A mother elephant’s instinct to safeguard her offspring was recently brought to light in a video shot by a San Diego Wildlife Safari Park visitor in California.

The footage, gaining traction on the internet, shows an adult elephant assertively warding off another calf that came perilously close to her baby.

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The video displays two young elephants scurrying across the enclosure, seemingly innocuous. However, the peaceful scene is quickly interrupted as an adult elephant, appearing on the right side of the frame, pivots abruptly to confront the two calves.

In a display of maternal might, the full-grown elephant strides towards the young duo, who hastily scatter. Its trunk gently pushes one calf away, causing the startled youngster to skid across the ground.

Demonstrating protective determination, the adult elephant raises its front left leg and strikes the calf once more before forcefully kicking it downhill using a scooping motion. The young calf stumbles and collapses, its legs and trunk flailing as it emits a distressed cry.

Bystanders at the park, spectating the unfolding events from a distance, audibly gasp, with one woman remarking, “That was rude.”

However, the calf soon finds its footing and casually saunters off. Another adult elephant, who is believed to be the calf’s mother, approaches the scene while nibbling on a bamboo stick. She extends her trunk towards the young calf, seemingly inspecting its wellbeing.

The elephant group resumes their stroll as the clip concludes. This intriguing footage was initially captured in December 2018, shortly after two elephants in the park gave birth around the same period, but has only recently surfaced online.

Watch the video below: