it further, trying to figure out the strange object by touching and tasting it. It quickly lost interest once it determined that the camera was neither food nor a threat.
De Beer has captured various wildlife moments in South Africa over the years. In 2020, he had a close encounter in the Greater Kruger National Park when a black rhino charged him.
Thankfully, the charge was merely a warning, and the rhino eventually veered off in another direction, leaving De Beer unharmed.
In 2017, he placed a GoPro near an elephant grazing along a dry riverbed in Hoedspruit, Limpopo. On that occasion, the elephant briefly inspected the camera with its trunk before moving on.
De Beer’s experiences highlight the unpredictable and often humorous interactions between wildlife and technology, offering a rare glimpse into the lives of these magnificent creatures.
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