A protective elephant mother and a fɪᴇʀᴄᴇ crocodile engage in an epic tug of battle in Zambia, as seen in these spectacular photos.
The female elephant and her young were ᴀssᴀᴜʟᴛᴇᴅ while drinking from the Luangwa River in the South Luangwa National Park.
A ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴛ crocodile sprang out of the dark waters and bit down on the female’s trunk. While the predator clamped down on her trunk, the elephant refused to give up and turned away from the water, despite being dragged down on her hind legs.
After going away from the water, the female was able to shrug off the croc with tremendous power.
Despite a second fright when the infant fell as the two rushed away, she and her baby escaped the ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋ. Later in the day, they were observed feeding on the river.
The enormous elephant herds of up to 70 individuals are well-known in South Luangwa National Park.
The park, which covers 9000 square kilometers, is home to 60 different animal species, including baboons, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, leopards, lions, and hippopotamuses.
