Watch the Showdown When a Tiger Launches an Attack on an Elephant 20X Its Size

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This tiger should pick on an animal its own size! Watch below as a tiger attempts to hunt down an enormous elephant. 

The clip begins by showing a majestic tiger, standing still in a picturesque grassland ecosystem. The animal seems to be interested in something that’s far off in the distance, and it begins shifting its movement to get a better look. 

The camera follows the tiger’s eyes to capture the sight of a humongous elephant, also standing still in the tall grass. Over the next few moments, the camera pans between the elephant and the tiger, showing the elephant standing still while the tiger stalks silently. 

After a long pause, the elephant lets its guard down and begins to walk away from the tiger. Immediately after this, the tiger begins moving fast toward the elephant, presumably to launch an attack! 

Before attacking, the tiger stops, attempting to size up its future prey. In an act of defense, the elephant quickly turns around and charges toward the big cat, rearing its sharp tusks. The tiger quickly runs away and the video ends with the elephant crying loudly as it chases the tiger into the distance. 

What Type of Animal is an Elephant? 

For being such as conspicuous and well-loved animal, elephants are rather confusing in terms of scientific taxonomy and organization. In other words, they have unique characteristics that set them apart from other animals, which can make their classification complex. For example, they have an extremely prominent trunk, which is used for eating and drinking. 

One common group in which elephants are mistakenly placed is the ungulates, which is a group characterized by having hooves. In reality, however, they are not considered to be ungulates, as they do not have true hooves. 

The best way to describe elephants is with the term mammal. Mammals are known for giving live birth, having body hair, and feeding their young with milk. Interestingly enough, they are one of the largest mammals, which makes them unique in the animal kingdom! 

What Are Their Tusks Used For? 

Another characteristic that elephants are known for is their large tusks. Tusks are modified teeth, which have a very similar composition to other mammal teeth, such as ours. They protrude from their mouths and can be seen even with their mouths closed. 

Additionally, elephants use their tusks for a variety of purposes such as eating, defense, and transportation. In terms of eating, tusks act as large teeth that can grind food in the mouth, which ultimately prepares it for chemical digestion in the stomach and other digestive organs. 

For defense, they can be commonly seen charging at animals with their tusks aimed downwards. This behavior enables them to injure predators which may be attacking them, such as with the elephant in the video below. 

Lastly, some elephants use their tusks to carry heavy loads. Due to their strong and muscular nature, tusks can hold a lot of weight, which can be useful if they are trying to carry heavy things such as food. 

Is it Normal Behavior for a Tiger to Attack an Elephant?

A tiger is believed to be one of the few predators that will attack an elephant. While tigers normally don’t attack adult elephants, they do follow herds with juvenile elephants and in Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, India it was found that they were not only killing them but, in a rare instance, eating them as well. Although wildlife experts have said that this is not the usual behavior for a tiger and are concerned about the change.

In another incident that occurred in the Idamalayar forest, after a tiger attacked an elephant, both animals succumbed to their injuries, and according to Dr. P.S. Easa, from the Department of Wildlife at the Kerala Forest Research Institute, these encounters are rare but they aren’t the first incidents being reported.