Man stops charging elephant with a wave of his hand

Brave? Or a wee bit foolish? Definitely lucky.

While visiting the Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary in Thailand, Tor Bowling, 27, came nose-to-trunk with a charging elephant and lived to tell the tale. The story was first reported by the New York Daily News.

The elephant charges Bowling, who — amazingly — doesn't so much as flinch. Instead he raises his hand as if to say, "Hold it right there, Jumbo." The elephant does exactly that, putting on the brakes before trampling the tourist. The beast then retreats back into the trees,

We think it's safe to assume that most people in the same situation would either scream, run or curl up into a ball and pray for a quick death. Bowling clearly isn't most people. He turns to the person filming the clip and gives a smile and a chuckle, like the entire thing was no big deal. Don't play chicken with this guy — you will lose.

Bowling told the Daily News that he chose to see the experience as a positive. "I always think (everything that happens to me) is a special moment and I think I'm lucky to have had the chance to experience that,” he said. “I don't need (to think of things) as bad memories. So I smile to make it a good situation.”

Bowling, a former engineer, added that he did not provoke the creature and that the elephant was not hurt. Luckily, neither was he.

Follow Mike Krumboltz on Twitter (@mikekrumboltz).