Elephant Charges At Safari Group In South Africa Nearly Flipping Truck

A bull elephant has charged at a safari group in Africa and nearly knocked over a truck.

The incident occurred at Selati Game Reserve, near the Kruger Great Park in South Africa when a truck got near a breeding herd.

EcoTraining, the tour company that runs the park, said in a statement that the instructors involved had more than 25 years of experience in the field and nobody was hurt.

Describing the tour as a 'routine activity' for instructors and trainees, the company said the truck came upon a breeding herd while travelling the reserve.

The vehicle stopped to observe the elephants and 'give them a chance to settle down'.

But an elephant bull who was with the group didn't calm down and began to 'mock charge' the truck.

He did this twice, then moved forward and made contact with the truck, knocking it off the road. The trainees who were inside the vehicle were moved to a second vehicle once it had come to a standstill.

The General Manager of Selati Game Reserve, Bryan Havemann said: "Although the vehicle was damaged, thankfully none of the people on the vehicle were injured."

All the people involved have received professional counselling according to EcoTraining.

The group has received criticism from people online with some commenters saying the footage shows the truck was still moving and had not stopped before the bull charged.

Others said the elephant clearly showed warning signs before charging the truck and criticised the use of 'mock charge' to describe the bull's actions.

The truck showed significant damage after the event, which left some suggesting the occupants of the vehicle were lucky to be alive.

The Selati Game Reserve is home to over 50 different species of medium to large size mammals, including elephants, black and white rhinos, sable antelopes, lions, leopards and cheetahs.

Safaris are generally considered a safe travel experience, although incidents have occurred in the past.

Earlier this year, the UK considered legislation that would stop safari parks in the country from keeping elephants.

There's also been pushback on elephant riding holidays, with animal welfare organisations calling the practice 'cruel'.

Topics: south africa, News, Elephant

Hannah Blackiston