WATCH | Grumpy elephant gives baby hippos a fright

These baby hippos learned that the hard way not to mess with a grumpy elephant.

Evan Malsbury captured footage of three baby hippos having a standoff with an elephant on the bank of the Umfolozi River in KwaZulu-Natal.

The elephant approaches the bank to feed as the hippos come out of the water. Unhappy about this development, the elephant does a mock charge but the hippos are unperturbed. 

Clearly irritated, the elephant takes its frustration out on a tree, which sends the hippos scrambling for the safety of the water. 

"The hungry hippos were no match for the elephant but thankfully no one but the tree was hurt," said Malsbury.