A safari lodge company based at the Kruger National Park says a field guide who was filmed while charging on foot towards an elephant has been dismissed.

The announcement came after the online posting of a video that showed a man running at an elephant in the game reserve while his friends cheer and laugh. In the video, the elephant stands its ground, ears flapping, and then retreats.

The Singita company posted a statement on its Facebook page on Monday, saying it investigated the video and has dismissed the guide who ran at the elephant. It says disciplinary measures are “in progress” against others involved in the incident.

Video footage of the apparently inebriated man lunging out of his car and charging the elephant caused an uproar on Monday.

The footage, posted on wildlife site Latest Sightings (www.latestsightings.com), showed the unidentified guide charging towards the startled animal, with friends cheering and encouraging him.

The man runs towards the elephant, falls to the ground but gets up again and bolts in the direction of the animal.

“Run at him right now, run,” another voice is heard over the footage, which appeared to have been filmed by his colleagues.

The elephant initially swings its trunk towards the man, but soon makes its escape.

The man returns to his cheering friends.

Latest Sightings said on its Facebook page that it received the video at the weekend but it was unclear when the incident occurred.

Wild animals in the two-million-hectare park sometimes attack visitors and elephants have been known to overturn the cars of sightseers. – AFP, AP