‘The car is not starting’: Panic as elephant comes face-to-face with safari tourists in viral video

The clip shows the elephant walking directly up to the open vehicle before reaching inside with its trunk.

A dream safari quickly became a nightmare for a group of tourists when an elephant came right up to their open vehicle, poking passengers with its trunk and leaving one man clutching its tusk.

The dramatic moment, captured on video and shared by Eugene Kruger on social media, has racked up more than 740,000 views as viewers watch in disbelief while the massive animal approaches an open safari vehicle packed with passengers.

For many visitors, a safari is a bucket-list experience and a chance to see Africa's iconic wildlife in its natural habitat. Spotting a lion lounging in the shade, a leopard resting in a tree or a giraffe strolling across the bushveld is usually the highlight of the day.

Few, however, expect an elephant's tusks to come within touching distance.