"Tour Guide Was Irresponsible": Kruger National Park Tourists Face Dangerous Elephant in Video

• A large tusked elephant approached an open safari jeep and pressed its trunk and tusks against passengers during a game drive
• One tourist narrowly avoided being stabbed in the chest as the elephant's tusk made direct contact with the vehicle
• Viewers online slammed the tour guide for being irresponsible and putting guests in danger

A terrifying elephant encounter during a game drive left tourists fearing for their lives. A bull elephant closed in on their open safari vehicle, coming within centimetres of seriously injuring a passenger.

The footage, posted by Instagram account Wild Sightings and credited to @alex_willers, shows a massive tusked elephant the open jeep multiple times. At one point, the animal pressed its trunk and tusks directly against the vehicle. Text noted that one guest's chest was nearly pierced by the elephant's tusk.

Elephant sighting turns dangerous

In the video by @alex_willers, the passengers could be seen gripping the jeep's bars, bracing as the elephant's face filled the frame in extreme close-up. Shaky, blurred footage in the later moments of the clip hinted at sudden movement as the situation escalated from awe to outright fear. Wildlife observers pointed out that the elephant was wearing a tracking collar and may have been in musth, a hormonal state in bull elephants associated with heightened aggression. One commenter noted that while the animal appeared calm by its eyes, curiosity alone from a creature of that size is enough to cause fatal injury.

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The video drew widespread concern from viewers who felt the safety of both the tourists and the elephant had been compromised. Watch the clip below:

Viewers react to close call with elephant

South Africans and wildlife lovers around the world flooded the comments:

@manenacarvajalinfante said:

"The tour guide was very irresponsible."

@hamzajatte wrote:

"When filming the encounter is more important than surviving it!"

@rescue4ever74 commented:

"This elephant is not angered, you can tell by his eyes... they show calm. He is curious but can absolutely unintentionally kill you. Also, they're in musth, and the tourists are lucky they're not dead! Did anyone notice the tracking collar on the curious one's neck? And it looked and sounded like he grabbed a plastic water bottle and started chewing it!!! It people! Stay away from our wildlife!"

@benavidespat said:

"LEAVE ANIMALS ALONE!!!!!!!!!!! LET THEM BE! WE HUMANS, ARE ALWAYS INVADING THEIR SPACE AND THEIR TERRITORY. This makes me beyond mad!"

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@thisismedeee added:

"The elephants didn't invite them to their house, what don't they understand."

Other Briefly News stories about animals

• A heart-stopping encounter captured by wildlife photographer Heiko Denker shows a massive elephant charging a safari vehicle at full speed in Botswana.
• The South Post in Kruger National Park went viral after an elephant unexpectedly charged at a vehicle full of tourists, leaving them in fear during their safari experience.
• A reckless encounter at Kruger National Park, where a driver ignored essential safety protocols during a tense standoff with a large bull elephant.

Source: Briefly News