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A young elephant found itself in serious danger, but with some help from its mother and a bit of luck, it managed to escape a crocodile’s deadly grip.
The scene unfolded at a waterhole in the African forest, where the baby elephant was happily swimming in the deeper part of the water. But suddenly, a crocodile, hidden in the muddy waters, lunged and grabbed the elephant’s trunk in its powerful jaws. The rest of the herd watched in horror, making loud noises and trying to protect the young calf.
The crocodile’s bite was strong, but the baby elephant fought back. It struggled fiercely, using its trunk and body to pull away from the reptile. The crocodile eventually gave up and retreated into the water.
Francois Borman, a photographer who had been hoping for a perfect shot, was there to witness it all. “This was the last thing I expected to see! I had been in the jungle for hours, hoping for some action,” Borman said. “I usually set a high bar for what I capture, but this was incredible to witness.”
Borman had been watching the young elephants for a while. “The crocodile noticed the small elephants coming to drink and began stalking the calf that was playing in the shallow water,” Borman explained.
The baby elephant, totally unaware of the danger, was having a blast. It jumped into the deep water and started rolling around, trumpeting loudly, filled with excitement.
Then, out of nowhere, the crocodile struck. It leaped out of the water and grabbed hold of the baby elephant’s trunk. “It was chaotic when the crocodile grabbed the baby elephant’s trunk,” Borman said, describing the moment when the calf let out a loud squeal. The little elephant charged at the crocodile, desperate to escape its grip.
In an intense struggle, the baby elephant pulled on the crocodile, even managing to lift it slightly out of the water. “Time seemed to freeze as the calf struggled, pulling the crocodile almost completely out of the water,” Borman recalled.
The rest of the herd, seeing the danger, quickly gathered around. They rushed in and began making loud, threatening sounds, which forced the crocodile to let go and retreat.
The baby elephant, shaken but unharmed, was helped back by its mother. “It had no idea about the dangers in the muddy waters,” Borman said, watching the calf recover.
When Borman looked at his photos, he knew he had captured something incredible. “When I looked at my photos, I was thrilled because I knew they were something special,” he said.
For photographers like Borman, moments like these make all the waiting worthwhile. “Wildlife photographers spend hours waiting for moments like this, and shots like these make it all worth it.”
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