An elephant had an itch he just had to scratch – in a car while enjoying a safari in South Africa.

The VW Polo and its two terrified occupants found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time when the giant elephant crouched down to rub against the vehicle’s roof and bonnet.

The incredible images were taken by 21-year-old field guide and lodge manager Armand Grobler in Pilanesburg National Park in South Africa.

He told Barcroft: “I was doing ethology (the study of animal behaviour) at the time, so I had a basic understanding of what was going on.

“The elephant was probably in Musth, which is a time when a male elephant has an excess of testosterone, turning even the calmest Dumbo into a raging bull.

“However, even though he was in this condition, he showed no signs of aggression or frustration and was in a more playful mood.” Elephants often use logs, small trees and stones to relieve itching or remove parasites, but with the car so close, it was too good an opportunity for the animal to miss.

Armand added: “We were not sure what to do in the situation where the elephant made contact with the car and when the car was being crushed, we feared for the lives of the driver and the passenger but our efforts were very limited as to what we could do.

“The general emotion inside our vehicle, as we looked on in horror, was that we were full of adrenaline but terrified and helpless.

“The two passengers in the car, a man and a woman, both aged between 20 and 30, were not injured, just badly shaken. They were both in shock but happy to be alive.

“The car was not so lucky. From what we could see and hear, all the windows were broken, the roof was badly dented and the entire top of the car was smashed.

“All four tires were flat and the chassis was broken.”

As for the elephant, after giving himself a good scratch, he continued on his way without any itch, oblivious to the destruction he had left in his wake.