WATCH: Baby elephant helps mama scare off scary game drive vehicle

27 April 2017 - 11:26 By TMG Digital
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A baby elephant joins its mother in chasing a game drive vehicle off.
A baby elephant joins its mother in chasing a game drive vehicle off.
Image: Kruger National Park via YouTube

The Kruger National Park uploaded a video of an elephant calf joining its mother in a charge towards safari tourists.

The calf tried hard to keep up with its mother, until it finally managed to get in front to give the car a final warning lunge.

"It was a very memorable encounter. Our guide thought that there could be a problem as soon as we came upon the group and told us that we may have to reverse quickly to leave them alone. How right he was," one of the tourists told the Kruger National Park.

While this video is cute, it is important to remember that elephants can be dangerous.

Normally elephants will only charge if they feel threatened, and if their attempts at intimidating the threat fail.

"It is imperative to keep in mind that elephants are extremely intelligent, and each individual has a distinct character. Although there will be exceptions to the rules, the common signs of a mock charge are bush-bashing, dust-throwing, trumpeting and other vocalizations, open ears and an intimidating presence, can be considered a mock-display.

"Aggressive or startled elephants usually make sudden headshakes and flap their large ears against their head. Serious charges usually occur after all attempts to intimidate have failed, and the Elephant feels threatened. The ears are pinned back and head and trunk are lowered. Ultimately, the key lies in the intelligence of the animal and how they will react to the 'target' and unfamiliar actions, and a conscious decision is made," the Kruger National Park said.

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