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Africa : Kenya: Brit Plays Dead To Survive Elephant Attack
on 2009/9/29 2:19:57
A British tourist has survived an attack by an elephant after pretending he was dead while it battered him with its tusks.

Jonathan Sykes, 24, was on a five-week camping trip in Kenya when the elephant came charging out of the undergrowth and hit him in the back.

Mr Sykes tried to play dead on the ground as the elephant attacked him.

He told the Daily Mirror: "I curled up in a ball and played dead.

"I could hear it breathing at this point and it started pushing me along with its feet like a football for about 15 metres."

"It then gored the ground near me and that's when I think it caught the back of my calf, ripping the muscle in half. It really used some force."

Doctors later told him the tusk had missed a major artery by 5mm, it was incredibly lucky that the elephant left him for dead.

"It did put its feet on me but it didn't stamp on me with it's whole weight. It was like it was prodding me to see if I was still alive.

The incident happened after Mr Sykes and nine others went to watch the elephant at what they thought was a safe distance.

His injuries resulted in Mr Sykes being airlifted to hospital where it was revealed that he had lost five pints of blood and needed around 80 stitches in his leg.

He is now back home in Cleckheaton, West Yorks, where he is expected to make a full recovery.

Despite the attack Jonathan said that his lucky escape has not put him off elephants.

He added: ""He was just doing what comes naturally and defending himself from a potential threat. You can't really blame an animal for doing that.

"I still like elephants I just won't get that close in the future."

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Get off the chair away from the desk and get out in the bush and enjoy life.