Tense encounters can be some of the best kind that keep safari goers on the edges of their seats. This particular sighting of a pride of lions facing off against a herd of elephants certainly kept everyone waiting to see what would happen next.
Brass Brasset filmed the entire encounter at the Balule Nature Reserve, and sent the footage to Latest Sightings. The lions just wanted a rest, but the elephants weren’t keen on having them too close, and eventually something would have to give.
Want to see more jaw-dropping encounters like this lion and elephant standoff? Be the first to know when a viral sighting drops! Join our WhatsApp community for instant alerts:
Pride On The Move
The beginning of Brass’s footage sees the lions moving in force. They had cubs with them as they made their way through the bushes and long grass, apparently searching for a place to rest.
As hectic as life can be in the wild, constantly on alert for threats to territory, life and competitors for prey, finding time to rest is incredibly important.
The next meal isn’t always guaranteed in the wild. Prey might escape, or rival predators might intercept it before the lions have had a chance to eat much of it. This means the conservation of energy for when it’s needed is a critical part of the hunting routine.
A Nice Rest Interrupted
These lions thought they had found a likely spot in the long grass where they could safely flop down and pass the time before needing to hunt again. Except they’d managed to perch themselves right in the path of an approaching herd of elephants.
Two of the lionesses climbed readily straight back to their feet, ready to flee if the situation escalated. Fighting was out of the question, as even though the pride of lions appeared to be a full strength, a herd of adult elephants was an insurmountable threat.
Both groups milled about steadily taking a measure of the other, and unsure whether or not a confrontation would be worth the effort of either party, when each could just continue in different directions.
An Unsteady Truce
After a little consideration, both groups appeared to decide that the best course of action was to largely ignore the other. The lions weren’t actively hunting, and the elephants were more interested in grazing on the bushes in the area.
Both groups posted guards to observe the other, and then mostly went around their business, wary of each other, but able to coexist in the same space without it immediately devolving to a rout.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
The Changing Of The Tide
At least, they were able to peacefully coexist for a short time, before an elephant, approaching from a separate direction, decided that it wanted to rejoin the herd even if that meant charging through the pride of lions.
With its trunk raised high and its ears out wide, all of which was an attempt to make itself look bigger and more threatening than it actually was, the elephant charged across the road just in front of Brass’s vehicle, and scattered the lions in every direction.
The lions had no choice but to flee, with one little lion cub almost leaving it too late to clear the path of the barreling behemoth. Thankfully, all of the animals emerged unscathed.