Cute baby elephants scuffle | Daily Mail Online

  • Baby elephants play fighting at Kruger National Park in South Africa
  • Cute footage shows elephants scuffling older elephant tries to break them up
  • Visitors Michelle and Jacques say actions suggest early ranking exercise

Adorable video footage shows the moment an older elephant tries to break up a scuffle between two baby elephants.

The cute scene was caught by couple Michelle Broadhurst and Jacques Joubert while they were on safari at Kruger National Park in South Africa.

The footage shows the two boisterous babies tumble and rolling over each other in the dirt where the rest of their group grazed at a watering hole.

We then see an older, more responsible elephant tries to break up the scuffle by separating them using it’s trunk, they stop for a moment until the older elephant turns it’s back and then start roughhousing again.

Michelle, 49, and Jacques, 55, try to visit the park during off seasons when it’s quiet and there are fewer people in the park.

The couple said they noticed that it’s common for baby elephants to play on the ground once the family or group has reached a watering hole or dam while the rest drink because they are still being fed by their mothers.   

The baby elephants scuffle around on the ground near the watering hole where the other elephants cool down and drink. An older, more responsible elephant then tries to intervene

The baby elephants scuffle around on the ground near the watering hole where the other elephants cool down and drink. An older, more responsible elephant then tries to intervene

‘Some of the actions suggest that it might be a very early ranking exercise’, said Michelle.

‘These playful fights are normally between physical equal sized elephants. Should a larger elephant calf play with a smaller calf the mother of the smaller calf will immediately step in and stop the action.

‘There were a group of about 25 elephants of all different sizes and generations busy drinking and cooling themselves down at the waterhole.

‘It is not very rare although very rarely documented on video.’  

The adorable footage was caught by Michelle and Jacques when they were on safari at Kruger National Park in South Africa

The adorable footage was caught by Michelle and Jacques when they were on safari at Kruger National Park in South Africa

Michelle opined that the actions of these babies is an early ranking exercise. The elephants also have little interest in drinking from the water as they are still being fed by their mother

Michelle opined that the actions of these babies is an early ranking exercise. The elephants also have little interest in drinking from the water as they are still being fed by their mother

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