The animal kingdom witnessed a fierce battle between two giants when a male elephant and a black rhino clashed in an African park. Amateur photographer Louis Kok and his wife Marthie managed to capture the extraordinary photographs of the large elephant attacking the female rhino, flipping it onto its back and leaving it with its legs in the air.
Tossed and turned: The large male elephant charges at the female rhino and flips it onto its side
Relentless: The testosterone-fuelled beast lays into the mother rhino, who was protecting her calf
African as.s.a.ult: The one-tusked elephant a.t.tac.ks the rhino with its truck as it lies in.j.ured in the dust
Protective mother: The rhino was at.t.ac.ked while trying to protect her calf from the ra.m.paging elephant
The pair were stunned to watch the peaceful scene transform into a b.ru.tal ba.t.tle as the bull elephant charged at the protective rhino mother.
Mr Kok said: ‘Male elephants on musth, fuelled by exorbitant levels of testosterone, are extremely da.n.gerous, and will at.ta.ck anything which stands in their path.’
Musth is a condition during which bull elephants experience a huge rise in reproductive hormones – testosterone levels can reach up to 60 times higher than normal – and this makes them extremely agg.re.ssive.
Stunned: Amateur photographer Louis Kok and his wife Marthie did not expect the fi.g.ht to break out
Immobilised: The helpless rhino is left prostrate, lying on its back after the elephant’s br.u.tal a.tt.ack
Cowering: The rhino calf watches on, hiding in the shrubs as the elephant a.t.ta.cks its mother
Baby blues: The calf emerges in search of its mother as the elephant peers on it the background
‘The elephant immediately toppled the rhino which landed helplessly on its back with its legs in the air,’ Mr Kok continued.
‘The elephant kept rolling the defenseless rhino around in the dust, while crushing it repeatedly under its enormous weight – in a tr.au.ma.tizing display of speed, agility and br.u.tal power.’
After the f.i.g.ht the rhino’s calf rushed to its in.j.ured mother’s side.
‘The calf remained in the vicinity for some time, circling her mother and attempting repeatedly to help her up,’ Mr Kok said.
I love you mum! The baby rhino rushes to its mother’s side once the scene is safe and the elephant has gone
Caring child: The calf tends to its mother, which lies on the ground, groaning in p.a.in from her in.ju.ries
Heartbreaking: The mother managed to get up after around two hours, but d.i.ed days later from her i.nj.ur.ies
The pair reported the incident to the management of the park, who said that the rhino did miraculously manage to get up around two hours after the a.t.ta.ck.
The following day she was spotted about 300 metres from the scene of the f.i.ght, but unfortunately d.i.ed a few days later from her in.jur.ies.
The couple was requested not to identify the park to prevent the influx of po.ac.hers into the area.
