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Clash of the titans as mother hippo lunges at an elephant to stop it from trampling her baby in Namibia

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A series of photographs captures the heart-stopping moment a mother hippo saved her baby from being crushed by a massive elephant.

While on safari in Namibia’s Erindi Game Reserve, photographer Quintus Strauss came across a newborn hippo playing with its mother and stopped to photograph it.

Quintus heard an angry elephant approaching the young hippo in the water within minutes.

The elephant, photographed in Namibia, can be seen approaching the baby hippo, raising its foot to squash the tiny creature
The baby’s mother snaps into action, opening her devastating jaws towards the angry elephant. Photographer Quintus Strauss said he thinks the hippo managed to bite the massive beast on the trunk
The cow (female hippo) knocks the elephant off balance with her ferocious bite, and the giant stumbles in the water 
Making a big splash, the elephant’s trunk blasts the water around the baby hippo at Erindi Game Reserve, Namibia
Pictured: The angry elephant then plunges down to crush the helpless calf, using his trunk like a hammer. Luckily the youngster escapes 

After starting the sequence, the photographer from Hoedspruit, Mopani, Zambia, saw the mother hippo come to the rescue and begin fighting with the giant mammal.

Fortunately, the mother protected her children and successfully fought off the elephant, leaving it in pain on its upper trunk.

‘On the first day, in the early morning, we went on a game drive and returned to the lodge for breakfast,’ Quintus explained.

‘The restaurant has a view of the dam, and there were hippo with a newborn baby [sic].

‘After breakfast, I went to my room, which also overlooked the dam, and downloaded my morning photos.

When I heard an elephant trumpeting and water splashing, I went outside to see the elephant chasing the mother hippo.

‘I went back, grabbed my camera, and went outside again, where I saw the elephant walking to the baby and splashing it – then bent down to get a better look at it.

‘The hippo mother returned and then got into a fight with the elephant, protecting her baby and injuring the elephant on its upper trunk.

‘I believe the hippos’ teeth did him in.

‘After that, everything calmed down, and the mother and baby went their separate ways.’

Before the elephant tries to crush the baby he chased the mother. Realising the sheer size of her opponent, the cow scoots off up the hill
Pictured: Undated photograph of the elephant looking at the calf after it first chased the mother hippo from the watering hole
Pictured: The elephant before trying to crush the baby hippo. Thankfully, the mother was able to protect her young and successfully fought the elephant off – leaving it in pain on its upper turn
Pictured: The hippos sharing an affectionate moment before the massive elephant interrupted 

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