There were tensions in the Timbavati Nature Reserve as a herd of hungry elephants came across a pride of lazy lions. The two animals are frequently at odds with each other, and these elephants weren’t about to make any concessions.
Kobus Strauss caught the altercation on camera, as a large female elephant took sudden issue with the presence of the big cats, and set about making sure they vacated the area as fast as they could.
Watch Now:
Time To Rest
The lions were a very inoffensive pride, trying to take some time to themselves and relax in the cool grass. Kobus reported the group as being the Birmingham Breakaway Pride, that had decided to rest at the end of a long day.
Kobus was about to be luckier than simply seeing one of the big five, however, as another of the esteemed animals, a herd of elephants, moved unknowingly closer to the pride while they fed.
With the lions reluctant to move, and the elephant’s right on track to come across them, Kobus and the group settled in eagerly to see what kind of interaction they might see between these amazing animals.
Getting In Gear
Although only moments before the elephants appeared to have been grazing peacefully, one quickly decided that actually it didn’t want to have the lions relaxing quite so close after it had spotted them.
In an almost comical display, it shook its head and puffed out its ears, clearly readying itself almost impulsively for a charge against the big cats that weren’t trying to antagonize it in any way.
Despite this, the elephant, a large female, had made the decision that they needed to be removed from her space, and she was readying herself quickly to make this decision a reality.
A Protective Mother
Although this elephant’s decision seemed rather sudden in Kobus’ footage, the reason behind it was actually to ensure the protection of her calf that was moving with the herd.
The pride of lions weren’t actively hunting, but if they spied an opportunity to bring down a young elephant then they might have been tempted to take it and this was a risk that the mother could not tolerate.
Hunting healthy adult elephants is far too dangerous, and this mother likely didn’t fear for herself, but lions will take elephant calves if they can get them. In this case though, even if the lions had stayed in the area, the calf would have been able to rely on the safety of the herd.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Better Safe Than Sorry
Despite this fact, the mother shook out her large ears to make herself look bigger, and lined up her charge. The lionesses looked on nervously, ready to leap to their feet at a moment’s notice, but not willing to move until they had no other choice.
The elephant hadn’t taken much more than a step before the big cats scattered. A rampaging elephant is nothing to scoff at, and these lionesses were trying to relax after a long day, not get into a fight that they would likely lose.
With the threat handled, the rest of the elephant herd moved in to continue feeding on the plants, while Kobus and the rest of the group got to see an incredible interaction between these wild animals.