This is the spectacular moment an antelope comes eye to eye with a way much bigger elephant fella. A wildlife photographer was at the right place at the right time to capture the tiny animal leaping into the air just in front of the massive mammal. The unusual scene unfolded in the Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana.
The swift impalas are renowned for their amazing leaping skills. They make gigantic leaps primarily to fend off predators, but it turns out that they can also do it for fun.
When she saw the once-in-a-lifetime event, 52-year-old photographer Janet Kleyn was attempting to take some beautiful pictures of an elephant that was approaching a pond in the reserve.
“I was sitting in an underground photographic hide at Mashatu Game Reserve, photographing the elephant approaching the water,” the woman told MailOnline. “The impala was drinking off to the left and all of a sudden jumped into my viewfinder and I got the shot.”
Although the moment seems more like a friendly encounter between the two, the tiny antelope was actually trying to defend its territory as it sees the elephant as an intruder.
According to Kleyn, “the impalas’ jumping technique is regarded to be a form of flaunting and showcasing their power and skill to the invader.” This impala obviously didn’t see the approaching elephant, I thought. As he neared the ocean, he had only just come into view. However, the elephant remained friendly and relaxed.
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