A video showing the moment a British woman was attacked by an elephant in a South African safari park has emerged.

Teacher Sarah Brooks, a teacher at Sir John Gleed School in Spalding, Lincolnshire, spent nearly two weeks in hospital after the animal stabbed her in the thigh with its tusks in Kruger National Park.

She had to be airlifted to hospital to receive treatment.

In the video, Brooks's car can be seen edging closer towards the elephant before the attack. It then shows the bull elephant flipping over the vehicle before trampling on it.

The elephant, later discovered to be on "musth", a condition which raises testosterone in elephants and makes them more aggressive, had to be put down to stop it posing a risk to other tourists.

William Mabasa, general manager at Kruger National Park, added that the elephant had marks on him which suggested he had also been fighting with other elephants before attacking the vehicle.

Related

"It could have engaged in a fight with other bulls where it was eventually expelled, and when an elephant is in that state it will be very aggressive and I think that's the reason why we had a case like this one," he told the BBC.

Mabasa added that Brooks and her passenger were lucky to be alive.

"The car is a wreck," he said.

"It was completely flattened but fortunately the elephant concentrated on the back of the car. That's why we still have our guests alive now."

Will Scott, head teacher of Sir John Gleed School, said: "We are all shocked by what has happened to Sarah."

South Africa