This is the moment a mother elephant pounced on a pack of hungry wild dogs who were eyeing up her calf as a snack.
The footage reveals how the protective mother chased the dogs away while trumpeting wildly and her ear flapping in the act of aggression that her pint-sized calf mimicked.
Accountant Marc de Chalain captured the incredible scenes at the bush camp while on tour with guests in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Marc, 55, said: ‘While we’ve spent a lot of time in the bush and have seen some animal interactions, this is the first time we’ve seen this level of interaction.
‘We were out in the lovely late light of a quiet African wilderness, and as the dogs passed by the elephant, she darted in front of them, trumpeting wildly with her ears raised and the tail out straight behind her.
‘Her vocalizations varied from a low rumble to a shrill trumpet that her calf had copied completely.’
When the mother seemed pleased that she had scared the wild dogs off, the pair lumbered off, leaving the wild dogs to slink off with empty stomachs and their tails between their legs.
Baby elephants are born to females every four to five years after a 22-month gestation period – the longest of any mammal.
Can weigh close to a whopping 300lbs at birth.
The calves stay with the mother for many years and are also cared for by other females in the group, who help ensure the survival of the calves by giving the mother a rest so that she has enough food to feed the calves.
The herd consists of females and calves, led by a mother, while the males live in isolation.
