Watch an Elephant Gore and Toss a Full-Size Buffalo Like It’s Nothing

Written by Katie Melynn Wood
Updated: June 15, 2023
© iStock.com/fotografie-kuhlmann
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Key Points:
  • This video features a buffalo trying to escape an elephant as the animal twice its size runs right into it, tosses it around and repeatedly gores it.
  • Elephants don’t normally charge other animals. It is possible that the elephant acted to protect nearby calves or they did not want to share access to resources like water.
  • Bull elephants can be more aggressive when they are trying to show their dominance during the mating season.

What would happen if an elephant went up against a buffalo? Footage captured of these two animals in the wild shows just who would win in this fight.

It starts with a buffalo sitting peacefully on the ground. Sensing danger, it gets up and quickly starts to move away. The elephant approaches much faster and catches up to the buffalo.

Two males lions attack buffalo
Buffalos can be preyed upon by larger predators such as lions and elephants.

©nwdph/Shutterstock.com

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Dropping its head, the elephant runs right into the buffalo and tosses it to the ground. The elephant’s tusks are front and center as it comes in even closer.

The elephant is at least twice as tall as the buffalo and it doesn’t take long before the buffalo is flat on the ground. The elephant continues to toss the buffalo around.

It uses its tusks, trunk, and sheer size to move the buffalo on the ground.

Elephant
Elephants use their long tusks and trunks very effectively when going up against smaller animals.

©Volodymyr Burdiak/Shutterstock.com

Letting out a few sounds, the elephant is triumphant in its kill. The buffalo isn’t moving anymore.

The two people recording the video react in shock as they witness the circle of life in nature firsthand.

“That’s the end of that buffalo,” the man off-camera says. Wisely, neither person approaches the elephant or buffalo. Instead, they document the encounter but keep their distance.

It is never a good idea to approach an animal in the wild, especially when they are acting aggressively toward other animals.

The elephant backs away from its kill once it knows it was victorious.

Unusual Elephant Behavior

Animals That Have Tusks-elephant
It’s rare that an elephant would charge other animals in such an aggressive way as shown in the below video.

©Stu Porter/Shutterstock.com

While elephants don’t normally charge other animals, especially when they are not threatening, it still happens. It is possible that the elephant acted to protect nearby calves or they did not want to share access to resources like water.

It is unclear from the video whether this elephant was a male, a bull elephant, a female, or a cow elephant. Bull elephants can be more aggressive when they are trying to show their dominance during the mating season.

That is one explanation for this elephant’s behavior.

After shooting the video, the onlookers did not stay to see more of the elephant. They remained a safe distance away and shared the footage of their unique encounter in the wild.

View the Full Video by Watching Below


The Featured Image

African elephant at watering hole
The elephant in this video weighs between 5,952 and 7,937 pounds!
© iStock.com/fotografie-kuhlmann

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About the Author

Katie is a freelance writer and teaching artist specializing in home, lifestyle, and family topics. Her work has appeared in At Ease Magazine, PEOPLE, and The Spruce, among others. When she is not writing, Katie teaches creative writing with the Apex Arts Magnet Program in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. You can follow Katie @katiemelynnwriter.

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