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Melania Trump caught by surprise as baby elephant charges at her on Kenya visit

Security agent leaps into action

Saturday 06 October 2018 12:24 EDT
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Melania Trump caught by surprise as baby elephant charges at her in Kenya

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Danger can come from anywhere when you’re a security agent for the first lady of the United States, even from baby elephants.

Melania Trump, who is visiting Africa on her first extended international solo trip since her husband Donald Trump assumed office, was shoved by one calf while visiting an elephant and rhino orphanage in a Nairobi National Park.

A security agent leapt into action, pulling Ms Trump out of harm’s way, although the disturbance was soon over.

During the visit, Ms Trump fed formula to two of the elephants being raised at the park and reached out to others, patting one’s back and stroking the ear of another.

She also went on safari in the park, taking photos on her phone and peering through binoculars for a closer look at zebras, giraffes, impalas, rhinos and hippos bobbing in water.

She also stopped at a site where 105 tonnes of ivory was burned as part of an effort to discourage the trade.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump decided to once again allow Americans to import body parts of African elephants shot for sport.

Associated Press contributed to this report

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