Posted on 09/28/2023 10:55:16 AM PDT by Red Badger
A lion follows a lost baby elephant. Photo courtesy of LatestSightings.com
A mother elephant ran across the road in a hurry without realizing that she left her baby behind. Lions spotted the lost calf and saw an opportunity.
Fifty-five-year-old Brent Schnupp, a paramedic firefighter from Virginia, captured this sighting and shared it with LatestSightings.com.
This incredible sighting unfolded during Brent's recent safari to the Kruger National Park, located in South Africa.
"I was in the Kruger National Park. It was a crisp morning, around 6:30 a.m., just north of Mopani camp, and my safari group and I were excited, hoping to see some of Africa's wild animals."
"As we drove along the roads in the park, our anticipation grew. The thrill of not knowing what may be around the corner was captivating. As soon as I had that thought, we came across a male lion casually crossing the road. He walked down to a small puddle. To our surprise, two other lions appeared out of nowhere and joined him-a younger male and a female. They were seemingly enjoying a peaceful moment of coexistence."
"However, the tranquility was short-lived. Our attention was drawn to an adult female elephant emerging from the thicket ahead of us. She appeared to be in distress and was crossing the road with great haste. Little did we know at the time that she had left behind her vulnerable calf."
"The lions, sensing an opportunity, came onto the road and soon realized that the mother elephant had left her calf behind. The younger male lion took the lead in chasing the defenseless baby elephant. In contrast, the older male lion just stood and watched on, while the lioness also seemed uninterested."
It was an emotional moment as the baby elephant stood in confusion, contemplating whether to make a break for it or confront the lions. The lions attempted multiple times, but the baby elephant turned to face them every time. The little one displayed remarkable courage and bravery. The lions, despite their numerical advantage and years of experience, couldn't manage to get a grip on the calf.
The standoff continued until the lions eventually gave up, seemingly convinced that they couldn't overpower the young elephant.
"In my six years of visiting Kruger National Park, I've never witnessed anything quite like this. Even our seasoned guides from Leo Vantage were astonished, admitting that they had never seen lions chasing a baby elephant during their entire time in Kruger."
VIDEO AT LINK.................
"If there's one piece of advice I'd offer to fellow safari enthusiasts, it's to be patient and stay committed to a sighting. Often, nature rewards those who wait. While this particular encounter developed rapidly, we were prepared to stay for as long as it took to witness such a spectacle."
"I wasn't alone in capturing this extraordinary event there were two guides and five other guests with Leo Vantage, all of whom can attest to the rarity and intensity of this moment. Remember, giving animals space and not pressuring them allows such remarkable scenarios to unfold naturally."
This article originally appeared at LatestSightings.com.
I hope they find it.
Paint toenails red. Put him in strawberry patch
We lost a lot of them in Congress.
How do you lose an F-35?
It’s much bigger than an elephant!.................
Those are Rinos not elephants.
I once shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in there I’ll never know.
Some mother. I thought elephants never forget!
Perhaps Baby Elephant learned early from her slack parenting that he was on his own for personal survival skills.
There's always a song!
You might belong to a pack, but you don’t want your pack packed by a pachyderm.
Notice it was the young lion that approached.
The older more experienced lions stayed back to watch.............
I used to be a zookeeper. When the lions roared, all the other animals began making a racket. But when the elephant trumpeted, they all shut up including the lions.
Yes, the bull elephant is the real king of jungle. Those tusks are lethal spears to disembowel a lion, and one swift kick can break lion’s back bone.
Older lions know an angry mama elephant is nothing to mess with.
Did you know they are ticklish. Tickle their ribs and they go nuts.
I will try that during my next Safari to Kruger National park. And will snap a selfie while doing it. ROFL.
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