Elephants are magnificent creatures. While they're typically known as gentle giants, you still don't want to threaten them—as one rhinoceros found out the hard way. A video recently uploaded to Twitter and shared by several Indian forest officers (IFS) showcases a violent clash between an elephant and rhino. While both are massive creatures, the elephant definitely has the upper hand.
'Clash Of The Titans' pic.twitter.com/Ztjm97H8wR
— Susanta Nanda (@susantananda3) June 8, 2023
The video doesn't show which animal started the scuffle, but the two are in a firm standoff. The two stare each other down, waiting for the other to make a move. The rhino tries to get the upper hand, making a run at the elephant with his horn in the air—but the elephant charges back, slamming the rhino into the ground.
Due to the quality and angle of the video, it's hard to say how badly the elephant injured the rhino, and if he hit it with both tusks or just one. However, when the elephant pulls away, the rhino tucks its tail and runs to safety. The video does not show what happened to the rhino after the encounter.
Around half of Asia's wild elephants live in India, with numbers ranging from 23,900 to 32,900, according to Eleaid, an elephant conservation organization. In sharp contrast, there are only 4,000 wild rhinos in that country. Since the two have similar strength and stamina, they usually avoid one another, which makes you wonder what happened to start this battle.
If you ask the internet, people will tell you it must have been the rhino. One Twitter viewer commented, "Rhinos are bullies by nature. Elephants are gentle giants until being threatened. Never mess with an elephant."
The sheer size difference between the two made some viewers wonder why the rhino felt it could challenge the elephant. Another Twitter user put it best: "Wondering, did the rhino think he had a chance?"
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