Elephants, despite their massive size and herbivorous nature, can instill fear in ungulates similar to that of leopards. Ungulates, such as zebras, wildebeests, and antelopes, display heightened vigilance and rapid flight responses when encountering elephants, suggesting that they perceive elephants as a significant threat. Researchers speculate that this fear may have evolved due to elephants' potential for aggressive encounters and their ability to cause serious injury or death to ungulates.