Recent flooding of the Sabie, one of South Africa’s most biologically diverse rivers, resulted in a life threatening and chaotic experience for one of it’s largest inhabitants.

Elephant are known to be excellent swimmers, but the flood waters still proved a dangerous adversary. The biggest advantage an elephant has when swimming is it’s trunk. Without this versatile proboscis, which they use like a snorkel, the flood waters may have got the better of them entirely.

“First I thought they were swimming but soon realised the current was sweeping them away. It was nerve wrecking, ” said Marijke Arends-Meiring, who recorded the amazing footage in Kruger national park, South Africa.

Eventually all the elephants Marijke could see made it across safely.