WATCH: Angry elephant attacks game-drive vehicle at Selati reserve

A video of an enraged elephant charging at a game drive vehicle was shared on social media and has since taken the internet by storm.

The incident took place at the Selati Game Reserve on Sunday, according to Anton Lategan from EcoTraining.

Lategan said an EcoTraining instructor and a group of trainees came across a breeding herd of elephants during a routine activity at the game reserve.

He said: “The vehicle stopped to observe the elephants and give them a chance to settle down”, however, an elephant bull “mock-charged the vehicle”.

WATCH: Elephant charges vehicle

The bull charged a second time when the group moved forward slowly. According to Lategan, the bull “then made contact with the vehicle and displaced it off the road”.

Lategan confirmed no one in the group sustained injuries, and all trainees were moved to a second vehicle parked nearby.

He said the EcoTraining instructors accompanying the trainees have more than 25 years of experience in the field. The group was, however, offered counselling after the incident.

General manager of Selati Game Reserve, Bryan Havemann, was informed of the incident and assessed the situation at the scene of the incident.

In a statement, Havemann confirmed: “Although the vehicle was damaged, thankfully none of the people on the vehicle were injured.”

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What to do when an elephant attacks

If you ever find yourself face to face with an angry elephant, Getaway Magazine recommends staying calm and giving the animal space by slowly retreating. Some attacks are “bluff charges”, meant to stop a threat before the situation escalates.

Signs of a bluff attack include fanning out its ears to make it appear larger. The elephant may also sway from side to side and pivot its legs from one to the other in what is known as displacement activity.

When it eventually attacks, the elephant will run towards you and attempt to impale you with its tusks or trample you. Its ears will also be pinned back during an attack and its trunk will be curled inward.

Biologist and wildlife educator Rob Nelson says the elephant will use its tusk to gore you, throw you off balance and stomp you to death. To avoid that, show you are not a threat by keeping your hands still and slowly retreating from the elephant’s personal space.

Remember, they can run up to 40km an hour, making it near impossible to outrun them. If all else fails and you need to run, do so in a zig-zag pattern and try to get behind a large object – the bigger the better.

Additional reporting by Cheryl Kahla.