This is the incredible moment a brave mother elephant charged at two lionesses in order to save her baby from being eaten in Zimbabwe.
This is the moment a brave mother elephant saved her calf from being eaten after charging at two lionesses who had pinned it to the ground in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
Photographer Kevin Dooley said the lions had been stalking a warthog when they noticed the baby elephant was playfully chasing it, and immediately switched targets because the elephant would provide more food
Mr Dooley explained that, while the warthog would be eaten within a matter of hours, a baby elephant could have fed the lions for days.
Mr Dooley said the two lionesses – one of which was heavily pregnant – quickly pinned down the baby elephant and were trying to kill it when its family showed up and charged at them
The baby elephant’s juvenile brother (right) was first to arrive and tried to scare the lions off but wasn’t big enough to tackle them both, before mother (left) turned up and drove them both away