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.
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.
“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…”
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!
Eventually, the rhino had completely cleared the road of all the elephants, which was very amusing to watch! There were no massive elephants here, but this rhino was still batting way above its weight class, and it was amazing to see.
However, since the rhino had cleared out all his elephant targets, he decided to turn his attention to the safari vehicle! Everyone was still giggling about the sighting, but those giggles quickly turned into nervous laughter!
Tervin had always prioritized safety, so they had plenty of room to reverse away. A good reminder for all of us who visit the bush to do the same. Once the rhino cooled off, Tervin could finally process what he had just seen, a sighting he will no doubt, remember forever!
