A massive crocodile found itself in a challenging situation when it clamped down on an elephant’s trunk. These astonishing images depict the instant when the four-meter reptile was nearly lifted entirely out of the water as a startled bull elephant struggled to break free from its grasp.
The elephant was part of a group taking an afternoon dip at a watering hole in the Sabi Sands game reserve in South Africa, enjoying a leisurely bath with its fellow herd members.
The hungry crocodile was even dragged out of the water and into the air as the two animals tussled but it stubbornly refused to let go.
Eventually the bull struck the reptile with his knee and stabbed with his tusks to escape its jaws before making a very quick get away.
During a trip to a game reserve in December, Ashley Lewis, a 31-year-old fitness marketer from Michigan, USA, managed to capture an intense battle on camera.
Ashley recounted the experience: “We were sitting in our truck on the riverbank when suddenly, about 300 yards upstream, we heard loud and frantic trumpeting from an older bull elephant. It was initially challenging to discern why, but when he arched his trunk and reared up on his hind legs, it quickly became evident that a crocodile had clamped onto his trunk.”
She continued, “The elephant oscillated up and down, carrying the crocodile with him as if it were a toy. Eventually, when the crocodile refused to release its grip, the elephant forcefully slammed it onto the ground, exerting his knee and the entirety of his body weight on the croc. Then, he used his tusks to jab at it.”
Trumpeting in pain and fear, the bull elephant yanks back it’s trunk and the four-metre crocodile comes with it
Eventually, the elephant is able to free himself and makes a quick getaway trampling over the crocodile which also survived
‘This finally got the croc to relent and the elephant ran up the hill of the bank faster than I thought possible for an animal that big.
‘I was in awe. It was hard to say anything other than this is insane.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it, and it appeared that neither had our guide, tracker or any of the staff and Lion Sands – it was pretty unique.
‘I remember our guide yelling, ‘cameras! cameras!’ as if this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, he was not wrong.’
Although the elephant sustained injuries to his trunk, rangers expect him to make a full recovery. The crocodile may have suffered more serious wounds.