In a charming moment captured at a Thai elephant sanctuary, a young elephant enthusiastically approached a visitor for a cuddle, offering a playful interaction that delighted everyone watching The video shows a woman seated on the muddy ground when, unexpectedly, a baby elephant bounds over, eager to make her acquaintance. The audience can’t help but laugh as the calf cozily settles on her lap. A bystander comments that the woman seems to be enjoying the unusual encounter. However, the calf’s boundless energy keeps it moving around, occasionally shifting in ways that look a little uncomfortable for the woman. She smiles and strokes the baby elephant as it readjusts onto her thighs, embracing the affectionate moment. But when the calf rolls backward onto her shins, she lets out a soft “ow,” prompting a nearby person to step in and lend a hand. Unperturbed, the little elephant soon rolls f...
A mother elephant fiercely protected her calves from a pack of 13 wild dogs in a tense encounter at Nagarhole National Park in India.
Mithun Hunugund, a wildlife photographer from Bengaluru, captured this intense moment while on safari.
Hunugund was in Nagarhole when he noticed the Asiatic wild dogs, or dholes, trying to target two young elephant calves.
Acting quickly, the mother elephant charged at the dogs, using her trunk to strike and pawing the ground to keep them at bay.
“As we sat in our vehicle, we noticed Bonnet macaques making a lot of noise nearby,” Hunugund, 29, recalled. “When we looked further ahead, we saw a herd of about 10 female elephants with two calves huddled close together and a pack of wild dogs approaching.”
He explained that with such a large number of dogs, the young elephants were potential prey, making for a tense scene as the wild dogs attempted to create chaos and isolate the calves.
Witnessing the situation, the adult elephants moved swiftly to shield their young. The mother elephant, weighing nearly four tons, then charged forward, kicking up mud and scattering the dogs.
Dholes are known for their effective hunting techniques and can prey on animals both smaller and larger than themselves. They are endangered, with fewer breeding individuals than even wild tigers.
“The herd quickly formed an impenetrable wall around the calves,” Hunugund described. “One female then took it upon herself to confront the pack, buying time for the others to move to safety.”
Hunugund admitted he felt concerned for the calves but understood the struggle as part of the natural order, where predators must hunt to survive and provide for their young.
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Ultimately, the elephant’s determination paid off, as the wild dogs backed down, leaving the herd unscathed.
Hunugund, a seasoned wildlife photographer with a particular interest in leopards, frequently travels to capture moments like these in nature.
For Hunugund, Bengaluru’s proximity to natural reserves like Nagarhole has been a gift. “Growing up close to the wilderness sparked my passion for wildlife early on, and it’s only grown over the years,” he said.
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