A safari ride at a German park turned into a terrifying close call when a rhinoceros rammed and flipped a zookeeper’s car — and the whole encounter was caught on video.
The extra-terrifying part? The zookeeper was still in the vehicle.
In the footage, taken by one of 12 guests who witnessed the charge in a nearby safari Jeep, the rhino can be seen tossing around and battering the car, which is painted in black and white zebra stripes.
The identity of the zookeeper inside the car has not been released, but Serengeti Park manager Fabrizio Sepe told German outlet Deutsche Welle that that the driver escaped with minor injuries and was even ready to report back to work.
“She is very experienced, with us for 25 years. She has a concussion and bruises, but wants to work Friday again,” he told the German newspaper Bild.
The rhino in the video is a 30-year-old male named Kusini and arrived at the Hodenhagen park 18 months ago as part of a breeding program, according to Deutshe Welle.
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Sepe said that the reason for Kusini’s rampage is unclear, but that the rhino is still acclimating to his new home at the park, the outlet said.
“Normally, this rhino bull is only let out when there are no visitors in the park. He’s only been with us for a year, should slowly get used to the herd,” Sepe told Bild.
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There are five different rhinoceros species, according to the World Wildlife Fund, and their population has suffered from poaching and habitat loss for years.
The rhino population is kept alive in part thanks to breeding programs at parks and reserves. Nonetheless, rhinos remain dangerous if encountered, and some species can run up to 30 miles per hour, according to the African Wildlife Foundation.
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