An unusual power struggle took place on the Serengeti savannah, when a lion was chased up a tree by an angry elephant.

The lioness made the potentially fatal mistake of entering the elephant’s territory, and when she was discovered the grey beast was, quite literally, hot on her tail.

The chase on the Central Serengeti in ended with the lioness stuck in the branches of a tree, with the elephant desperately trying to reach for her from below.

And stay there!: The lioness was forced to seek refuge in a tree after she was set upon by an elephant who took offense at the lioness entering her territory on the Central Serengeti savannah

Despite stretching her trunk towards the feline to grab her by the tail, the lion could not reach the lioness, which desperately roared for help.

The tables turned on the lioness when she was separated from a pride of lions that were feeding on a kill.

The remarkable moment was filmed by husband and wife, Dalida and Andrew Innes, who were visiting Tanzania on a safari trip.

The couple, who live in Sydney, Australia, said they were stunned as they watched the dramatic chase which lasted at least four minutes.

Mrs Innes, 41, said: ‘We were looking at a pride of lions who were feeding on a kill they’d just made.

‘In the distance there was a herd of elephants surrounding a tree and a lioness was in the tree. She had become separated from the pride of lions we were watching.’

Not so brave now: The lioness was forced to make a quick dash up the tree when she was separated from the rest of the pride during a hunting session

Elephants can’t jump: Although they are the ‘king of the savannah’ a lion does not stand a chance against an angry elephant, and the lioness made the right choice when she clambered on to the tree trunk

‘All of a sudden the lioness in the tree made a dash for freedom. However, she was not alone as one of the elephants decided to pursue her,’ Mrs Innes added.

‘The elephant chased the lioness for a good kilometre until, in the end, the lioness decided to climb into another tree to escape from the elephant.

‘The elephant then reached up to try and pull the lioness from the tree. In the end though the elephant gave up. Eventually the lioness came down from the tree and was reunited with her cubs.

‘She must have been afraid as she appeared to be stuck in the first tree and afterwards, she seemed to be running for her life.

‘We’re not sure what the elephant was doing maybe she wanted to protect the babies in the herd or perhaps she was trying to prove she was queen of the jungle.’

S.O.S.: The lioness desperately growls for help as she is stuck in the tree with the furious elephant waiting below

Catch me if you can: The elephant made several attempts to reach up to grab the lioness by her tail, but the feline kept it to herself

Giving up: The elephant finally gives up and leaves, allowing the lioness to make her way down and be reunited with the rest of her pride

Photographers Dalida and Andrew Innes from Sydney caught the battle between the elephant and the lion while on a safari on the Serengeti in Tanzania