This is the horrifying moment an elephant brutally trampled its handler during a traditional Sri Lankan festival before going on a wild rampage.
The Buddhist Perera festival, which took place in the southwestern city of Galle, was stuck with terror when the giant animal lost its cool midway through a parade.
Shocking footage captured the streets lined with festival-goers, many of which are children, as they watch the musicians and performers make their way down the street.
But as they clap along to the beat of the music and enjoy the dancers, a docile elephant lurks in the background, behind a group of drummers and a handler.
It flaps its ears and takes a slow step forward as the procession continues, but nothing could prepare the locals for the imminent outburst.
Without any warning, the wild animal decked in red robes suddenly turns its head with a force strong enough to knock its handler to the ground.
It can be seen trampling over the man as the performers scurry away to the sidelines, leaving onlookers stunned as they scramble to escape the area.
People jump over the fences from which they were sitting to watch the parade, while others run on foot down the road as the elephant continues its rampage.
The Buddhist Perera festival, which took place in the southwestern city of Galle, was stuck with terror when the giant animal lost its cool midway through a parade
Horror footage captured the moment the animal ferociously turned its head, knocking its handler to the ground
The elephant then trampled the handler as he battled to get off the ground
People ran off in terror as the wild beast made its way down the street in a terrifying rampage
According to reports, the handler who was attacked was admitted to a local hospital for treatment and luckily managed to survive the ordeal.
It comes after a woman was rushed to hospital after being mauled by a tiger at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Australia, in September.
The tiger attacked the 47-year-old experienced handler, leaving her with several deep cuts and scratches.
Earlier this year, a circus bear also attacked its trainer in front of screaming children after he forcefully made the animal perform.
The roller-skating bear, a female called Dzhema, was being forced to perform tricks at the ironically named ‘Happiness Show’ at Mash Circus, Obnisk, Russia, on June 1.
Shocking footage captured by an audience member showed Dzhema leaping towards her cruel trainer while his back is to her.
Last year, a lion suddenly flipped and attacked his circus tamer as the audience screamed during the performance in China.
Shocking footage showed the dangerous stand-off between two lions and their tamer on a caged circus stage in Dongning City in northern China during a performance.
The male lion attacked and jumped at the man during the show while the female lion stood by.
The tamer managed to escape the lion’s grasp and the video showed him running to the opposite site of the cage with the lions on his heels.
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