An angry mother rhino scared a herd of 15 elephants in a clash of giants caught on camera.
Despite outnumbering the elephants, the mother rhino stood firm and protected her cubs, then ‘exploded’ sprinting and running towards the elephants, scattering them in all directions in a cloud of dust.
Armed with only her beautiful horn and her motherly instinct the mother rhino stood her ground and protected the calf, although she was completely outnumbered by the elephants, in stunning pictures captured in South Africa
The epic confrontation was captured by carpenter Martin Meyer, visiting a national park in South Africa, when he spotted a mother rhinoceros with her young.
A herd of about 15 elephants, consisting of a matriarch and a few youngsters and adult bulls, were approaching and going to cross the path of the mother rhino and the calf following behind her
Martin, who captured the images, said: ‘A herd of about 15 elephants, consisting of a mother and a few calves and several adult bulls, was approaching and going to cross the path of mother and the baby.
When they were around 20 metres away from her position she exploded into a sprint with the baby following and ran directly towards the elephants, sending them scattering in all directions, with a cloud of dust appearing as a result
‘When they were about 20 meters from her position, she exploded in a sprint with the baby following.
“After recovering from the initial shock, the elephants gathered and lined up side by side to slowly approach the rhino mom, almost mocking her. Some of the young bulls even moved around them from behind.”
As the dust settled the matriarch elephant broke her eye contact and position first, and began walking behind the two rhinos, changing her troops’ direction towards a water hole to the right of where the action happened
More than three minutes of standing followed as the rhino mother and the matriarch stared at each other before the baby rhino snorted and moved across the hill.
After recovering from the initial shock the elephant herd regrouped and aligned themselves next to one another to slowly move closer to the rhino mum, almost taunting her, while some of the young bulls circled them from behind
Although it is not known how long the mother rhino’s horn was, the longest white rhino can be more than one and a half meters. Female white rhinos can weigh up to two tons, while a fully mature female African elephant can weigh almost.
More than three minutes of stand-off followed as the staring continued between the rhino mother and the matriarch of the elephants, in the stunning pictures captured earlier this year at an unnamed national parkAlthough it is not known how long the mother rhino’s horn was, the longest in white rhino can reach over a metre and a half. Female white rhino can weigh up to two tonnes, while a fully grown female African elephant can weigh nearly threeThe photographer said he had noticed the mother react unusually and stare towards his left while he was admiring her magnificent horn and the cute calf before the calf also turned to look in the same direction
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