A couple of Safari guides from South Africa were forced to dine and dash when a four-tonne elephant charged them away from their table.

Dave Pusey, 43, and his wife Ankia, 35, were enjoying a lunch of pork chops and potato salad during a drive in Khwai Campsite, Botswana, in June when they were joined by an unexpected guest.

Dramatic footage captured the moment an African elephant appeared out of the bush and stomped towards their makeshift restaurant and stamped on the ground. Dave and Ankia were having food in an unfenced campsite.

The grumpy animal kicked up loads of dust as he made towards the couple not once but twice, while the pair bravely stood their ground.

Dave said: “My heart was pounding as he was so close. Fortunately, we have encountered many bulls on foot in our 15 years of guiding and we are trained to stand our ground and not show fear. That is easier said than done though".

David explained that the elephant bulls were looking for camel thorn tree pods that had fallen onto the ground.

“We had been visited by another elephant before this one, just after we had cooked our lunch, and he was more passive. He just threw our grill grid cover on the ground. This slightly larger bull arrived a little later and decided to mock-charge us and kick up the dust. He was only about three metres away when he kicked the dust at us.

A couple were forced to dine and dash when a four-tonne elephant charged them away from their table.

Dave Pusey, 43, and his wife Ankia, 35, were enjoying a lunch of pork chops and potato salad during a drive in Khwai Campsite, Botswana, in June when they were joined by an unexpected guest.

Dramatic footage captured the moment an African elephant appeared out of the bush and stomped towards their makeshift restaurant and stamped on the ground.

The grumpy animal kicked up loads of dust as he made towards the couple not once but twice, while the pair bravely stood their ground.

Dave said: “My heart was pounding as he was so close.

“Fortunately, we have encountered many bulls on foot in our 15 years of guiding and we are trained to stand our ground and not show fear.

“That is easier said than done though.

"The elephant bulls were looking for camel thorn tree pods that had fallen onto the ground.

“We had been visited by another elephant before this one, just after we had cooked our lunch, and he was more passive. He just threw our grill grid cover on the ground.

“This slightly larger bull arrived a little later and decided to mock charge us and kick up the dust.

“This is an unfenced campsite, so campers often cook and eat meals here.

“He was only about three metres away when he kicked the dust at us.

“We are safari guides based in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, but we love wild camping in Botswana more than anything.”