“Just sit still, the car is not starting,” was all the comfort a ranger could offer tourists when an elephant stuck its head inside their open safari vehicle and jabbed at them with its tusks.
A viral video filmed by Eugene Kruger captured the tense moments when an elephant thrust its head into the vehicle and prodded at terrified tourists with its tusks.
When the video begins, a group of elephants can be seen in close proximity to the vehicle, with one of the animals walking towards them at pace. A female passenger can be heard saying: “It sees you as one big object, not separate people.”
That’s when the driver responded: “The car is not starting,” while another man advised the group to “sit still”.
By then, the curious elephant had moved to the side of the vehicle and begun inspecting its new acquaintances.
As the encounter unfolded, with passengers attempting to stay out of the elephant’s path, tusks and all, the same woman let out an exasperated call: “One Italian is off,” to possibly indicate that one of the passengers had fallen from the vehicle.
Once the animal pulled away, another passenger could be heard saying: “It almost stabbed Eugene.”
With at least two elephants in close proximity, the group remained tense and watchful.
Their continuous calls of “don’t move, don’t move, sit still” could be heard as the occupants tried to avoid provoking the animals further.
Another elephant approached and also conducted a close inspection of the vehicle, much to the angst of the occupants, who eventually hastily bailed out.
“We need to go guys… get off, klim af… go! go! go!… go out, go out, go out!” they urged one another.
The group then enquired about where they should go from there, leaving viewers wondering how the ordeal ended.
It was not established at the time of publishing whether any of the occupants sustained injuries, or at which game reserve or park the incident occurred.
This is a developing story.