In a heart-stopping moment in the African wilderness, a baby elephant narrowly escaped a terrifying encounter with a crocodile that tried to snatch its trunk while drinking water. Thanks to the quick intervention of its mother and the strength of the herd, the little elephant made a miraculous escape, turning what could have been a deadly situation into a story of survival and resilience.

The incident took place at a watering hole deep in the African bush. The baby elephant, still young and playful, was splashing around in the water, blissfully unaware of the lurking danger. As the herd gathered nearby, a crocodile slowly crept toward the edge of the water, watching the young calf closely. Then, without warning, the crocodile lunged from the murky depths, snapping its powerful jaws around the calf’s trunk.

Chaos erupted as the baby elephant trumpeted in distress, struggling to free itself from the predator’s grip. The herd, including the calf’s mother, looked on in shock for a split second before rushing to the little one’s aid. The scene was captured by wildlife photographer Francois Borman, who was observing the animals in the Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe. Borman had been hoping to capture some interesting wildlife activity, but he never expected to witness such a dramatic confrontation between predator and prey.

“This is the last thing I imagined seeing!” Borman later recalled. “I had been out in the jungle for several hours, hoping to capture some wildlife action, but nothing like this. It was unbelievable.”

The baby elephant, panicked but determined, used all its strength to fight off the crocodile. Despite its young age, the calf managed to resist the predator’s deadly bite. With the help of its mother and the herd, the baby elephant pulled backward, yanking the crocodile out of the water for a brief moment before the reptile finally released its grip and retreated back into the muddy depths.

The rest of the herd circled around the baby, trumpeting and snorting in a show of solidarity. The collective strength and protective instincts of the elephants had saved the young calf from what could have been a tragic fate. In the chaos, the calf managed to stumble backward, shaken but unharmed, thanks to the timely assistance of its mother and the nearby herd.

Borman described the scene as both terrifying and awe-inspiring. “The baby elephant didn’t seem to realize the danger it was in. It was playing in the water, completely unaware of what might be lurking below,” he said. “When the crocodile grabbed its trunk, everything happened so fast. The calf let out a desperate squeal and fought back with everything it had.”

The baby elephant, not yet skilled at using its trunk, had been kneeling down to drink directly from the water with its lips moments before the attack. It had only just started experimenting with using its trunk to drink when the crocodile struck. The calf’s inexperience almost cost it dearly, but its courage and the support of the herd helped it survive the encounter.

Photographer Francois Borman, who captured the entire sequence of events, said he was overwhelmed with excitement when he reviewed the photos. “When I saw my pictures, I was overjoyed because I knew they were special,” Borman shared. “Wildlife photographers spend countless hours waiting for moments like this. You never know when something incredible will happen, and this was one of those moments.”

The crocodile, defeated and forced back into the water, was no match for the baby elephant’s determination and the protective instincts of the herd. This remarkable encounter highlights the dangers that even young elephants face in the wild, but also the strength and unity that define elephant families.

The close call serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of nature and the incredible resilience of its creatures. Thanks to the bravery of the little elephant and the support of its herd, the calf was able to walk away from the encounter, unharmed and a little wiser about the dangers of the African wilderness.

For photographer Francois Borman, the experience was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. “Snaps like this are the payoff for all the time we spend waiting and watching,” he said. “This was one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever witnessed, and I’m grateful to have been there to capture it.”