An extremely stressful and horrifying event occurred when a hunter shot an elephant at close range, only to have the majestic creature’s herd charge toward him, forcing the shooter to run for his life.

The horrific incident is shown in graphic video as a guy points a gun at a herd of juvenile and adult elephants as they pass by. A another voice implores, “Hit it between the eyes.” The elephant is struck twice by the man’s bullets. But before any more dust can settle, his guide fires a third deadly shot, sending the elephant to the ground. The bleak spectacle of trophy hunting has infuriated a lot of people.

The moment the dying animal collapses, though, is the most unsettling aspect of this event. A few elephants from the herd turn and charge toward the hunter and his buddy, perhaps feeling a mix of fear and rage.

Video footage from what appears to be a few years ago captures the horrifying moment the elephants charge and start to trumpet loudly. It shows the terrified men running for their life.

According to reports, this occurrence happened in Namibia’s Nakabolelwa Conservancy. Namibia is renowned for its distinctive wildlife and conservation initiatives. Some background was given by big game hunter Corné Kruger, who spoke with News24 in South Africa about the incident. Kruger stated that the area has a limited elephant hunting quota that permits the shooting of just two elephants annually.

Further highlighting the benefits of hunting for local communities, Kruger, the proprietor of Omujeve Hunting Safaris, said, “We employ 12 people from the community, some of them as game guards.” The money made from hunting is frequently used to support anti-poaching units and conservation initiatives, both of which are crucial to protecting endangered species.

The tragedy serves as a sobering reminder of the arguments regarding trophy hunting’s effects on wildlife populations and other ethical, moral, and environmental issues. Opponents point to the upsetting and frequently cruel effects on animals and their ecosystems, while supporters contend that controlled hunting can benefit local communities and conservation initiatives.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reports that a number of factors, such as habitat degradation and the worldwide ivory trade, have contributed to the dramatic decline in the number of African elephants living in the wild. Since there are only about 415,000 African elephants left in the wild, activities like trophy hunting that endanger their numbers are nevertheless closely watched and hotly debated.

This terrifying encounter, which was caught on camera, is a potent illustration of the complicated and frequently unsettling dynamics surrounding trophy hunting and the effects it has on both people and wildlife.