Tourists watch as their fellow safari goers are lifted by a bull elephant as he picks up their safari truck and almost flips it!
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Hendry Blom was one of the somewhat fortunate guests who were not on the truck. He shared his experience and footage of the sighting with LatestSightings.com.
Hendry, along with others that were on safari in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, had stopped at the Rathlogo hide for a leg stretch, a bathroom break, and to also see what would be drinking at the waterhole that the hide looks over. However, the animal they saw was not at the waterhole but rather in the parking area.
While Hendry was using the bathroom, screams from outside alerted him to rush out. That’s when he saw a massive bull elephant charging his guide and friends. The elephant appeared huge as Hendry was on foot and hiding behind a few pieces of logs, which made up the “fence” of the parking area.
The biggest fear many of the onlookers had was that those who were in the vehicle were going to get injured. There was no way they could possibly survive an attack from such a huge animal without any harm! The guide was screaming, shouting, and even banging his hand on the side of his door to chase the elephant away.
The elephant, who was in musth, showed no signs of leaving and went straight for the vehicle, catching the front of the vehicle in his tusks. He lifted it off the ground and dropped it with a bang. Everyone watching panicked! Was everyone in the vehicle okay?
Screams from the anxious tourists in the vehicle could be heard, and the onlookers knew that they were okay. The bull elephant did not stop there; he came back for a second time and lifted the truck again. This time not as high, so as soon as the wheels hit the ground, the guide was able to create some space between himself and the elephant.
As the elephant walked off to the side of the hide, those standing in the open parking lot could breathe a sigh of relief. The elephant was not going to come for them. The guide circled back and told those that were watching this crazy scene unfold that they should be prepared in case the elephant returned, as he was very angry. So, some of the tourists took cover in the hide while others stood still behind the fence poles.
The group of tourists from their various hiding spots, and hearts racing, stood quietly as they watched the elephant disappear into the thickets that surrounded the hide! What a relief that no one was injured, and neither was the elephant.