The little elephant believed it could be the most intimidating creature in the Sabi Sands safari reserve.
Kathryn Griffin, a tourist visiting the South African reserve, managed to record it just as it decided to prove it: it ran toward the safari vehicle flapping its ears, as if those little baby ears could scare anyone. It charged again and again, convinced of its own greatness.
Meanwhile, just a few meters away, its mother did not even flinch. She kept eating grass alongside the rest of the herd, without giving the scene so much as a glance. It was the vehicle’s engine, when it started, that truly accomplished what no tourist could: the little one got scared, turned around, and ran to take refuge beside her. Experts say this is how elephants learn to gauge their own strength — by practicing being big, even though they still need mom nearby.