Rattling the ivories! Moment two six-tonne bull elephants noisily lock tusks as they battle for supremacy in the Masai Mara
- Dramatic footage shows the two male elephants fighting in front of tourists
- It happened in Masai Mara National Game Reserve, Kenya, at the start of March
- The massive animals clashed in attempt to assert their dominance in their herd
- The sounds of their tusks clashing was heard echoing through the savannah air
This is the epic moment two massive bull elephants crossed tusks during a fight in front of awestruck tourists.
The dramatic footage was captured at the Masai Mara National Game Reserve in Kenya at the start of March, with the mighty six-tonne animals seen lunging at each other.
As they do so their tusks clash, with the thundering sounds of impact echoing through the savannah air, only metres in front of people on safari.
The two elephants were seen clashing in the Masai Mara National Game Reserve at the start of March
Video shows the pair banging their tusks against each other in an attempt to prove their dominance over their rival
Video shows one of the massive animals appearing to back away from its rival before lunging forward, causing the pair to crash together head-on.
As their frightening tusks smash together, dust and mud can be seen being thrown into the air by the impact.
The pair continue to fight, with the aggressor pushing the other elephant back.
The video cuts off as the guides start the engine to the vehicle and drive away to stop the animals getting too close.
Tom Sairowua, who was leading the tour through the world famous reserve, said he brought his group in close after seeing the male elephants eyeing each other up.
Mr Sairowua said: ‘It was very impressive to see the power of these animals. The fight was so important as it dictates leadership as well as who will have easier access to females.
‘The two were fighting to prove their dominance. The aggressive elephant on the left pursued his foe for an hour before they disappeared away.
The video shows one elephant approaching the other, only metres in front of a group of tourists
The pair clash when on elephant suddenly steps forward, with the frightening sounds of their tusks banging across the savannah
The force of the impact sent dust flying into the air, with the display leaving onlooking tourists speechless
‘We were not far away from the two giants so we had to be very careful because they can be very aggressive and charge the vehicle at any time.
‘Each of the male weighs six tonnes and they are between 15 and 17-years-old.
‘It was my first sighting to see elephants fighting even though I was born and raised in the Masai Mara.
‘I have spent five years as a full-time guide in the reserve and have covered most of the national parks in Kenya.’
Tom Sairowua said it is the first time he has seen elephants fighting, even though he was born and raised in the area
Elephants are supremely intelligent animals and are the largest land mammals on Earth. Bull African bush or savannah elephants normally weigh around six tonnes and stand around 320cm – or 10 and a half feet – tall.
They live in tightly-knit groups and can live as long as 70 years in the wild.
Sadly, their life expectancy is shortened by poachers who kill them for their ivory tusks.
The Masai Mara National Game Reserve is a region where animals such as elephants are protected from poachers
Masai Mara National Game Reserve is in south western Kenya, where it merges into Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
The region is world famous for its wildlife, and is named after the Masai people, who have lived there for generations.
Among the animals that can be seen there are elephants, lions, cheetah, leopards, wildebeest and rhinos.
ELEPHANTS ARE HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND VERY SOCIAL WITH ‘SOME HUMAN-LIKE PERSONALITY TRAITS’
Research has established that elephants’ emotional characteristics are similar to those of humans.
It turns out the animals have distinct personalities.
They can be aggressive, attentive and outgoing.
For the study scientists asked elephant riders, or mahouts, to answer questions about the behaviors of the animals they worked with each day.
A new study has found that elephants, like humans, have distinct personalities. They can be aggressive, attentive and outgoing. Pictured is an elephant with its mahout, or rider, who the animal works with each day in Myanmar’s timber industry
Dr Martin Steltmann, who worked on the new report, explained how his team defined the traits that categorize elephants.
He said: ‘Attentiveness is related to how an elephant acts in and perceives its environment.
‘Sociability describes how an elephant seeks closeness to other elephants and humans and how popular they are as social partners.
‘Aggressiveness shows how aggressively an elephant acts towards other elephants and how much it interferes in their social interaction.’
Dr Steltmann’s team is hopeful the new research can aid in elephant conservation efforts.