Elephant vs Car

Two terrified occupants of a Volkswagen Polo found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time as the giant animal stooped down to rub itself against the vehicle’s roof and bonnet. The incredible scene was captured by field guide and lodge manager Armand Grobler, 21, at Pilanesburg National Park in South Africa. He said: “I was doing ethology – the study of animal behaviour – at the time, so I had a basic understanding of what was going on. The elephant was presumably on Musth, which is a time that an elephant male has an excess amount of testosterone, turning even the calmest Dumbo into a raging bull. Yet even though it was in this condition, it displayed no signs of aggression or frustration and was in a more playful mood”. Elephants frequently use logs, small trees and rocks to relieve an itch or remove parasites – but with the car so close to hand, this was a chance too good to pass up. (Photos by Armand Grobler/Barcroft Media)