A walking safari tour led by a private concession inside Kruger National Park stumbled upon seven white rhinos grazing in the bush and, intentionally or not, definitely got their attention.
Soon, the tourists were forced to scramble for cover when the huge animals, one of the Big Five in the famous South African park, started toward them.
The Kruger National Park YouTube channel, which posted video of the encounter, claimed the rangers provoked the rhinos into charging the group.
“These two rangers put the lives of innocent tourists in grave danger,” Kruger National Park wrote. “They clearly provoked the rhinos to charge. Maybe [they were] looking for a bigger tip.
“At one stage the ranger even pushed the lady in between him and the rhinos [the video cuts out after that]. Guests should never come between the guides and the animals—never.”
RELATED: Baby rhino charges tourists in act of intimidation that is adorable
After the rhinos passed, laughter ensued within the group. The tourists apparently were unaware of the potential danger.
“Although white rhinos are not notoriously aggressive like their relatives the black rhino, these animals can cause some serious damage when they feel threatened,” Traveller24 of South Africa wrote.
One tourist, Andy, the gentleman who shot the video, was unfazed.
“The ranger didn’t expect them to charge us but explained if they did to stand behind a bush and they will run straight past,” Andy told Kruger.
“A few minutes later, one of the rhinos charged towards us followed by the rest of them. I could feel the ground moving like an earthquake. We jumped into a bush and they thundered past about 4 feet from us, it was all over so quick, but what an experience. It was both exhilarating and scary, and we felt so privileged to have witnessed it.”
And fortunate to have lived to tell about it.