The elephant was a member of a troop which had come to seek refreshment from the dam, and some memorable interactions between the said croc and the elephants were captured by an Africam camera. Africam is well-known for its live cameras all over Africa.

Watch the sighting:
Trouble lurking in the water
Footage taken through the day and into the night shows the croc’s persistence. This cunning croc can initially be seen as a shadowy figure in the water. He drifts quite stealthily towards a drinking elephant; the magnificent large creature’s trunk vulnerable in the moment.

He appears a jagged dark line above the water. Crocodiles are recognized as swift and unpredictable predators. They will readily attack any animal that is within reach and appears defenseless.
This hunting strategy has led to many instances of crocodiles preying on baby elephants. However, fully grown elephants are far too powerful for crocodiles to overpower.
Fortunately for this elephant, he managed to see the croc in time and withdrawing his trunk, he moved away from the water. A smart move!

Croc’s attacks get personal
In later footage, the herd of elephants gathers for a drink and the cunning croc makes a beeline for them. His attacks might have been mere pestering before, but suddenly they get personal!

A tug at the end of one of the elephant’s trunk as the croc takes a bite, causes commotion among her members. The elephant recoils, the croc still attached to his trunk.
The trunk is the elephant’s Achilles heel and the croc has hit his soft spot. The scream of the elephant shows this is no small attack.

It cannot be easy having a croc attached to one’s trunk! The elephant screeches and the herd moves away from the water. Some violent shaking and turning by the elephant, more commotion and the croc is finally shaken loose.

The determined croc can be seen slowly skulking away to the water, to wait for a more opportune moment.

Persistence pays off
Evening comes and the Africam footage shows the herd as shadowy figures by the water. The eyes of the elephants glow in the footage. A closer look and there is another set of glowing eyes alongside theirs’ and in the water! The cunning croc is at it again.

Weaving his way through the elephants legs as they feed, he eventually finds his way up front, to where an elephant has his trunk in the water.

A snap, a splash and he is back in action – only he has no luck as this elephant gets out of the water… and fast!

Later, another elephant stands at the water’s edge to drink. The light of the crocs’ eyes shows on the footage, as he waits strategically close. He gives the elephant the grace of a single drink before snapping his powerful jaws.

Again, it’s out of the water and to the safety of dry land for the troop. There will be no further trunk-pulling this day, but it would seem the croc still rules the roost as no-one dares to go near the waterhole; for the next little while at least.
Elephants are among the largest land animals, with an average weight of 5,000 to 14,000 pounds.
In contrast, adult crocodiles, despite being formidable predators, are significantly smaller in size, the largest weighing around 2,000 pounds at most.
This vast difference makes it nearly impossible for crocodiles to take down an adult elephant. While crocodiles rely on ambush tactics and stealth to catch prey, their success often depends on targeting vulnerable, smaller animals.
This croc, however, seemed intent on just a little trunk-pulling and no doubt made his statement, that as far as the waterhole was concerned, he was king.