Baby Elephant Practices “Charging” In Kruger National Park

Wildlife photographer, Zander Rautenbach, was at the right place at the right time to capture an adorable display by a baby elephant in South Africa.

Vehicles filled with tourists and photographers at Kruger National Park came to a halt when a herd of elephants was spotted near the road.

What happened next was something that can only be described as adorable.

In footage captured and shared by Zander and Stefni Rautenbach Wildlife Photography, the baby elephant comes “charging” toward the vehicle but then decides playing in the street is more fun.

He entertains his viewers by dancing and swinging his trunk as he runs back and forth across the road. At one point, he kicks a pile of elephant dung and proceeds to play with it. The show ends with the baby taking a bow and rushing back to his herd.

As if you needed another reason to love baby elephants.

Kruger National Park is home to over 10,000 elephants. People from around the world visit the park in hopes of spotting the world’s largest land mammal in their natural habitat.

While this little fella appears to be having fun, the park shares how to tell the difference between a mock charge and a serious one.

Common signs of a mock charge include open ears, bush-bashing, dust-throwing, trumpeting and other vocalizations. If the threat does not respond to the elephant’s first attempts, they may pin their ears while lowering their head and charge.

Learn more about the magnificent animals that call the park home here.

Check out the video of the baby elephant having a blast and don’t forget to share!