This ranger had a sudden change of heart when a rhino turned around and decided to charge at his vehicle instead!
—Watch—
This ranger had a sudden change of heart when a rhino changed its mind and decided to charge at his vehicle!
Looking for Big Game
Tervin Mdluli is a long-time safari professional, and on a dry morning, he knew exactly what to do to find the big game for his guests. However, what they were about to see was more than what Tervin could have bargained for.
Finding Elephants
Tervin explains: “We hadn’t had any rain for a while, but it was still a stunning morning in Greater Kruger. Because it was so dry, I focused on the few waterholes that still had water, and we found some fresh elephant tracks on the way.”
“Lo and behold, the elephants were there when we arrived at the waterhole. Some elephants were still making their way, others were drinking, and some were even inside the waterhole.” It was a stunning sighting, no doubt, but then Tervin noticed something else, between the elephants.
Grumpy Rhino with Elephants
“There was a big rhino bull making his way in the direction of the herd! Male rhinos are known to be territorial, and they also don’t have the best vision, so we kept our distance as usual. But we were excited to see what was going to happen!”
“This was a breeding herd of elephants, and there were no big bulls around. However, as it happened, the rhino was walking right toward the young males at the end of the herd. One of the elephants, maybe in his very early twenties, stood up to the challenge…”
The Giant Standoff
It was a standoff between titans, and the loser would be the first to back down, which didn’t take long for that to happen! It was maybe a few seconds, and the elephant made the “crucial mistake” of stepping back, and that’s when the rhino gained its confidence.
The rhino charged in, nudging its head up and down, while the elephants panicked and moved back. But that wasn’t enough for the rhino, who continued pushing them away. The elephant that initially challenged had now retreated all the way into the bushes, and yet the rhino still wasn’t satisfied!