Durban woman survives elephant attack in Botswana

Caryl Marshall was stabbed through the chest and suffered various injuries in the attack in December.

NORTHGLENNEWS.CO.ZA

A DURBAN woman is lucky to be alive after being attacked by an elephant while on holiday in the bush in Botswana.

Caryl Marshall, who was on foot with a group of friends at the time, said her scrape with death on the morning of December 22, was nothing short of a miracle.

Marshall was stabbed through the chest by one of the elephant’s tusks, has a number of bruises to her upper torso and also suffered several fractured ribs in the incident.

The 60-year-old, who is almost fully healed, is currently being treated by a doctor in Durban North and said she hopes people will view her story as one of hope.

“I hadn’t been on holiday in a very long time, and a group of friends suggested a trip to the bush. I was so excited because I’d never seen an animal in the wild. The morning of the attack, we were on foot and had walked up a little rocky hill, and when we got to the top of the hill, we spotted a herd of elephants in the distance. I’m not sure what it was on the day, but I remember saying I was uncomfortable.

“When they spotted us, they began flapping their ears in unison, and the herd mock-charged us. Unbeknownst to me, the largest elephant in the herd, who could have been the matriarch, kept charging, and we all just fled and ran as fast we could away from her. I turned around to see how far away she was from us, and she had closed the distance incredibly quickly. In the process of turning around, I tripped and fell, and she was on me in the blink of an eye,” Marshall explained.

The elephant wrapped its trunk around Marshall’s body and picked her off the ground and slammed her down.

“The elephant then lowered its tusks and tried to pick me up again, and in that process, one of the tusks actually pierced the bottom of my breast, and it went all the way around to the front of my chest where it exited. She dropped me again, and by this time, I was underneath her. I could see her bending her front legs to trample me, and my only thought at this moment was I was going to die. I was just waiting for the final blow. Everything happened so quickly that the group I was with said I didn’t scream or resist because I was so badly injured,” she said.

Marshall credits her friends for saving her life as one of them struck the elephant with a rock.

“They bravely ran up to her and threw a rock at her, and the others in the group did the same. The elephant stopped immediately, took a few steps back, and then nonchalantly walked to join the rest of the herd,” she said.

What followed was a seven-hour car journey to get to the nearest hospital.

“We were in such a remote part of the bush that there was no cellphone signal. I had to be carried down a steep path by my friends in a tent ground cover. Because I was so terrified, I kept asking where the elephant was. The car journey was excruciating because throughout the seven hours, I could feel every bump in the road. I was still fearful about dying because I could see the damage to my chest area,” she said.

Once she arrived at hospital, a CT scan and ultrasound revealed that the entry and exit wound had missed all vital organs.

Caryl Marshall says it is a miracle she is alive after she was attacked by an elephant in Botswana.

“I spent four days in hospital, and when they released me, it was really about dressing my wounds and caring for them. It still feels surreal telling the story to others because it sounds so impossible to believe. I have no ill feelings towards the elephant or elephants in general. We don’t know what caused her to attack like that, but she was just protecting her herd, which was instinctual.

“It was such a privilege seeing wild animals in their natural habitats, and I see my survival as a story of hope and a miracle. I’ve been given a second chance, and I hope to make the absolute best of what I’ve got. I also hope others will hear this and appreciate and be grateful for all the things in their lives. Don’t take things for granted. While my ribs will take time to heal, I’m doing so much better, and I feel great,” she said.