"It's like a skyscraper coming at you," Gates said.
The guide talked down the elephant, which never actually charged.
In that position, though, "it became something that could be really threatening instantly," Adams said.
Gates and the BBC are currently negotiating a larger project, to be called "The Seven Mysteries of Africa."
The collaboration would produce another seven-episode series with an accompanying book, which would "explore Africa in greater depth and reflect the varied cultures and civilizations" of the continent, Shearman said.
The televised train ride follows a trend of publicity for the Afro-American Studies Department, Which includes Gates' photo on the cover of a New York Times section last Sunday.
"We've collectively worked hard to build a center for Afro-American studies," Gates said. "The most pleasant aspect was the support of the Faculty and administration here at Harvard."