This baby elephant does not take kindly to tourists! While visiting the Kruger National Park in South Africa, a group of safari-goers came across the path of a herd of elephants. The youngest member of the pachyderm troop decides that he’s had enough of tourists, and tries to pick a fight with their vehicle.
Fortunately for both the elephant and the tourists, the young calf was simply testing the vehicle to see if it would pose any danger. Elephants will sometimes do what’s called a ‘mock’ charge, as a means of assessing potential threats. The key to distinguishing between a mock charge and a real one is all in the ears.
As you can see from the video, the young elephant has his ears fanned out as he runs towards the vehicle. This is a definite sign that he’s pulling a mock charge. If it was a real charge, the calf would have his ears pinned back.
However, it is cute to imagine that the young elephant was simply testing the limits of his own bravery, and quickly dashing back into the tall grass and his mother’s side after chickening out at the last second.