Pliny: Natural History, Vol. III

petantur, sed et fere cuncta quid caveant. elephans homine obvio forte in solitudine et simpliciter oberrante clemens placidusque etiam demonstrare viam traditur, idem vestigio hominis animadverso prius quam homine intremescere insidiarum metu, subsistere olfactu, circumspectare, iras proflare, nec calcare sed erutum proxumo tradere, illum sequenti, simili nuntio usque ad extremum, tunc agmen circumagi et reverti aciemque dirigi: adeo omnium odori durare virus illud, maiore ex parte ne nudorum quidem pedum. sic et tigris, etiam feris ceteris truculenta atque ipsa elephanti quoque spernens vestigia, hominis viso transferre dicitur protinus catulos—quonam modo agnito, ubi ante conspecto illo quem timet? etenim tales silvas minime frequentari certum est. sane mirentur ipsam vestigii raritatem; sed unde sciunt timendum esse? immo vero cur vel ipsius conspectum paveant tanto viribus, magnitudine, velocitate praestantiores? nimirum haec est natura rerum, haec potentia eius, saevissimas ferarum maximasque numquam vidisse quod debeant timere et statim intellegere cum sit timendum.

they are hunted, but almost all also know what they must avoid. It is said that the elephant is gentle and peaceful when it meets a human wandering simply and by chance in the wilderness, and will even show the way. Yet, if it notices a human footprint before seeing the man himself, it trembles with fear of an ambush, stops to catch the scent, looks around, and snorts with anger. It does not trample the print, but digs it up and passes it to the next elephant, who passes it to the following, with a similar message until it reaches the last one. Then the column turns around, retreats, and forms a battle line; so strongly does that scent linger for them, even though in most cases it is not even the scent of bare feet.

Similarly, it is said that the tigress—though savage to all other beasts and scorning even the footprints of an elephant—transfers her cubs immediately upon seeing a human track. By what means does she recognize it, and where has she seen the person she fears before? It is certain that such forests are rarely frequented. They may indeed be surprised by the rarity of the footprint, but how do they know they must fear it? Indeed, why do they dread even the sight of a man, being so superior to him in strength, size, and speed? This is surely the nature of things and its power: that the largest and fiercest of wild beasts may never have seen what they should fear, yet they understand immediately when there is cause for fear.