THIS is the terrifying moment a rampaging elephant flips a tourist out of a canoe and tries to trample her to death.
The furious animal charged a water tour group in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, forcing holidaymakers to cling on their lives.
A huge bull African elephant stormed a boat safari group in the Okavango Delta in Botswana[/caption]
Boaters were flung from the canoes, and the elephant tried to crush this woman to death[/caption]
The boaters incredibly recorded the whole attack which came around 20 minutes into their safari, and now a horrifying new angle has emerged from inside the boat.
Footage shot by Larry Unrein, one among a party of an American couple and a British couple, shows the massive African elephant ploughing through the water with its ears spread.
It slaps the water with its trunk and trumpets loudly at the fleeing motor boat.
Suddenly, the catches up with the canoes and tosses them over with an almighty shove.
Both boats flip and at least two passengers are left floundering in the water – right in the path of the furious elephant.
It uses its head to ram one woman down beneath the surface to panicked shouts of “Oh no!” from the rest of the party.
The next clip shows the battered woman staggering to her feet as the elephant – joined now by three members of its family – storms to the side of the river.
Two adults are shielding two calves – which is likely the reason the elephant attacked.
Larry said he waded away in panic as screams echoed across the delta, with others desperately trying to scare the animal off.
He recalled: “‘It was life and death, and I did my best to record the encounter. We somehow survived, and the footage is insane.”
After a few tense moments, the elephant finally backed off and returned to its young, allowing the drenched and shaken passengers to swim to safety.
Miraculously, everyone survived the ordeal on September 22 without serious injury.
Ex-South African game ranger, Kakwele Sinyina, who was shown the video, said the woman was lucky not to have been “gored”.
Perils including hippos or crocodiles also prowl the delta waters – but thankfully none of them made an appearance.
The occupants were flung into the river[/caption]
This lady was lucky to walk away alive[/caption]
Kakwele suggested the guides had “misjudged” how close the group could get to the bull and his family.
He said the encounter could easily have proven “fatal”.
He insisted: “They had a very lucky escape indeed because all four could just as easily have been killed by that angry bull.
“The woman was lucky not to have been gored but if it had held her down for another few seconds it would probably have drowned her so she can praise the Lord he didn’t.
“There are thousands of these dug out traditional Makoro canoes on the Delta poling tourists through the reeds to view elephants, hippo, birds, buck and crocodiles.
“This bull attacked because it was protecting its young and it seems the guides misjudged how close they could take the tourists safely and made a potentially fatal mistake.
“There could well have been the need for four body bags if lady luck had not favoured them.
“It will certainly give them a story to tell found the fire for many years to come.”
The elephant stormed back off to join its family[/caption]
