"I think he will charge us." The six dreaded words no one wants to hear their guide to say while on safari in Africa.

I glared through a cracked windshield to see a large mound of crinkled skin. My vision became blurry as two pasty tusks grew larger. Through the dust-covered glass of our safari jeep was a monstrous elephant given the name "Steroid" for its gargantuan cadaver and large tusks.

The adrenaline was taking over my body as the elephant inched closer to the side of the vehicle, coming extremely close to me in the passenger seat. It was so close that I could see the tiny spear of grass stuck in its wrinkled thick skin. Its tusk was shinny with faint yellow lines going through it and about eight inches from my arm.

"Don't say a word. The slightest noise will trigger an attack. They are wild animals and they can kill us," our guide spoke in a hush.

Suddenly, a child's scream echoed from an on-looking car.

"Uh oh," the guide muttered under his breath.

I jolted my head and looked at him for reassurance, looking away from the massive elephant a few inches from my side. The guide then immediately started the truck, the diesel engine sputtering underneath us. He picked up the walkie-talkie and screamed something in an African language.

My body jolted as the elephant head-butted the side of the vehicle with its tusks. His ears shattered the spotlight and his tusks tore into the side of our jeep, just inches from where I was sitting.

When an elephant gets agitated, you don't want to be the object that is right next to it, because it will take it out on you. My lips were pursed together so tight and it took every ounce of energy I had to not scream.

We fled, but could only go as fast as the vehicles in front of us. As we sat there in a safari traffic jam, the elephant continued to run into the back of our jeep and head-butt us. There was nothing we could do to stop it, and nowhere to go to escape. I turned around to the terrifying sight of an angry elephant playing slappy with my vehicle. After about three separate electrifying butts, the elephant stopped running for us and we were free.

As we were driving away, our guide turned to me and said, "Steroid, what a cheeky animal."

"Cheeky?" That was all he could say about an animal that almost killed us. My eyes viciously blinked from the dust as our vehicle sped away from the elephant. Thick spear grass lined the paved road tanned with dust. I collapsed in my seat and my adrenaline was still causing my blood to boil. It would be like that for the rest of the day.

Last Sunday was my third day on safari at Pilanesberg National Park, about three hours outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. On all four of my safaris, William Peter Redelinghuys, or as his name tag read, "Whimpie," was my guide.

Whimpie, 28, was born and raised in Kreuger National Park and is considered one of the most reputable rangers in all of Africa. He is a third generation game ranger with over 12 years of experience.

It was just another day in Whimpie's life, who has led walking and driving safaris all over Africa. His client list includes former South African President Nelson Mandela, crocodile hunter Steve Irwin and Bill Gates, whom he called "very down to earth."

"Bill Gates asked me to take him to a black village where he gave two million rand to the village," Whimpie said. "He gave out 50,000 rand to each kid -- he had a briefcase of money with him and dished it out. They used that money to build homes."

For those of you who remember the Jackass episode in which the cast dressed up as a zebra and a two-year-old lion cub attacked them, Whimpie was the cast's guide.

However, Whimpie is the first to understand how dangerous animals can be. His father was killed by an elephant and a lion killed his grandfather. Whimpie was injured by an elephant and spent one month in a coma.

"I was on a walking safari and some idiot with a helicopter flew by," Whimpie said. "I got the guests out of the way but unfortunately I was under the elephant's foot. I had two broken collar bones, two broken ankles, nine broken ribs ... and my back was snapped in two places."

As Whimpie talked, I was surprised to hear him speak so candidly about the dangers of his job. Although I was somewhat shocked at first, I eventually saw truth in his stories because of the proximity of the tours to many of the animals.

Within the first two minutes of my first safari drive, I saw a dazzle of Burchell's zebras grazing together at the size of the road. There were also Chacma baboons running down a hill and not too much farther down the road there were two giraffes. The scene was almost picture-perfect, and only a few minutes later there was a white rhino with her child by the road.

Later on we saw a male lion, and Whimpie explained why he didn't particularly like them. "Lions are boring animals; they sleep 18 hours a day," Whimpie said. "Elephants are the most intelligent animals in the world, I love Steroid to pieces."

At first I questioned Whimpie's affection for Steroid. That elephant just tried to kill us; what was he thinking? But then I realized this was his life, and for three days, it became mine too.

I've learned that such an experience is difficult because first you get the test and then you get the lesson. On our safari, Steroid tested us, and afterward I learned how dangerous safaris can be.

I think it's a product of being with Whimpie for three days. After losing the two most important two people in his life to animals, he lives the legacy of his father and grandfather with stride.

"With animals, there is so much to learn about yourself. I'm learning more and more everyday." Whimpie said. "And there's nothing not to enjoy about nature."