All old Africa hands have a story of their narrow escape from charging elephants to tell. I have one myself, but I know from experience that such stories are usually more interesting to the teller than to the told.
They are not quite as bad as big game hunting stories, however: they are the real conversation killers. I knew an African re-tread (as expatriates who cannot forget their time in Africa are sometimes called) who used to bore dinner parties with his claim to have shot 50 zebra in an afternoon.
‘What did you use?’ asked an incredulous guest (I had heard the story several times before). ‘A machine gun?’
The only creature I shot on my one big game hunting expedition in Africa was a little green snake. At least, I think I shot it; it was there before I pulled the trigger and gone afterwards.
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