Regular contributor Deon Kelbrick sent this video to Latest Sightings. He filmed it while on a game drive from Nkhoro Bush Lodge in Greater Kruger, South Africa.
A meeting of species
Deon’s video begins as he is following a small pack of four African wild dogs up the road. Ahead of them, and off to the side of the road, a few elephants are visible.
Ordinarily, we wouldn’t expect the two species to interact. But on this occasion, one of the elephant cows raises her head and flares her ears at the approach of the dogs.
Seeing her alarm, the dogs pause, standing in the road as if unsure how to proceed. After a few moments, the alpha dog resumes trotting up the road, as if to pass the elephants.
Hyper-alert
Seeing this, the already alert cow takes exception, raising her trunk in the air before shaking her head. This, along with her ear-flaring, is the elephant’s way of warning the dogs to stay away.
Once more, the dogs pause, all the while watched over by the increasingly moody elephant.
Warning ignored
While the cow stands erect and with her head held high, the dogs stand their ground. As they will soon find out, this is not what she wants them to do. When an elephant tells you to go, you go!
Subsequently, the elephant, tired of being ignored by these pesky pups, decides to escalate her threat.
Mock charge
By now, other members of the herd have noticed what is going on. Together, they join the first female and, closing ranks, advance on the pack.
Finally, the dogs get the message. With several tons of petulant pachyderms coming their way, they have no choice but to retreat.
As the elephants bear down on the dogs, they add sound to their array of warning behaviours. One of the ways elephants vocalise is by trumpeting.
By forcing air through their trunks, they create a loud, high-pitched sound, often used to warn off threats or to summon assistance.
Unsurprisingly, this has the desired effect, and the dogs canter back towards Deon’s vehicle.
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Curious kick
Eager to press home their message, the elephants pursue the dogs down the road. As they do, we see that in their midst is a young calf, probably less than two years of age.
Its presence might explain the elephants’ strong reaction to them being there.
Then something strange, and probably accidental, happens. As the little calf struggles to catch up to its presumed mother, she kicks back her hind leg, connecting with the little one’s head.
This was probably accidental, and the calf does not appear to be worse for wear as a result.
Calm is restored
Be that as it may, after chasing the dogs back and forth for a while, smashing a few trees in the process, the elephants begin to settle down.
Consequently, the dogs can also begin to relax and are soon heading into the bush, looking for a more peaceful route to their destination.
It’s safe to assume that next time these dogs encounter elephants, they’ll be quicker to heed the warning signs if they’re not welcome.