A rhino has been filmed going from "0 to angry" as it charges at a car in a shocking video.
Richard De Gouveia, a professional guide and photographer, had been in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, in the Lowveld of Mpumalanga, South Africa, capturing photos of the white rhino bull when the incident occurred. The rhino, seemingly peaceful at first, turned on the vehicle as soon as the photographer started to reverse.
De Gouveia has been a professional guide for 15 years and has explored throughout Africa. He told Newsweek he has had many hairy encounters with wildlife throughout his career but none quite like this. This incident occurred during South Africa's COVID-19 lockdown, meaning he was the only person in the reserve for miles. The photographer has only recently shared the chilling experience to his social media pages.
"I was trying to get to the front of him, and then he started walking towards me. As soon as I put it in reverse, he decided I was a good thing to aim at. He turned his focus straight towards me and went from 0 to angry in no time flat," De Gouveia said.
"I was then stuck in reverse off road in the bush for 800 meters before I found a road, but it ended in a T junction. I then had to face the charge off. I kept on pushing and kept saying 'voetsek' (a South African word that means go away). Eventually there was enough space that I could get away from him. He was still following me for a long while after that to make sure I was gone."
In the video of the incident, the rhino bull can be seen in the background as De Gouveia starts his car. The bull seems tranquil as it continues to forage in the long grasses. As the guide starts to reverse, the rhino turns around.
"Don't you even think about it," De Gouveia says to the bull as it starts to charge.
De Gouveia starts banging on the side of the vehicle and yelling "voetsek."
As he continues to reverse, the rhino gets closer, almost approaching the hood of the vehicle.
As the rhino gets even closer, the camera fixed to the vehicle is displaced.
When it was clear there was nowhere else for De Gouveia to go, he instead tries to challenge the bull head-on. He drives the car toward the bull, pushing him back and manages to fight off the bull for a second, then takes the opportunity and speeds past him to get away.
De Gouveia said that in the past, using "voetsek" to an animal, including an elephant, has been very effective in getting them to back away.
"I was with the rhino about 30 minutes prior to the charge," he said. "We used to track a lot of animals on foot. I've had rhinos, lions and elephants charge me on foot. Pretty much all of the big five [African buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino]. None quite as extreme as this," he said.
"I've had a few elephant encounters that have also raised alarm bells. For the most parts, being out in a situation like this, it is inevitable to come across dangerous things, and inevitable that something will happen. It is your reaction to what happens and how you deal with it that will make all the difference."
Rhinos are usually gentle creatures and will not charge at something unless provoked. However, some white rhino bulls may weigh more than 5,000 pounds, meaning they can be incredibly dangerous when they want to be. They will occasionally charge at something if it doesn't recognize the scent.
They are not generally threatened by humans, and will usually only fight with each other. But as they typically can't see well, they will sometimes charge objects that they find unfamiliar.
Rhinos will sometimes accidentally charge at trees and rocks for this reason. Rhinos will use their horns to charge at others and sometimes they will inflict severe damage.
"At the time it was surreal. You're in the moment, you're trying to react, there's adrenaline and your instinct takes over. I was quite hyped up to the end. Nothing like that happens and you don't get shaken by it," De Gouveia said.
"There's always an element of fear, I can't say I wasn't scared, but I can say it was overwhelming. And again, I've spent a lot of time out of the bush, I've had many different encounters. It's not a new thing, but it's just dealing with a different thing. Luckily this time I had a vehicle around me, I wasn't on foot. On foot is far more dangerous."
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Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
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