It's not the size of the buffalo in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the buffalo…
This adorably brave mini-buffalo was spotted taking on a fully grown elephant in South Africa's Kruger National Park. The unusual David-vs-Goliath moment was captured by Andrew and Candice Cohen, who knew they had captured something special the instant the camera stopped rolling.
"We saw a buffalo cow walking out from behind the bush towards the waterhole, and in tow was her brand-new little calf following diligently behind her," Andrew Cohen told Latest Sightings.
Elephants and buffaloes usually stay out of each other's way, though we've also seen these massive mammals clashing in dramatic fashion.
"We then noticed the ellie coming from the left-hand side towards the mom and baby buffalo. It seemed as if [it] wanted to interact with them both, but this baby wasn't having any of it! As soon as the young buffalo caught a glimpse of the elephant, [it] charged towards [it] and had the ellie pedalling backwards and trumpeting."
Elephants have the obvious height advantage (especially when the buffalo is the size of a Saint Bernard), so luckily for this tiny youngster, the elephant chose flight over fight and retreated into the bushes.
__
Header image: Tim Ellis
Animal Behaviour
WTF!?
Predator vs Prey
