iStockphoto / JayHendry
An African crocodile realized it had bitten off more than it could chew when it latched onto the tail of a fully-grown elephant and was swung around.
This footage was filmed by safari guide Emmanuel Sauti who was in the right place at the right time on the Luangwa River in northeastern Zambia.
Safari guide Emmanuel Sauti was on his way back to the safari’s lodge when a large elephant began to exhibit signs of distress. At that point, it wasn’t clear what was happening…
Then as the large elephant begins to freak out we see a crocodile emerge from the water attached to the elephant’s tail. It was probably at this point that the croc realized things were not going well… A fully-grown crocodile could take down an elephant calf but not an adult.
Safari guide Emmanuel Sauti broke down the encounter for Latest Sightings.
He told them “As the sighting started playing itself out, we were able to identify the culprits. An elephant and a crocodile! I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. On one hand, I was a bit scared for the crocodile. I mean, have you seen how big elephants can get?!”
Sauti added that he “was absolutely thrilled to witness something so rare. And boy, was it a sight to see! The elephant was putting up a good fight, and the crocodile wasn’t backing down either.”
In terms of just how crazy this crocodile vs elephant encounter was, he told them “I’ve had my fair share of incredible wildlife sightings, but this one definitely takes the cake.”
For anyone out there unfamiliar with the Luangwa River you probably know its counterpart. It is a tributary of the world-famous Zambezi River and one of the four largest rivers in Zambia.