- Footage shows man reaching out to pet elephant
- Ouch! Dramatic moment the huge animal sends him flying
- Animal uses trunk to teach annoying tourist a lesson
This is the moment a tourist in Thailand got a mammoth surprise when he reached out to touch an elephant and it smashed him to the ground.
In the clip, Cody Stiner can be seen offering the animal a leaf and attempting to pet it. Seconds later, the elephant’s tusk sends him flying into the dust.
The man landed on a pile of coconuts but was somehow uninjured.
Stiner was reportedly afraid the elephant was going to step on him and quickly got up and left after the terrifying encounter.
Despite their huge size, elephants are known to be gentle giants. But if agitated they can be aggressive and occasionally experience bouts of rage.
According to the National Geographic Channel documentary ‘Elephant Rage’, around 500 people are killed by elephant attacks each year.
Cody Stiner is seen attempting to pet the elephant seconds before it attacks
Advertisement