Clash Of The Bulls

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Serious fights between bull elephants are rare.  Fights, such as this one, often start when two bulls are brought together, attracted to a female in estrous.  The competing bulls are usually of similar age and size and always in musth, a period of heightened sexual activity and aggression in a male elephant’s sexual cycle.  I found these two bulls late one evening and could tell immediately by their manoeuvring that they were likely to fight.  When they finally did, they came together with a tremendous thud and clank of ivory.  The bull on the left is attempting to twist his opponent off his feet.  If he had been successful he might have speared the loser in the side in an attempt to kill him.  In this case the fight ended when the loser was able to get far enough away to turn tail and run.
Runner-up Black and White category Wildlife Photographer of the year 2005