NEWS

Croc got your tongue? Elephant gets nasty surprise at waterhole

"There is no way in the world that a croc could ever pull an elephant of this size into the water."

This elephant got a nasty shock when a crocodile bit his trunk. (Ben Norton/ Nat Geo Creative/ Caters News)

This is the moment an elephant in desperate need of a drink got a bite instead - courtesy of a crocodile.

The elephant went to refresh himself at a waterhole but no sooner had his long trunk broken the surface of the water than a crocodile, who was lying in wait, sunk his sharp teeth into the elephant's trunk.

Shocked, the young bull elephant managed to wriggle free from the clutches of the croc, escaping relatively harm-free.

The unusual scene was captured by Ian Salisbury, 62, close to the Mfuwe Lodge in the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia.

The animal trumpeted loudly before quickly retreating from the hungry crocodile. (Ben Norton/ Nat Geo Creative/ …

Ian, general manager at the lodge, said one of the guests had witnessed the same crocodile try a similar trick on another elephant earlier in the day.

He said: "It actually screamed and trumpeted very loudly and having shaken off the croc, it kind of blew its nose and fled rapidly into the bush along with other elephants - feeling rather chastened.

"For the croc I think this has to be just the hunting instinct - there is no way in the world that a croc could ever pull an elephant of this size into the water, though he is very persistent - the day before I saw the same croc go after a buffalo."

[http://uk.news.yahoo.com/elephant-bitten-by-crocodile-ian-salisbury-141755635.html#qAIRq0T]