This is the dramatic moment a 3-ton elephant charged at a pensioner after he confronted it for stealing fruit from his neighbour’s tree.

Linda Oosthuizen and her family were out on a drive on February 27 when the hungry bull broke into their garden in Kruger National Park, South Africa, looking for marula fruit.

Next door neighbour Oom Piet spotted the giant intruder and amazing footage shows him standing banging a stick on the carport roof to distract the elephant.

Having gotten its attention, Piet stood his ground as the huge animal trumpeted and mock charged him, eventually guiding it out of the enclosure and eventually off into the bush.

Oosthuizen said: “There is always a dangerous aspect when you live in a big five area like we do. Not just from elephants, but from big cats, snakes and scorpions too.

“But Oom has been here long enough to be able to read an animal's behaviour and get it out of the garden in the safest way possible for everyone.

“Oom used the garage and the Volkswagen bus as cover.

“I am very grateful to him for chasing the elephant out and I could not help but have a good laugh too.

“Only in Africa do we get to swear at an elephant and tell it to go ‘go home’.

“Marula season runs from January to February and the trees in our garden carry lots of fruit.

“They are an elephant’s favourite fruit, and they will do anything to get them. As this was the end of the season, this animal pushed open our gates to get to them.”

Oosthuizen said: “When we got home that afternoon and saw the scuff marks on our grass, I initially blamed the warthogs for digging up our grass.

“But when Oom sent us the video, I realised that it was the elephant that made the marks, so I felt a bit guilty for blaming the poor warthogs.

“When we first moved into our house, we had elephants break into our garden all the time.

“They would step on the low chicken mesh fence and help themselves to our trees, grass, whatever they could eat or they would push our front gates open.

“I started a small vegetable garden with potatoes, peppers and spinach, but I eventually gave up on that after elephants broke in one night and ate every single plant in my veggie garden!

“The elephants had been quite well behaved this past year now that we throw the Marula fruit over the fence until this day.

“Oom just wanted to get the elephant out before it destroyed the small tree saplings we planted at the back of the house.”

This is the dramatic moment a three-ton elephant charged at a pensioner after he confronted it for stealing fruit from his neighbour’s tree.

Linda Oosthuizen and her family were out on a drive on February 27 when the hungry bull broke into their garden in Kruger National Park, South Africa, looking for marula fruit.

Next door neighbour Oom Piet spotted the giant intruder and amazing footage shows him standing banging a stick on the carport roof to distract the elephant.

Having gotten its attention, Oom stood his ground as the huge animal trumpeted and mock charged him, eventually guiding it out of the enclosure and eventually off into the bush.

Linda said: “There is always a dangerous aspect when you live in a big five area like we do. Not just from elephants, but from big cats, snakes and scorpions too.

“But Oom has been here long enough to be able to read an animal's behaviour and get it out of the garden in the safest way possible for everyone.

“Oom used the garage and the Volkswagen bus as cover.

“I am very grateful to him for chasing the elephant out and I could not help but have a good laugh too.

“Only in Africa do we get to swear at an elephant and tell it to go ‘go home’.

“Marula season runs from January to February and the trees in our garden carry lots of fruit.

“They are an elephant’s favourite fruit, and they will do anything to get them. As this was the end of the season, this animal pushed open our gates to get to them.”

Linda said: “When we got home that afternoon and saw the scuff marks on our grass, I initially blamed the warthogs for digging up our grass.

“But when Oom sent us the video, I realised that it was the elephant that made the marks, so I felt a bit guilty for blaming the poor warthogs.

“When we first moved into our house, we had elephants break into our garden all the time.

“They would step on the low chicken mesh fence and help themselves to our trees, grass, whatever they could eat or they would push our front gates open.

“I started a small vegetable garden with potatoes, peppers and spinach, but I eventually gave up on that after elephants broke in the one night and ate every single plant in my veggie garden!

“The elephants had been quite well behaved this past year now that we throw the Marula fruit over the fence until this day.

“Oom just wanted to get the elephant out before it destroyed the small tree saplings we planted at the back of the house.”