WATCH | Grumpy elephant kicks baby hippo out of river

12 May 2021 - 13:00 By unathi nkanjeni
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A territorial elephant was not in the mood to share its chilling time in a river with more than 25 hippos and crocodiles in Shingwedzi in the Kruger National Park.

In a video shared by Latest Sightings, the elephant can be seen trying to chase all the other animals away, even kicking some.

It causes a riot before seeing a baby hippo stranded by itself on the sandbank.

The elephant does the unthinkable as it heads straight towards the baby and starts pushing it out of the water.

The interaction between the elephant and hippos was captured by 57-year-old Gordon Crundwell, who said he had never seen anything like it during his 50 years of visiting game parks.

“The elephant was getting more agitated and started thrashing and trumpeting, causing chaos in the pool. The elephant started chasing all the hippos out of the pool.

“During the commotion, a baby hippo was left alone on the sandbank. The elephant walked towards the baby and started pushing it around with his trunk. He then threw the baby in the air further up the sandbank,” said Crundwell.

He said after the commotion, the elephant left the baby hippo and returned to the water, where he continued to trumpet and thrash in the water.

“The baby hippo seemed OK and returned to the water. He then followed the elephant. While the elephant was getting out of the water the baby hippo was nipping at his rear foot. This seemed to further agitate the elephant, who then tried to kick the baby hippo away. 

“The baby hippo continued to follow the elephant out of the water but a rock blocked what appeared to be another angry attack on the baby hippo. The elephant lost interest quite quickly and walked away.”


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