A wildlife photographer and influencer recently had a close encounter with a group of elephants while observing and filming them, when suddenly one of the elephants sprayed mud towards her, covering her face, body, and car with mud. This unexpected moment was captured by her camera.
According to reports from “Latest Sightings” website, the photographer, Jane Wynyard, was filming for the wildlife conservation organization “Save the Elephants” in Kenya, Africa, when she encountered this muddy surprise.
Wynyard explained that she was observing and filming a herd of elephants in the Samburu National Reserve. The herd was peacefully grazing and moving slowly until the midday sun became too hot for them to bear, prompting them to approach a small mud pool at the roadside.
Elephants use mud for various purposes. For example, they may play in water or roll in mud to protect their skin from the sun. At times, elephants will coat themselves with a thick layer of mud as a natural insect repellent, making it harder for ticks and parasites to attach to their skin.
Elephants also use mud to remove existing ticks and parasites from their bodies. When ticks and parasites cling to their skin, elephants are unable to remove them with their trunks. They will find a mud pool, cover themselves in a thick layer of mud, let it dry and harden, suffocating the parasites. Afterwards, they will find sturdy wood or rocks to scrape off the dried mud, getting rid of the dead ticks and parasites.
While capturing footage, the herd of elephants approached very close to Wynyard’s car in a calm manner. Wynyard rolled down her car window completely to get the clearest shots. Little did she expect to end up covered in mud.
Wynyard shared that a large female elephant named Hurit picked up a lot of mud with her trunk. Hurit was right next to the car, with Wynyard’s face just inches away. Carelessly, Hurit lifted her trunk and started spraying mud all over herself, inadvertently giving Wynyard an unexpected mud bath for free.
The elephant sprayed mud everywhere, including on Wynyard’s face, arms, legs, and even parts of the vehicle, catching her off guard. Despite spending many hours in the presence of these elephants before, she had never experienced anything like this before.
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