Talk about biting off more than you can chew! While on a visit to South Africa’s Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve earlier this year, photographer and nature lover Gareth Larkan managed to capture the unbelievable moment a crocodile launched out of the water and latched onto an elephant’s trunk. Larkan and his family had stopped beside a river to watch a herd of elephants drinking … but what started off as a peaceful scene quickly changed as the ambitious croc made its move.
“Out of nowhere, there was this huge commotion and I began snapping as many pictures as possible without even realising what was happening,” Larkan explains. “A massive crocodile had latched onto one of the elephant’s trunks and the elephant attempted to drag the beast out of the water.”
Obviously realising this was a meal too much, the croc released its grip on the elephant’s trunk and was sent back into the water by another angry member of the herd.
“Before we knew it, this remarkable experience was over. My hands were trembling and I could not quite believe what I had just witnessed. This is why we love the bush and I will cherish these images for the rest of my life.”
Images and story: Gareth Larkan