This is the terrifying moment a bull elephant rammed a jeep as a tourist filmed the heart-stopping moment during a safari tour in South Africa.
The enraged elephant charged after first giving a warning shake of the head – an aggressive move by elephants.
But after the driver slams the car into reverse to get out of the way, the bull – thought to be in musth, a sexually aggressive period among males – suddenly darts forward, driving his head and tusks into the side of the vehicle.
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Terrifying: A jeep carrying tourists in South Africa was rammed by a bull elephant, which charged them after giving a warning shake of the head
Shocking: The elephant collided with the car after the driver slammed it into reverse to get out of the way
After the filming stopped, the tourists – who do not wish to be named – say they escaped unharmed despite the enraged animal continuing to chase them for 500metres down a dirt track.
Speaking of the near miss, one of the passengers, who caught the incident on her mobile phone, said: ‘We were out on an afternoon safari drive and came around a corner only to see this big bull elephant at the very last minute, as he was hidden by a tree.
Dangerous mood: The bull was thought to be in musth, a sexually aggressive period among males
Power: The force of the elephant’s charge threw the tourists to the floor of the jeep
Prolonged anger: After the filming stopped, the tourists say they escaped unharmed despite the enraged animal continuing to chase them for 500metres down a dirt track
‘Elephants are generally peaceful creatures, but elephant bulls are known for being particularly aggressive especially when in musth.
‘After giving a warning head shake and slight charge, he charged again after the driver put the vehicle into reverse.
‘Everything happened so fast – the elephants trunk crashed into the vehicle centimetres from where I was sat.
‘What made the situation most dangerous was that everything was out of control and I was at the total mercy of the driver, who luckily sped us to safety.’
Most cases of elephants charging and attacking inanimate objects or rampaging through villages occur when the bull is in musth.