Kobus Strauss sent this video to Latest Sightings. He filmed it while visiting the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa.
Siesta shattered
Lions are predominantly nocturnal and will often sleep through the day. And, it was just such a sight that Kobus came upon during his game drive.
At ease in the lush green grass, it seemed nothing could disturb them. However, when a fully-grown elephant cow approached, the lions took a casual interest in her.
Lions and elephants have an uneasy relationship. While lions don’t often hunt elephants, a large pride is well capable of bringing down a sick or young animal.
Scent of a lion
At first, the scene looked peaceful enough, but Kobus was curious to see what would happen if the elephant noticed the lions. With that, he started filming.
Elephants have poor eyesight, so it is likely that when she did notice them, it was because she had picked up their scent.
Her reaction was instantaneous; immediately, she turned towards the threat. Shaking her head and flaring her ears to make herself look even bigger, she was taking no chances.
In turn, she suddenly had the attention of all the lions. Wisely, they saw the cow as a threat as much as she saw them in the same light.
Scaredy cats
After a very short stand-off, it was the elephant that made the first move, taking a slow step in the lion’s direction.
Surprisingly, that was all it took to spur the fearsome predators into action. It was as if they knew that in the unlikely event of the elephant catching one of them, that lion would be in serious trouble.
As is so often the case in Nature, they preferred to avoid a confrontation and the risk of injury or death it carried.
Brushed aside
As the cow stormed towards them, she brushed aside a small tree, trumpeting all the while. By then, the lions had all but disappeared from view.
As she arrived on the spot where the lions once lay, she pulled up. Raising her head, she continued to pose, eager to ensure that the lions got the message loud and clear.
At this point, we notice the streaming secretion on the side of her head. When elephants are stressed, fluid flows from glands just behind the eye known as ‘temporin’.
These secretions are also seen in male elephants when they enter a phase of heightened hormonal activity, known as musth. If you see these secretions, it’s wise to give them extra space.
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Hot air
Still standing proud, the cow blew air through her trunk before emitting a rumbling sound, similar to that of an upset stomach. However, these sounds are made in a similar way to how we talk, but pushing air over their vocal folds, causing them to vibrate.
It is at this point that we see other, smaller elephants approaching from the background. It is possible that they were responding to the cow’s trumpeting and rumbling vocalisations.
Magnificent mother and matriarch
As the others get closer, we can see that they are just teenagers, their tusks only just starting to emerge.
We can therefore speculate that the cow is the mother and possibly the matriarch of this small group. And that would explain why her behaviour was so aggressively protective.
To really appreciate wildlife, it helps a great deal to understand the animal’s body language and other subtle cues they give. Just ask the lions, wherever they may be.
