In an astonishing turn of events, a young elephant at a wildlife park inadvertently snapped what’s being hailed as the world’s first ‘elfie’ using a dropped iPhone.
The extraordinary incident occurred at the West Midlands Safari Park’s drive-through elephant zone in Bewdley, Worcestershire. Scott Brierley, a 23-year-old visitor from Birmingham, was busy capturing images of the magnificent African creatures on a Bank Holiday Monday.
As Brierley attempted to take a snapshot, his mobile phone slipped from his grasp. Following park protocol, he was instructed to remain in his car and continue driving. Park staff eventually retrieved his dropped iPhone.
What Brierley discovered left him amazed – the 22-year-old elephant named Latabe had inadvertently engaged with the device, using her trunk to touch the screen and snap a picture of herself.
Describing the surreal experience, Brierley, an events manager, shared, “I live pretty close to the park, so I’ve been there a few times. Elephants are my favorite, along with tigers.
A friend and I were driving past the elephant enclosure; I took a few pics of myself with one of the elephants. But when I turned around, I hit my phone on the side of the car door. It fell onto the grass.
The elephant was all over it – I think he thought it was food. I didn’t dare get out of the car to get it. I just drove to one of the workers I could see, and he went to get it.
I couldn’t believe it when the iPhone returned; I pressed the center button to check it was still working, and ‘wow’, there it was. Me and my friend were in shock.”
The remarkable ‘elfie’ captures were subsequently shared with amazed audiences. While the elephant managed to capture two images, the second one wasn’t as clear. Brierley enthusiastically showcased the elephant selfie to everyone he knew, garnering widespread appreciation for the unexpected outcome.
Andy Plumb, the head keeper at the park, recounted the incident, saying, “I saw the young man drop the phone; I waved him on. He started to drive towards us, so I went to retrieve it.
Many people have dropped their phones at our park, but I’ve never seen anything like this. What a picture – we’re very proud of Latabe.”
The West Midlands Safari Park, spanning 200 acres, was established in April 1973 and charges an admission fee of £18 for adults.
Read more Elephant News.