This baby elephant has a lucky escape after a crocodile tried to bite off its trunk – only for its mother to come to the rescue.

This calf splashed in the shallow end of a watering hole in the African jungle as the alligator sprang out of the water and seized the trunk of a tree in the real-life rendition of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories.

The remainder of the herd watched in awe, blowing trumpets and snorting as they fought to protect the vulnerable baby elephant from the attack.

To compensate, the little baby elephant overcame the reptile and fell backward, leaving the terrified crocodile to fall into the dark water.

Francois Borman, a Zimbabwean farmer and amateur photographer, took spectacular photographs at Mana Pools in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley.

‘I was out in the jungle for a few hours looking for some action – but this is the last thing I expected to see!’ remarked Francois, 48.

‘When I go out with my camera, I typically have high expectations, and this scenario is simply fantastic to behold.’

‘I witnessed a herd of little elephants come down to drink, and a local crocodile spotted them and spent time sizing them up, pursuing the young calf playing in the shallows.’

‘The newborn elephant was clearly looking forward to the drink, because he ran straight in and splashed around in the shallow, dirty water.’

‘It doesn’t have to worry the world, and it surely doesn’t consider the hazards that can lurk in the murky waters,’ he added.

‘The calf is extremely young and does not yet know how to drink from the trunk; it kneels down to sip water with its mouth, then stands up and reaches into the water to try it.’

‘All of a sudden, the alligator pounced onto the baby elephant’s trunk and grabbed it – it was a chaotic scene.’

‘The calf let out a violent yell and began battling for his life against the crocodile.’

‘Time stood still as the calf strained and almost instantly pulled the crocodile out of the water.’

‘Other elephants charged at it, and the crocodile eventually relinquished go of the calf.’

‘I was ecstatic when I viewed my photographs; I knew they were special.’

‘Wildlife photographers have spent a lot of time sitting around, waiting and hoping for that specific sight – photographs like this are the reward,’ says the photographer.