Closer, But Careful
The first instinct was to think that the elephants were being surrounded by feline predators. The locals knew that they could also be killed within seconds if they were spotted, but the cries had been so loud that they had to find out why they were being made. Elephants screaming was a rarity and their curiosity got the better of their fear.
As more and more residents followed the first group to find out what was going on, the front-liners mustered more courage to get closer. Whether it was a predator or a group of wild elephants, each one of them was also in danger, but they could not stop trying to get near.