African wild dogs are fierce and deadly hunters, with one of the highest success rates of any animal alive when it comes to their hunts. Despite this, they are physically smaller than hyenas, lions, and other predators they compete against.
They’re definitely smaller than elephants, as these immense animals are the largest to walk the surface of our planet. When an elephant, even a small one, starts charging, any animals in the way better move quickly, or risk serious injury and death.
David Manachi caught this elephant charge on camera on the S26 road in the Kruger National Park, and was clearly nervous at the sudden appearance of the charging elephant as well, with good reason.
Loose In The Road
At the beginning of David’s footage, the wild dogs were calmly milling about in the middle of the road, padding along on their four paws as they kept a close eye on their surroundings.
Their evolutionary adaptations make them particularly good at long distance running, which contributes to their hunting success and means they can maintain a good pace while they’re exploring the lay of the land.
Wild dog packs can reach surprisingly large sizes, but they don’t always move all at once and the relative few on the road indicated that they were simply investigating, and keeping an eye out for something they could eat.
The Calm Before The Storm
While they didn’t have much success finding an animal that they could hunt, the wild dogs certainly found something. David’s vehicle came to a stop at the same time as the dogs suddenly paused in the road.
The air suddenly seemed charged with tension as the dogs waited in the road. There were scouts that had gone before the main group of dogs, and a moment before the elephant they came into view, sprinting back along the road.
Back It Up Back It Up
Soon after the canine scouts appeared, it was evident what they were running from. The elephant came out of nowhere, barreling towards the dogs and causing David to rapidly start reversing his vehicle.
Predictably, the much smaller dogs scattered before the might of the rampaging elephant, and the elephant displayed surprising agility and speed for its size as it veered off to the side, chasing them down.
The fact that the elephant left the road and didn’t come back indicated that this was likely a mock charge rather than a serious attempt to harm any of the dogs. It also had its ears spread out wide to each side, which is an intimidation tactic elephants use to try and make themselves look big.
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Uncertainty About What Comes Next
Once leaving the road, the elephant appeared to turn its back on the dogs and begin heading back the way it came. It thought it had shown enough of a deterrent to persuade the dogs to investigate in another direction.
The wild dogs themselves were left scattered, and unsure what to do with themselves after facing an elephant charge. Despite their high success rates, an elephant is far too large for them to hunt, meaning their search for prey must continue.
The size of elephants is always impressive, but seeing an enraged one charging a pack of wild dogs while getting close enough that the vehicle might get caught up in the conflict was certainly a sighting to remember.