Telha
With assistance from its mother, a baby elephant narrowly escaped when a crocodile attempted to bite its trunk. The herd watched in shock as they fought to protect the vulnerable calf from the predator. Fortunately, the young elephant startled the crocodile and managed to back away, forcing the reptile to retreat into the muddy water.
The baby elephant was drinking at a waterhole in the African bush while a crocodile lurked just a few feet away. Suddenly, the crocodile lunged out and clamped its jaws around the calf’s trunk. Francois Borman captured the dramatic moment with his camera at Mana Pools in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley. “This was the last thing I expected to see! I had been in the jungle for hours, hoping for some action,” he recalled. “I usually set a high bar for what I capture, but this was incredible to witness.”
Borman explained that the crocodile had noticed the small elephants approaching to drink and began stalking the calf, which was playing in the shallow water. “The baby elephant seemed thrilled by the water, jumping into the deep, murky pool and rolling around while trumpeting loudly.”
Francois Borman, an accomplished photographer and farmer, took these remarkable pictures near Mana Pools. The rest of the herd gathered around, making loud noises as they tried to protect the little elephant.
The baby elephant managed to shake off the crocodile and stumbled back with its mother’s help. “It had no idea about the dangers lurking in the muddy waters,” Borman added. The calf bent down to drink, unsure how to use its trunk properly. After a while, it attempted to reach the water with its trunk. “It was chaotic when the crocodile grabbed the baby elephant’s trunk.” The calf squealed loudly and charged at the crocodile, fighting for its life.
“Time seemed to freeze as the calf struggled, pulling the crocodile almost completely out of the water.” Other elephants rushed in, and the crocodile finally released its grip.
“When I looked at my photos, I was thrilled because I knew they were something special. Wildlife photographers spend hours waiting for moments like this, and shots like these make it all worthwhile.”
