Which statement best describes the elephant when the narrator finally encounters it?
a. it is peacefully exploring a nearby field
b.it is angry and trumpeting wildly
c.it is bathing calmly in a local pond
d.it is frightened and hiding in a group of trees

A. It is peacefully exploring a nearby field.

Explanation:

In the story Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell describes the encounter of the narrator with the elephant:

"The elephant was standing eight yards from the road, his left side towards us. He took not the slightest notice of the crowd's approach. He was tearing up bunches of grass, beating them against his knees to clean them and stuffing them into his mouth."

"...And at that distance, peacefully eating, the elephant looked no more dangerous than a cow."

This excerpt makes A the best answer to the question.