Mother elk kicks bear in the face to rescue her calf

May 26 (UPI) -- A couple out observing nature in the Arizona mountains captured video of a mother elk kicking a bear in the face to rescue her calf.

Shannon Seville of Flagstaff said she and her boyfriend, Joel Floyd, were cruising the Forest Service roads near the city in their new Toyota Land Cruiser earlier this week when they stopped to observe a bear.

The video shows the bear menacing a crying creature concealed by a fallen branch, but is soon revealed to be a baby elk.

The bear's intentions toward the calf seem clear, but its meal plans are foiled when the mother elk appears and chases it partway up a tree.

The bear appears to decide it isn't afraid of the mother elk and makes another attempt to get the baby, leading the mother to kick it in the face.

The mother elk and calf flee as the bear climbs back to the safety of the tree.

"The animals left our line of vision and we weren't about to get out of the vehicle to follow. I imagine nature took its course, however it was meant to," Seville told The Arizona Republic. "The calf didn't appear injured, and the mother stayed near."