Michael Fay was accustomed to being charged at by elephants. As an internationally acclaimed explorer who once spent 455 days walking through East Africa, he had often come across an angry pachyderm or two. But in early 2003 he and his companions were attacked by a female protecting her calf in the Loango National Park, Gabon. Mr Fay was gored by her tusks. He told the National Geographic magazine. "I just thank God that I had time to turn around, grab those tusks and ride that bronco as long as I could."