A stubborn baby elephant recently caused a traffic jam when it refused to cross a stream in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
The young elephant was part of a herd being observed by tourists when it became apparent that it was afraid of getting its feet wet.
The adult elephants attempted to show the calf how to cross the stream without fear, but the baby was having none of it. Instead, it clung tightly to its mother’s side, refusing to move.
At first, onlookers wondered if a few of the elephants might band together to carry the baby over the stream using their trunks.
But the mother elephant saw this as a teachable moment and persisted in her efforts to get her baby to cross on its own.
Tourists in vehicles near the elephants seemed a bit too close to the animals at times but backed away when the elephants got closer.
One elephant even honked at the vehicles to back off, displaying protective behavior towards the stubborn calf.
The end result of the standoff is unknown, as the video of the event ends before the baby elephant makes a decision.
However, the video does capture some adorable moments of the calf clinging to its mother and the other elephants attempting to coax it across the stream.
Overall, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of observing wildlife from a safe distance and respecting their boundaries.
While it may be tempting to intervene when we see an animal in distress, sometimes the best thing we can do is let nature take its course.
Watch the video below: