The dangers of coming between a mother and her child are well known. Bears are infamous for their maternal aggression. Lionesses delegate to other lionesses their maternal duties in order to hunt, but if anything gets too close, it’s “out with their bowels”! What about herbivores? 

Well, we’ve been told by studied professionals and common logic both that a pachyderm mother won’t take kindly to any threat to her baby, perhaps more so than carnivores due to the glacial gestation period – 22 months of pregnancy. Look funny at her baby, and this wrinkly, smiling giant will become a no longer smiling, 5-ton package of rage. Fortunately, all we were aiming at them were cameras, and we all walked away happily. Which is of course better than being peeled off of the ground by future explorers.