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The african elephant is one of the most formidable creatures on earth.
Huge feet, incredible tusks and a powerful trunk that one minute can pick up something as delicate as a feather and the next, crush a man to death!
Renowned wildlife photographer Darryl Balfour had an unforgettable close encounter with Tshokwane - one of the mightiest african elephants in South Africa.
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"We'd been looking for him for a year," he said.
"The park ranger told us that he'd seen Tshokwane in a specific area and directed us there. It was shortly before 9 o'clock when I spotted a big elephant away off in the bush. I approached him from behind, because you always approach wild animals from downwind. I set up my cameras, but when I made a slight noise he heard me and spun around."
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Tshokwane adopted the threatening posture of standing tall, but Darryl continued to take photos.
Then Tshokwane did a mock stampede, stopped a few feet away from Darryl, and started to walk off.
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"I thought I'd just get a few more shots" Darryl explained.
Then, without warning, Tshokwane hurtled towards him. He continued to snap away, getting some amazing shots in the process.
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This is the last picture Darryl took on that day - before he realised he'd gone too far.
"As I turned round to run away he lashed out at me with his trunk".
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"My last conscious memory was these huge tusks coming right towards me", Darryl said.
His bruised and battered body was lying in the bush for 90 minutes. When he came to, he fired three gunshots so his wife would hear from their car nearby.
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Darryl's wife went to his aid, got him into the car and raced him to hospital.
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He had a dislocated hip, numerous broken bones, a fractured skull and a sprained ankle.
He still believes he shouldn't have tried to run from the elephant.
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"If I'd stood my ground and clapped my hands I could have stopped the elephant, like I've stopped a hundred other elephants in the past" he says.
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