This is the horrifying moment a crazed bull elephant attacked tourists on safari in Zambia, leaving an American woman dead, after chasing a safari truck for over half a mile through a national park.
Six tourists were on a safari in Kafue National Park when the angry adult male ran at top speed to catch up with the vehicle, before the driver abruptly stopped.
The video shows one tourist saying “oh my God” as the elephant keeps pace with the car, while another says “oh oh” and a third adds “it’s coming fast” in the last desperate moments before the collision.
The ranger suddenly stops the vehicle before the elephant turns to the right and attacks the tourist truck at a right angle.
The driver shouts ‘hey hey hey hey hey’ loudly when he realizes that this is not a dummy cargo and that the five-ton elephant measuring 10 feet tall is intending to make a deadly attack.
The meter-long fangs catch under the body of the safari truck as the tourist panics and turns it sideways while the camera footage records screams and then goes blank.
Video captured the shocking moment when an elephant attacked an American tourist in Zambia
The elephant seems obsessed with the terrified tourists, who are just meters away from the beast and hanging from their seats.
The elephant is seen lifting and turning the safari truck on its side before the video cuts out.
It has not been confirmed how the American tourist, whose identity has not been revealed, died.
The Safari forums are full of comments saying they can’t understand why the vehicle stopped, although one commenter suggests that perhaps the driver simply ran out of road.
Another commenter, Bush Bandit, says: “When you’re being chased by a five-tonne elephant and you’re in a safari truck with big crash bars, trust me, you’re never out of a road.”
The national park has not commented on the incident.
All of the guests in the truck are believed to have been Americans staying at the Lufupa River Camp in Kafue National Park, which is the oldest and second largest safari park in the world.
The tented camp charges £350 per person per night.
Wilderness CEO Keith Vincent confirmed that one 80-year-old American guest was killed and another seriously injured, with four other tourists suffering minor injuries.
The incident occurred on Saturday when an aggressive male elephant attacked.
Vincent said the seriously injured guest was flown to a private medical facility in South Africa and the other four were treated at a clinic and given trauma counselling.
He said: “Around 09:30 on Saturday, the six guests were on the safari when the bull elephant unexpectedly charged the vehicle.
All of our guides are very well trained and experienced, but unfortunately the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route was blocked.
“He was unable to get the vehicle out of danger quickly enough,” adding that the Kafue National Park management immediately provided assistance.”
He said a helicopter was sent to the scene and given the nature of the incident, police, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and other authorities are involved in investigating the matter.
The elephant was able to keep up with the truck before pouncing on it.
The male elephant is seen charging at the safari truck before knocking it over.
Vincent added: “This is an extremely tragic event and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who passed away.”
‘We also naturally support the guests and guide involved in this distressing incident. The deceased will be repatriated to the US.
Wilderness is a leading conservation and hospitality company, welcoming guests to many African counties to help conserve iconic wild areas.
It currently helps conserve six million acres of land in 8 African countries.
Kafue National Park is the size of Wales, covering 22,000 square kilometers and is home to the African Big Five: lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos.
Elephants kill an estimated 500 people a year in Africa.
In March, an elephant also killed a 36-year-old guide at the Gondwana Private Game Reserve in South Africa.
Daniel Kandela died after encountering the last elephant in the herd, separated from its group.
A statement issued at the time read: “His untimely passing leaves a void within the Gondwana family, as David was not only a colleague but also a source of warmth and expertise among his peers.
‘Our hearts and thoughts remain with David’s family and friends during this immensely difficult time. Gondwana is committed to supporting all those affected by this tragic incident.’