The footage shows the two lively baby elephants rolling and tumbling in the dirt while the rest of their herd grazes near a watering hole.
The playful fight is interrupted in the video when an older elephant uses its trunk to separate the calves.
However, the young elephants quickly resume roughhousing when the older elephant turns away.
Michelle, 49, and Jacques, 55, prefer visiting Kruger National Park when it is quieter and less crowded during the off-seasons.
They observed that baby elephants often play wrestling on the ground once their herd reaches a watering hole as the adults drink and cool off.
Michelle noted, “Some of the actions suggest that it might be a very early ranking exercise.” She explained that these playful fights typically occur between elephants of similar sizes. If a larger calf engages a smaller one, the smaller calf’s mother will usually intervene.
The couple witnessed about 25 elephants of varying sizes and generations gathered at the waterhole, drinking and cooling themselves. “It is not very rare, although very rarely documented on video,” Michelle added.
The video, captured by Michelle and Jacques, highlights the playful nature of baby elephants and their early attempts at establishing social hierarchy. Despite their antics, the young calves show little interest in drinking from the watering hole, as they are still nursing from their mothers.