Watch This Ginormous Elephant Completely Lose Its Temper When the Waterhole Is Invaded

This pack of African wild dogs has caught a kudo near a watering hole. They have nearly finished devouring the carcass when a lone bull elephant turns up to take a drink. The elephant is irritated by their presence and trumpets loudly before charging at them. Even though there are other animals, including zebras, moving around nearby, it is the African wild dogs that are causing the elephant some problems. Scroll down to see how he deals with these pesky canines.

Watch the Incredible Clip Below

What Do African Wild Dogs Normally Eat?

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are found in the grasslands, savannahs, and open woodlands of Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, and parts of Swaziland, Zimbabwe, and the Transvaal. They live in packs of up to 40 members that are led by an alpha male and an alpha female. These canines are cooperative hunters and hunt as a pack with the alpha male in the lead. The hunts usually take place in the morning and the early evening although they will hunt at night if there is enough moonlight for them to locate and hunt the target animal.

African wild dogs tend to focus on catching animals that are about twice their weight. However, they will sometimes target larger animals and will also take smaller prey if the opportunity arises. Therefore, their target prey species are small antelope including impala. Importantly, they will also eat old, sick, injured, or very young animals of larger species including wildebeest.

They have been seen attempting to catch elephant calves and this probably explains why the elephant is so unhappy about their presence.

Are African Elephants Aggressive?

Elephants are normally considered to be peaceful animals. Having said that, there are examples of elephants being aggressive to other species and other elephants. Aggression is most often seen between males and is shown by females when they are protecting their calves.

When an elephant shows aggression, they turn towards the target with their ears spread, and they stand as tall as possible. They nod, jerk, shake their head, and swish their trunk back and forth. Aggression is often accompanied by trumpeting, as we can hear in this clip!

The Incredible Size of African Elephants

African elephants are some of the largest land animals on the planet. They can reach a height of up to 13 feet (4 meters) at the shoulder and weigh up to 14,000 pounds (6,500 kg). In terms of length, they can reach up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) from trunk to tail. When they are born, they can weigh up to 200 pounds (90 kg) and measure about 3 feet (1 meter) tall.

African elephants are much larger than their Asian counterparts, reaching heights of up to 13 feet compared to Asian elephants, which only grow up to 8 feet tall. Additionally, African elephants weigh significantly more than Asian elephants, with a maximum of 14,000 pounds compared to Asian elephants’ maximum weight of 11,000 pounds.

In terms of size, African elephants are comparable to large trucks or SUVs. They are also much larger than grizzly bears, African lions, or gorillas. In terms of height, African elephants are comparable to a two-story house.

African elephants are truly impressive animals, and their sheer size is awe-inspiring. Knowing their size helps us to appreciate them even more.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Jeremy Lintott/Shutterstock.com

WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more.

Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day.

Thanks for subscribing!