Tense footage shows the moment a driver tried to intimidate a herd of African elephants that were blocking the road in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
The video, which was posted to Africa's Wildest Wildlife Videos, shows a driver do something "absolutely insane" and attempt to swerve around the huge animal.
Elephants are usually calm and peaceful animals, but can become aggressive when sick, injured or harassed. Visitors to the park are advised by rangers to wait patiently if they encounter elephants on the road. Drivers should usually keep a safe distance, and turn car engines off—the rumble can sometimes provoke the animal and be interpreted as a challenge.
The video, also posted on YouTube channel Wildest Africa Wildlife Videos, begins by showing a huge elephant standing in the middle of a road, with several cars waiting on either side.
Most of the vehicles wait patiently for the road to clear, however one driver at the front of the queue decides to try and pass the elephant. The driver approaches the elephant slowly. The car then stops as another elephant and a calf emerge from the trees to cross the road.
The other elephants walk across the road to join their companion and stop in front of the car. The driver slowly begins to back away.
The elephants remain in the road, as the driver once again beings to speed towards them. The car grinds to a halt and begins to edges closer to the larger elephant. The animal turns its back slightly and begins to forage in the bush.
The driver appears to sense an opportunity and moves around the elephant, driving away quickly.
Morne Du Plessis, who posted the video, told Newsweek the elephants in the video were just trying to get out of the sun: "I often run into elephants blocking the road or just walking on it, mile after mile ... the smart thing to do is just to wait it out. On this occasion however the guy driving the pick up broke every rule in the book by charging at the animal and things could have gone wrong very quickly. What he did in the video is considered absolutely insane."
Elephants have been known to attack vehicles in the past. Male elephants in particular can become aggressive when breeding, also known as musht, due to the surge in testosterone, and are more willing to attack.
A video posted to Port Elizabeth Traffic updates in January showed a bull elephant flipping over a car as terrified drivers back away quickly from the animal. Photos of the destroyed car showed windows to be completely smashed or badly broken. Nearly all of the exterior of the car was dented, and a wing mirror had fallen off.
