Elephants Charge Lounging Crocodiles in Wild Safari Footage

Written by Angie Menjivar
Updated: October 19, 2023
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Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe is one of the largest parks in Africa. It covers a total of 5,657 sq miles and offers the perfect opportunity for anyone curious about wildlife to explore the big five (lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and African buffalos) along with less common animals like the white-tailed mongoose and bat-eared fox.

Check Out The Entire Video Below!

Crocodiles are no match for protective elephants looking out for their young.

This video focuses on one of the big five: a pack of elephants that have gathered around a watering hole. The scene is serene at first glance—you can see adult elephants and baby elephants walking about, staying close together in two separate packs—one on the right side of the watering hole and one pack enjoying the shallow water.

They can all be heard roaring and trumpeting as the man behind the camera zooms in to capture these magnificent moments not too many humans ever get to witness firsthand.

You might miss them at first because they blend in so well with the color of the Kalahari sand but there are two crocodiles lounging a few feet away from the water in the center of the screen. The two packs of elephants are on either side of them.

The camera pans to the left and you can spot a third pack of elephants, also enjoying the water. The roars continue, even louder this time. It’s a shocking sound but elephants use these loud vocalizations to communicate with one another—usually, they are expressing distress, aggression, or excitement.

You can hear the man behind the camera say, “Oh my god,” obviously having spotted the crocs. Four elephants make their way around the watering hole from the right—three adults and one baby. Suddenly, from the left of the screen, a baby elephant that has broken away from its pack can be seen running straight toward the crocodiles.

The man, concerned for the baby elephant, exclaims, “Oh, the little one! Oh no!”

The baby elephant continues charging forward, either with nerves of steel or completely ignorant of the fact that there are two crocodiles laying in wait just ahead. The baby elephant comes to a sudden stop and the four elephants coming in from the right charge forward, ensuring the threat of those two crocodiles is neutralized.

The crocodiles, not interested in getting into any trouble scramble over into the water, splashing as they make their escape and disappear into the watering hole. The adult elephants surround the baby elephant to keep it close, and they all walk away together.

The rest of the video captures the many small packs of elephants as they either enjoy the water or walk around on the edge of it.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Udo Kieslich


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About the Author

Angie Menjivar is a writer at A-Z-Animals primarily covering pets, wildlife, and the human spirit. She has 14 years of experience, holds a Bachelor's degree in psychology, and continues her studies into human behavior, working as a copywriter in the mental health space. She resides in North Carolina, where she's fallen in love with thunderstorms and uses them as an excuse to get extra cuddles from her three cats.

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