WATCH: ‘We could hear its angry grunts’ – Grumpy rhino chases safari vehicle

Some tourists learnt the hard way about how dangerous rhinos can be when one chased their safari vehicle down a road in the Greater Kruger National Park.

A video of the rhino chase starts innocuously. The large herbivore is standing about 20 metres away eating some grass as the vehicle drives by.

Watch: White rhino chases vehicle

It then turns around and immediately guns for the vehicle. By the time the tourists pass it, the rhino is only a few metres away.

Clearly annoyed, the rhino then continues to chase the vehicle along the dirt road.

The tourists try banging on the side of the car to deter the rhino, but it didn’t seem to bother the animal at all.

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The rhino even looked to be gaining on the vehicle until it was slowed down by mud puddles on the road.

The animal then seems to give up on the chase.

‘Hold on tight!’

Speaking to LatestSightings.com, who posted the video, one of the tourists, Stasia Chapman, described the white-knuckle chase.

“At first, we thought the rhino might just be curious, but then it started trotting towards us. We held our breath, hoping it would change its mind. It didn’t. The rhino accelerated to a gallop and headed straight for us,” said Chapman.

“Our guide shouted, ‘Hold on tight!’ and hit the gas pedal. The rhino was getting closer and closer, snorting and kicking up mud with its feet. We were bouncing around in our seats, trying to keep our balance and not fall off.

“The chase lasted for several hundred metres, which felt like an eternity. We could see the rhino’s wrinkled skin in detail as if it was right beside us. We could also hear its heavy breathing and angry grunts.”

LatestSightings said there could be a few reasons for the rhino’s behaviour, including that it felt threatened, territorial or wanted to protect its young.

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