Two bull elephants put on quite a show as they locked tusks with one another and fought in a brutal struggle for herd supremacy.
Laurent Renaud (62) and Dominique Haution (62), captured the stunning images at Amboseli National Park.
The clash of six-tonne titans sees the two mammals first size up their opponent as they slowly circle one other, before lining up to face the other, much like a fight between sumo fighters.
Two bull elephants put on quite a show as they locked tusks with one another and fought at the Amboseli National Park, Kenya in a brutal struggle for herd supremacy.
The six-tonne titans were the largest land mammal in the world and went tusk to tusk in a brutal battle for their skulls
The larger, more aggressive elephant (right), throws caution to his opponent and overwhelms him as a cloud of dust swirls around them
The right-hand elephant begins to point its tusks upwards and creeps forward in the direction it is being chased by.
The next shot shows the two of them locked tusk to tusk, and slamming into one another with all their force.
The bigger and more aggressive elephant then throws caution at the wind and overwhelms his opponent, creating a dust cloud around them.
Their skull-cracking struggle comes to an end when the elephant with smaller trunks concedes defeat and turns his back on them, and starts to run away.
The aggressive elephant chases his foe in desperate attempt to prove their dominance. They both eventually disappear into the distance.
Laurent, the photographer, stated that Laurent was amazed at the power of these animals. Laurent also noted that the two boys are some of the most powerful tuskers within the park.
“The fight was so important because it dictated leadership as well as who will have greater access to females.
“You should be very careful, because they can get very aggressive and can charge your vehicle at any moment.
The Bull elephant, larger (right), puts its trunk to one side and points its tusks up in an aggressive motion. At the beginning of the clip, it creeps forward in the direction its foe.
After a brief struggle, the elephant with smaller trunks (left) concedes defeat and turns his back. He then begins to run away
The bull elephant, slightly smaller than his opponent, decides to live to fight the battle another day.
Although their tusks tend to be used for day-to-day tasks like pulling bark from trees or digging roots under ground, ivory can also be used as a weapon of war against elephants.
These mighty brutes may engage in a variety of battles, from a mild-mannered tussle to test one’s strength to a full-scale fight to the death.
Bulls can use sparring as a way to evaluate their strength. They can use their build and size to move up or lower in the hierarchy.
Elephants in’musth’ are more aggressive due to increased testosterone levels linked to mating.
Nearly 1,500 elephants live in the tourist hotspot of Amboseli National Park in Kenya.