<p><strong>A routine trip to the water hole recently resulted in a life-or-death struggle for a pair of <a id="isuj" title="African elephants" href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/african-elephant/">African elephants</a> when they were ambushed by a hungry <a id="rzmd" title="Nile crocodile" href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/nile-crocodile/">Nile crocodile</a> (pictured). </strong></p><p>Tourist Martin Nyfeler of Kloten, Switzerland, captured pictures of the wild encounter during a visit to <a id="kqh4" title="Zambia" href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/zambia-guide/?source=A-to-Z">Zambia</a>'s South Luangwa National Park in late September.</p><p>"We saw a mother elephant and baby at the water hole and said [to the guides], You know, what a cute picture, let's stop here," Nyfeler told National Geographic News<strong>.</strong></p><p>"And suddenly the croc jumped out. The whole event took maybe 15 seconds."</p><p>—<em>Brian Handwerk</em></p><p>(<a id="sg96" title="Explore National Geographic's 360-degree elephant panorama." href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/gigapan/elephants/">Explore National Geographic's 360-degree elephant panorama.</a>)</p>