# How do you eat an elephant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585 "2013-11-10T17:35:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/1 "2013-11-10T17:35:38Z")
One bite at a time. _Says the hungry crocodile._ (Don’t fret. The careless elephant didn’t die.) > **[Young elephant gets a nasty surprise when a crocodile grabs his trunk](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2495863/I-just-wanted-quick-drink--bite-Young-elephant-gets-nasty-surprise-crocodile-grabs-trunk-water-hole.html)** > > Just moments after dipping his trunk in the water, it was grabbed by a hungry crocodile. But luckily for the elephant, the croc had bitten off considerably more than he could chew. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/2 "2013-11-10T18:54:58Z")
Nothing new under the sun. [The Elephant’s Child](http://www.is.wayne.edu/MNISSANI/ElephantCorner/elechild.htm) ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/3 "2013-11-10T19:17:05Z")
Lashings of mint sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/4 "2013-11-10T19:38:56Z")
That’s what we call a very stupid crocodile. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/5 "2013-11-10T19:51:24Z")
It would have been funny if the croc had gotten slung out onto the ground. 😃 Elephants do get targeted by predators. Nat Geo showed a pack of dingos or jackels?? Attacking a older elephant. There were 4 that had leaped onto its back and were clawing & biting. 4 or 5 more on the ground attacking from below. I had to turn it off when the elephant began to weaken. It’s disturbing to see a magnificent giant taken down like that. Elephants will fight together to protect their herds from predators. But this poor guy seemed to be by himself. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/6 "2013-11-10T19:59:44Z")
Learning or seeing the law of nature is sometimes a real ugly business. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/7 "2013-11-10T23:58:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Elephants do get targeted by predators. Nat Geo showed a pack of dingos or jackels?? Attacking a older elephant. There were 4 that had leaped onto its back and were clawing & biting. 4 or 5 more on the ground attacking from below. I had to turn it off when the elephant began to weaken. It’s disturbing to see a magnificent giant taken down like that. Elephants will fight together to protect their herds from predators. But this poor guy seemed to be by himself. There was a famous video making the rounds about 35 years ago (in certain insider circles, as this was well before widespread internet), showing a pack of orcas taking down a humpback whale. Have you seen or heard of that? A quick Google search shows quite a few articles and images with similar-looking titles or descriptions. Not sure if that famous “original” video is among them. I also noticed many titles to the effect of humpback whales, in groups, fighting back. And even several references to an incident in which a group of humpback whales intervene to protect a grey whale calf from orcas! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/8 "2013-11-11T00:41:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It would have been funny if the croc had gotten slung out onto the ground. 😃 > > Elephants do get targeted by predators. Nat Geo showed a pack of dingos or jackels?? Attacking a older elephant. There were 4 that had leaped onto its back and were clawing & biting. 4 or 5 more on the ground attacking from below. I had to turn it off when the elephant began to weaken. It’s disturbing to see a magnificent giant taken down like that. Elephants will fight together to protect their herds from predators. But this poor guy seemed to be by himself. They could probably tell that this elephant was unable to fight them off, and that’s why they attacked. I once saw a similar program where a group of IIRC hyenas attacked a large animal, again IIRC a wildebeest, that had gotten stuck in a mud bog, and they started tearing strips of flesh off this fully conscious animal’s hindquarters! :eek: They avoided the head end for obvious reasons, and the poor creature eventually blacked out and died. I don’t remember if this was the same episode where they showed a pack of animals carrying a complete spinal column, with some of the meat still attached. Law of the jungle, or the savannah in this case. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/9 "2013-11-11T01:14:44Z")
Mother elephant protecting calf from hyenas. > **[Chaaaaarge! Protective elephant sees off a pack of horrible hyenas - but poor...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2121524/Chaaaaarge-Protective-elephant-sees-pack-horrible-hyenas--poor-calf-loses-tail-dramatic-bush-battle-survival.html)** > > This is the moment a mother elephant fought off a fearsome pack of hyenas trying to attack her calf - all in front of stunned tourists on safari in Botswana. Hyenas seem like one of the nastiest predators because they attack in packs. They’ll go after elephants, warthogs, wildebeests. Doesn’t matter how big they are. They’ll dine on humans too. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/10 "2013-11-11T03:51:53Z")
One time and one time only, I was offered elephant jerky to taste up North here in Thailand. I declined. never heard of it again, but I’m reasonably sure it wasn’t a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/11 "2013-11-11T09:22:42Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Elephants do get targeted by predators. Nat Geo showed a pack of dingos or jackels?? A don’t think dingos or jackals, definitely not dingos, would pose a threat to an elephant. I have seen an elephant being taken down by a pack of lions, though. A bunch of hyenas might be able, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/12 "2013-11-11T09:34:19Z")
Dingos are medium sized Australian dogs, so there’s at least two reasons why I don’t think it was dingos. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/13 "2013-11-11T13:32:03Z")
I got my small predators mixed up. 😉 It probably was hyenas. It’s been years ago since I saw the clip. I just recall being surprised that such small animals working as a pack could be so devastating to a giant creature. Lions prey on elephants too. But they are an apex predator. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/14 "2013-11-11T16:03:35Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Lions prey on elephants too. But they are an apex predator. So are hyenas. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/15 "2013-11-11T16:35:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Mother elephant protecting calf from hyenas. > [Chaaaaarge! Protective elephant sees off a pack of horrible hyenas - but poor calf still loses its tail in dramatic bush battle for survival | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2121524/Chaaaaarge-Protective-elephant-sees-pack-horrible-hyenas--poor-calf-loses-tail-dramatic-bush-battle-survival.html) > > Hyenas seem like one of the nastiest predators because they attack in packs. They’ll go after elephants, warthogs, wildebeests. Doesn’t matter how big they are. They’ll dine on humans too. Have you heard [how hyenas eat elephants](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quTFCeMwJNY)? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/16 "2013-11-11T17:08:56Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Learning or seeing the law of nature is sometimes a real ugly business. An acquaintance of mine once went on a field trip with her kid’s elementary school class, to the big zoo in Kansas City. She was one of the adult helpers, not the teacher. The class was walking by a huge outdoor enclosure where the lions were kept. As the kids walked along on the sidewalk a small clutch of the lions paced beside them. The teacher wanted to make the point that lions were not cute and cuddly toys, or something like out of a cartoon. They are predators. So she had one kid fall back from the group, and pretend to limp. The group of lions no longer paced beside the main group of kids, they fell back themselves and kept an eye on the straggler. Freaked some of the kids out appartently. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-eat-an-elephant/673585/17 "2013-11-12T00:11:02Z")
This time the elephant kicks butt. 😉 That adult hippo weighs maybe 2 tons? She gets flipped over like a tinker toy. > **[Angry elephant flips mother hippopotamus into the air with its trunk](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2500717/Angry-elephant-flips-mother-hippopotamus-air-trunk-tries-protect-calf.html)** > > A fully-grown hippo was flipped several feet into the air as she stood her ground against an aggressive elephant bull, giving her calf time to run to safety at the Erindi Private Game Reserve in Windhoek, Namibia. [from Nat Geo](http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/hippopotamus/) Hippos Size: Head and body, 9.5 to 14 ft (2.8 to 4.2 m); tail, 13.75 to 19.75 inches (35 to 50 cm) Weight: 5,000 to 8,000 lbs (2,268 to 3,629 kg)