An elephant had an itch that it simply had to scratch, on a car enjoying a safari in South Africa.
The VW Polo and its two terrified occupants found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, as the giant elephant leaned in to rub against the car’s roof and hood.
The incredible images were captured by 21-year-old field guide and lodge manager Armand Grobler in Pilanesburg National Park in South Africa.
He told Barcroft: “At that moment, I was studying ethology, the study of animal behavior, so I had a basic understanding of what was happening.
“The elephant was likely in musth, which is a period when a male elephant has an excess of testosterone, turning even the calmest elephant into a raging bull.
“However, despite being in this condition, he showed no signs of aggression or frustration and was in good spirits and playful.”
Elephants typically use logs, small trees, and rocks to alleviate an itch or remove parasites, but with the car so close, it was too good of an opportunity for the animal to pass up.
Armand added: “We weren’t sure what to do in the situation when the elephant made contact with the car, and as the car was being crushed, we feared for the lives of the driver and passenger, but our efforts were very limited in what we could do.”
“The prevailing emotion in our vehicle, as we watched horrified, was that we were flooded with adrenaline but terrified and powerless.
“The two passengers in the car, a man and a woman, both in their late 20s or early 30s, were not injured, just quite shaken. Both were in shock but relieved to be alive.
“The car wasn’t as lucky. From what we could see and hear, all the windows were shattered, the roof was badly dented, and the entire top of the car was crushed.
“All four tires were deflated, and the chassis was broken.”
As for the elephant, after giving itself a good scratch, it continued on its way, itch-free, oblivious to the destruction it had left behind.