“When chased by an elephant, one should never run straight along the road. On even ground an elephant can sprint very fast and can easily overtake man. Safety lies in turning to an uneven terrain and making a detour along narrow, winding foot-tracks.  An elephant is not fitted to negotiate such ground with ease. He becomes hampered in his movements and in the meanwhile one can get away. If the terrain is hilly, one should flee downhill. For an elephant's pace is slower downhill, while he can run faster uphill and can besides reach up with his trunk for his quarry. While fleeing downhill it is advisable to choose a course covered with rounded boulders. A man can easily hop and skip over the stones, but not so an elephant.”
-Elephant: Lord of the Jungle, p. 5

“The Indian sport known as 'sath-maru,' or elephant wrestling, entertained crowds for 100's of years, not ending until World War II. Akbar built a special amphitheater for elephant fights in Agra. To reduce the injuries of fighting elephants, they were often rubbed in butter, making them slippery so the opposing elephant could not easily grapple them with the trunk  or scrape with a trunk.”
-War Elephants, p. 222