Video: Drunken safari guide sacked after charging an elephant in game reserve

Footage shows the apparently drunk man running at an elephant

A South African safari firm has sacked one of its guides after a video of him charging an elephant went viral.

The drunk game park guide, who was off-duty at the time, was sacked by a luxury safari company after a video was posted on a safari sightings website showing him charging an elephant.

According to reports he charged the elephant as a bet.

The Singita Game Reserve said the field guide is no longer employed by the reserve and that further disciplinary proceedings are being undertaken.

The footage was posted on the wildlife site Latest Sightings and shows the apparently drunk man running at the elephant while being cheered by friends.

He runs at the elephant before initially falling to the ground, getting up and bolting at him again.

A voice can be heard shouting: "Run at him right now, run."

The elephant initially refuses to budge, swinging its trunk at the man, but eventually beats a hasty retreat.

The Singita Game Reserve is on the western border of the Kruger National Park. It is adjacent to Richard Branson's private game reserve.

It is not known when the video was taken, but in a posting on their Facebook page the Singita company said that incident had been investigated and that the guide had been dismissed.

It added that disciplinary procedures were "in progress" against others involved in the incident.

Wild animals in the five-million acre park have been known to attack visitors and elephants have been known to overturn the cars of sightseers.