A recent video captured a surprising moment in South Africa’s Kruger National Park when a bee swarm startled around 50 elephants. The footage, recorded by a tourist, shows the normally unflappable elephants stopping their activities and hastily retreating to escape the small but relentless insects.
Catherine van Eyk, who witnessed the event, initially thought the elephants’ alarm might have been caused by a predator, possibly a lion nearby.
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“At first, we were very confused about why they were so upset,” she explained. “But after looking closely through binoculars, we noticed a swarm in the distance, which we assumed to be bees, though we couldn’t be completely sure.”
Van Eyk estimated the disturbance lasted between 15 and 30 minutes. She later learned that bees often irritate elephants by flying up their trunks and into their ears, areas critical for their well-being. “Amazingly, the world’s largest land mammal can be so unnerved by such a tiny creature,” she remarked.
Elephants rely on their trunks for essential tasks like foraging, drinking, and detecting scents, making them particularly vulnerable to the irritation caused by small insects.
The incident highlighted the elephants’ sensitivity to even the smallest environmental disturbances.
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