What happened when Abey had a jumbo-size temper tantrum

 

Last updated at 14:16pm on 16th February 2007 Comments (12)

Sometimes the game just doesn't go your way.

But instead of packing his trunk and lumbering off in a huff, Abey the polo-playing elephant took out his temper on the opposing team's mini bus.

• VIDEO: Watch the elephant in action here

• See more pictures of Abey's tantrum here

 

A mini-bus is no match for four tons of an elephant in a bad mood

 

And the results were disastrous. Two people were hurt and the bus crushed when the 18-year-old elephant went on the rampage in Sri Lanka.

Hotelier Geoffrey Dobbs, who organised the match in the southern port town of Galle to promote elephant conservation, was appalled.

"I've been playing for seven years and it has never happened before," he said. "He got confused. Elephants are quite short-sighted, and if there are sudden movements in front of them, they can sometimes be unpredictable."

Luckily no-one was inside the vehicle at the time

 

Abey, who had thrown off his Indian trainer and American rider, then threw his considerable four-ton frame at the bus that had transported the visiting Spanish team to the field.

He headbutted it, smashing its windows and wrecking its bodywork.

The match was called off as trainers tried to control the animal with sharp sticks and stones.

Visiting American player Courtney Zenz was horrified after watching her teammate thrown from the back of the elephant, her leg stuck in a stirrup.

"I'm not playing again. It's not safe," she said.

Spanish polo player and horse breeder Inigo de Arteaga was more philosophical as he surveyed the wreckage of his minibus.

"You can fall any time, it can be an elephant, a pony, a horse. Last year I broke my wrist. Two years ago I broke two ribs," he said.

"Doing any sport is always a risk. Let's go surfing."

Elephants are revered in Sri Lanka and used at Buddhist religious ceremonies and local festivals - the main day job for most of the polo-playing elephants chosen from the 110 domesticated animals across the island.

The rest of the country's 4,000 elephants are wild, roaming in scrub jungle and wildlife parks. In rural areas, farmers often shoot them to protect their crops.

Last year 150 elephants were killed and 50 people trampled to death as the animals strayed into villages scavenging for food, according to Sri Lanka's wildlife department.

Thai elephant conservation expert Prasop Tipprasert was not convinced elephant polo does much to help the cause.

"If you want to do this kind of thing, the elephants must know each other very, very well," he said.

WHat's the point conserving them only to drive them mad? I'm glad they're raising awareness, but I'm not sure how helpful this is.

 

And I feel like a baddie, but that first picture did make me laugh.

blimey :stunned:

pointed sticks and rocks........what no spit balls. :rolleyes: That footage is very wow.