Breakdown Turns into Brawl
Ihsaan Bhamjee was stuck at Malelane Gate parking lot, waiting for roadside assistance with his car broken down, when the resident elephant herd wandered in. After watching the elephants gracefully roam alongside the road for a few minutes, he noticed a fight brake out between two young bulls!
“The rest of the herd trumpeted as they scurried past the parking lot”, Ihsaan recounted. The mood quickly shifted as people witnessing the brawl began to be come frightened in response to the aggravation of the herd.
Watch the Sighting:
Tusks Lock, Dust Flies
In Ihsaan’s footage, the young bulls squared off with one another. They raised their trunks in challenge and clashed their tusks repeatedly, making loud cracking noises.
At certain points the tusks locked together and the bulls pushed and shoved each other back and forth with extreme amounts of force. They would twist their heads for leverage and flap their ears aggressively, refusing to back down.
Dust billowed around the area, kicked up by the massive stomping feet, and the trumpets of other herd members could be heard in the background.
Elephant Sparring 101
These clashes are textbook musth behaviour in young bulls. Musth refers to a testosterone surge that primes elephants for dominance displays and can occur even outside peak breeding season.
Elephants test strength this way to establish hierarchy. They practice pushes, trunk slaps, and tusk grapples that mimic adult battles over mates or resources.
For these elephants, it took a full 10 minutes for the battle to subside and the calm to return. The bulls eventually reintegrated with the herd, and all elephants resumed their road-crossing stroll, leaving a fresh coating of dust and wide-eyed spectators in awe.
At close quarters like Malelane Gate, a busy Kruger entry where herds roam freely near roads, the thrill was amplified for the bystanders. Ihsaan remarked that, despite the chaos, it was “quite a lovely sight”.
Stay Safe Amid the Clash
Witnessing an elephant brawl up close, like Ihsaan did at Malelane Gate, demands cool heads. Stay in your vehicle with the windows up and doors locked, and keep your engine silenced.
Always avoid making sudden movements and noises that mimic threats, such as engine revving and honking. Observe quietly from a distance, never approach on foot, and give the herd a wide berth to pass.
Get our Best Sightings as they Come in
Guides stress that you should always respect the elephant’s space, as trumpeting herds can shift unpredictably, turning a spectacle into a stampede if spooked. Elephants rarely charge stationary cars unless startled, so if you remain calm and quiet, you will have a safer experience.
From Fright to Lovely Sight
What Ihsaan called “a lovely site” captures the turnaround: raw power yielding to peaceful procession. For broken‑down travellers, it’s an unforgettable silver lining, elephants reminding us the bush doesn’t pause for punctured tyres.
In Kruger’s southern reaches, where Malelane herds are gate regulars, such brawls blend danger and drama, proving even parking lots hide wild heartbeats.