A forest elephant has been spotted wandering near residential areas in Rivers State, Nigeria, after heavy rainfall and flooding reportedly swept the animal out of its natural forest habitat and into a community, sending residents into a state of panic.
Footage of the incident shows the large elephant standing on a flooded road surrounded by dense vegetation, with floodwater covering the road surface around the animal.
The video, taken by witnesses at the scene, captures shaking voices in the background as terrified residents filmed the encounter from what they hoped was a safe distance.
According to reporters on the ground, the elephant was displaced from the forest by the force of the floodwaters and carried into the community, where its presence caused immediate fear and confusion among locals unfamiliar with such close encounters with wildlife of this scale.
Forest elephants, though smaller than their savannah counterparts, are still among Africa’s most powerful and potentially dangerous land animals, and their presence in a residential area poses serious safety risks to both the community and the animal itself.
Residents were urged to maintain a safe distance from the animal and to avoid any action that might agitate or provoke it while awaiting intervention.
Watch the video HERE.
