In this comical scene, two baby elephants tried to charge for the first time, but their target appeared uninterested. In the Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana, photographer Janet Kleyn, 53, recorded the two calves practicing charging while the rest of the herd drank from the waterhole earlier this month.
The two calves repeatedly ran at an eland antelope in an attempt to scare it away. But despite the much smaller animal’s best attempts, the eland appeared unimpressed. The animal held its position and awaited the departure of the herd so it could have a drink.
According to Janet, an eland approached the waterhole where a group of elephants were drinking water. Two of the young elephant calves tried to chase him by rushing him but he was unfazed and calmly waited for the herd to leave before entering for a drink.
The herd was there for around 10 minutes, but the juvenile elephants’ quick charge lasted just for about two minutes. The baby elephants’ cute attempts to evaluate the success of their charge were endearing to see. They realized the eland had no fear of them, so they started drinking again.
The elephant herd spends a lot of time guarding, rearing, and teaching its young members survival skills. For the first two years of their existence, moms and aunts in the herd provide extensive care to baby elephants; beyond that, they are expected to continue learning on their own.
