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This lion was almost made to look like a dumbo as he came within a whisker of being trampled by an elephant.

Dozily drinking from a watering hole, the big cat failed to hear the giant footsteps of the massive elephant approaching fast behind him.

With one hoof raised just inches from the lion's head, the elephant appeared to be just seconds away from trampling on the predator.

But luckily for the lion, he looked up just in time and managed to escape by a whisker as he darted moved out of the elephant's way.

(Image: CATERS)

Having spent some time observing the watering hole, Johan Bernard, 49, was lucky enough to capture this moment in Nxai Pans in Botswana, on camera.

The photographer from South Africa said: "It was late afternoon and already getting dark. No other animals were at the waterhole at this stage, only the male lion."

(Image: CATERS)

"He started drinking without looking up for a long time," he continued.

"In the distance we saw the elephant bull, also directly on his way to the waterhole."

(Image: CATERS)

"The lion, who was surprisingly not alert at all, kept on drinking and didn't hear or notice the elephant," the photographer added.

"When the elephant was about two-to-three metres away, the lion lifted his head, saw the elephant and made a run for it."

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