Watch the impressive display of strength here:
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
When a large male elephant ripped up the road in front of them, it was clear to a guide and his guests who had right of way.
The dramatic video sequence was sent to Latest Sightings by Meg Redfern. She was visiting a private game reserve in South Africa at the time.
An impressive specimen
Meg and her fellow travellers encountered a lone elephant bull during their game drive. As shown below, the elephant boasted an impressive pair of near-symmetrical tusks.

Gentle giant
The bull appeared fairly relaxed, helped no doubt by the sensitive actions of the driver, who pulled over to enjoy the sighting.

The elephant even made its way closer to the vehicle, seemingly interested in browsing from a nearby bush.
Just chilling. Or is he?
The elephant is seen resting its trunk over one of the massive tusks in the image below. It is at this point that the skilled observer begins to realise that this big boy is not as relaxed as assumed.

Also, if you look carefully behind its left eye, a line of secretion is visible on its cheek. This elephant may be in a period known as musth.
A clear warning!
Because, moments later, the elephant shakes its massive head while flaring its ears. This is a clear warning that it is not happy about something.

Not so relaxed after all
The bull then resumes the resting trunk posture. Elephant behaviourists have determined that contrary to its relaxed appearance, doing so is meant to intimidate an adversary.

Mixed messages
Despite the various signals given above, the elephant is not overly threatening or noisy. In fact, at times he seems curious, even friendly.

Time to show who’s boss!
With its previous warning behaviours all but ignored, the elephant decides its time to ramp up its messaging with a show of strength. Lowering its massive head, it puts the tip of its tusks to the ground.

Going agricultural
Using its immense weight and power, the elephant then ploughs its tusks into the earth. It’s at this time that the guide decides to give the bull a bit more space. His tracker, seated at the front of the vehicle agrees.

As they give way, the elephant sinks to it knees, further lowering its head as it tears up the earth.

Message received. Finally!

As the vehicle backs up further, the elephant continues to dig up the ground in front of it. He can now carry on with his day, satisfied that he has dealt with the nuisance.

What is musth?
As mentioned earlier, musth is a temporary period when a male elephant’s testosterone levels increase sixty-fold. It is associated with heightened sexual activity.
Facial secretions and constantly dribbling urine are signs that an elephant is in musth. The musky smell of urine is heavy in the air.
Musth often causes unprovoked aggression and unpredictable behaviour. Accordingly, it is best to avoid musth bulls.
Was this bull in musth?
While the facial secretion and warning behaviours are consistent with musth, there is no sign of dribbling urine. Maybe this individual was either at the beginning or end of a musth phase.
Or perhaps he was just having a bad day and didn’t want company…
Understanding why animals do what they do
Understanding animal behaviour is hugely beneficial when viewing wildlife. As seen, seemingly benign actions may actually be warnings.
By knowing what to look for, you can avoid potentially dangerous situations. Furthermore, your affinity for all creatures will grow as you begin to interpret what they are doing and why.