A herd of elephants have been captured fiercely protecting their young from a pack of wild dogs in South Africa.

Guide Brent Leo-Smith came across the stand-off in Djuma Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sands, the north-east of the country.

The tour guide slowly follows the wild dogs from behind in a vehicle.

A pack of wild dogs heads down a dirt path unaware of the herd of elephants approaching from the bushes

The dogs are heading down a path when suddenly the elephants appear from the bushes.

The nine dogs are outnumbered by their colossal opponents who start to roar and intimidate them.

The elephants group together and stand their ground as the dogs flee one by one.

Even the young calf charges with the elephants who then form a protective ring around the more vulnerable animal.

Elephants notoriously hate predators and were really not happy about the wild dogs being in their space.

The elephants group together to scare off the dogs and protect the young calves

Dogs are unlikely predators for elephants but the big mammals react strongly to any potential threat

Dogs hunt in packs but according to the tour guide, they are unlikely to kill elephants.

Mr Leo-Smith said: ‘Wild dogs don’t show any actual potential threat to the elephants, I’ve never heard of a wild dog attacking a baby elephant.

‘But elephants react really negatively to any predator.’