This is the moment a bull elephant on musth decides to get close to a parked hatchback when its testosterone levels reach 60 times higher than normal.
The terrified occupants of this VW Polo were in the wrong place at the wrong time when a massive elephant stooped down to rub itself against the vehicle’s roof and bonnet.
Armand Grobler, a 21-year-old field guide and lodge manager from South Africa, captured the incredible images.
‘I was doing ethology (the study of animal behavior) at the time, so I had a basic understanding of what was going on,’ he explained.
‘The elephant was presumably on musth, when an elephant male has an excess of testosterone, transforming even the most placid Dumbo into a raging bull.
‘Yet, despite its condition, it showed no signs of aggression or frustration and was in a more playful mood.’
Elephants frequently use logs, small trees, and rocks to scratch an itch or remove parasites – but with the car so close by, it was an opportunity too good to pass up.
‘We were unsure what to do in the situation when the elephant made contact with the car, and when the car was crushed, we feared for the lives of the driver and passenger, but our efforts were very limited in what we could do,’ Mr Grobler added.
‘The overall emotion in our vehicle as we watched in horror was that we were rushed with adrenaline while also terrified and helpless.
‘The two passengers in the car, a male and a female in their late twenties or early thirties, were not injured, only shaken. They were both stunned but grateful to be alive.
‘The car was not so fortunate. According to what we could see and hear, all windows were smashed, the roof was severely dented, and the entire top section of the car was smashed.
‘All four tyres were blown, and the chassis was broken,’ he said.
The elephant, on the other hand, continued on its way itch-free, oblivious to the devastation it had left behind.
See more:
Big problem: An elephant chases after a car after being startled in Kenya
A naughty juvenile elephant climbs on top of its friend while playing around
