Appropriate response for elephant encounter?

Hi I was driving to Marayur in Munnar udumalpet road. Saw some bikers and cars stopped pointing. There was an elephant . The car in front of me stopped and so we're the bikers on the opposite lane and another car behind me. I was locked in and couldn't move. All the vehicles stopped to look at the elephant. I wanted to move away but couldn't. I gave in and yelled to move on and had to honk with the elephant barely 20 feet away. The guy in my opposite lane was perplexed as to why I was shouting! And he was gesturing Tata bye to the elephant! Anything else I could have done different?