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Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
Ever since I attended an elephant cull in Rhodesia many years ago (22 elephant dead in 90 seconds by two shooters with 7.62 x 51) I do not want to end this huge animal's life with a puny little bullet anymore. But here's the deal on elephant hunting:
The photos are very typical: Say we have tracked and found and stalked this bull against the shifting wind drifts and now we want to get in close (20 yards max) for the kill. Slowly we move out from behind the dense brush that we used as cover. You want a brain shot but he keeps walking into the midday breeze and the young tree stump keeps on shielding his brain and we step back behind the bush as the opportunity for changing to heart shot through the shoulders was too short.
Then he is behind the thorn brush to the left and we stealthily move to where he was in the photo, your guide shaking the ash bag to test the wind all the time. We go around the thorn bush and there he is - ten yards away - rear end on and standing quite still now, meaning he has sensed something. Then the ash drifts towards him and your PH whispers: "Shit... be ready!" and lifts his rifle.
He might as well have shouted it out aloud as in a flash the ten yards away, big, round behind of an elephant turns into the ten yards away enquiring face of an elephant, ears lifted and whipping forward, trunk down - and finding three hated humans already 30 yards into his discomfort zone. Then he comes with no display of dust kicking or ear flapping or trumpeting - just a silent, shuffling rush.
Today, here, you can be sure that your shot will be echoed by another one. And do not blame the guy - it is called risk management.