According to recent foreign media reports, an elephant in South Africa's Pilanesberg National Park treated a passing small car as a tool for scratching its itch, repeatedly rubbing against the roof and terrifying the passengers inside.
"When we saw the elephant repeatedly 'bothering' that car, we didn’t know what to do. Later, seeing the serious damage to the vehicle, we were very worried about the safety of the driver and passengers inside. But in that situation, we really couldn’t do anything," Grobler said in an interview with the UK's Mirror.
Fortunately, the man and woman trapped in the car both managed to escape safely and were not seriously injured, though they were clearly shaken.
"They were both terrified, but relieved to have gotten out unharmed," Grobler told the reporter.
Grobler, who captured this dramatic moment in photos, is 21 years old and a field guide studying accommodation management skills in Pilanesberg National Park. As such, he has some insight into why the elephant went on the rampage. Elephants often use trees or rocks to scratch themselves, but that may not have been the only reason it targeted this particular car.
"When a bull elephant is in a state of high testosterone, it can become easily provoked," Grobler explained. "However, fortunately, the bull elephant at that time didn’t seem angry or aggressive—it looked more like it was playing."
Thanks to that, the two people in the small car were able to escape unharmed.