Hi,

Elephants can definitely take sharp turns even at high speeds I have witnessed this and the idea of taking off the shirt and throwing it on the ground is also an effective way to get that extra seconds to make good an escape. As a last resort if there is absolutely no hope face the Elephant and shout as much as you can that will also throw the elephant off guard for a few seconds and those few seconds can save a life. One more important observation that Dr Sukumar had pointed out is, in the availability of elephant dung (fresh dungs) nearby rub it on the body (as long as the elephant does not get to see this) and stay put behind a tree or a boulder or bushes, this will to quite an extent compress the smell of humans. I had survived an elephant attack in Manas when I was hardly 2 yrs old and lived to tell the tale had it not been for my sister and my bro I would not have been alive. Wandering in elephant country it's always helpul to plan an escape route every now and then while walking in dense forest. Amazing photos.

Thanks,
Sidd