In a heart-stopping encounter in Sri Lanka, tourists were forced to flee when an elephant went on a rampage, demolishing their vehicle after one of them attempted to feed it.

The hefty three-ton creature turned on the Russian visitors during their wildlife safari, leaving them desperately calling for assistance.

The elephant aggressively shook their Suzuki Every Wagon, nearly overturning it as two wheels lifted off the ground, all while the family captured the chaos on camera as they scrambled to escape.

Using its trunk, the elephant yanked off the micro-van’s door in search of more food, prompted by a tourist’s misguided offering from inside the car.

Two members of the panic-stricken family managed to escape from the opposite side of the Suzuki, their hearts pounding, as the elephant finally retreated when another safari vehicle approached, honking its horn to divert the animal’s attention.

A warning shot was also heard being fired in an attempt to ward off the huge animal. 

Among those fleeing was a boy aged 11, who had to escape without his shoes.

Shaken tourist Liliya Mikhailovskaya, from Kazan in South West Russia, said after the incident: ‘We almost lost our lives.

A three-tonne elephant in Sri Lanka is seen approaching the family inside the Suzuki 

It then proceeds to rip the door off the vehicle with its trunk, in search of more food after it was offered some by one tourist 

Lilya Mikhailovsky (pictured) was enjoying a family holiday when they were left fearing for their lives 

Lilya said: ‘We almost lost our lives… Just a couple of minutes earlier I was recording a video, completely unaware that a sweet feeding moment would turn into such chaos’

‘[We were] driving up to an elephant, a wild elephant. We will never forget this trip to Sri Lanka.

‘Just a couple of minutes earlier I was recording a video, completely unaware that a sweet feeding moment would turn into such chaos.

‘Now that’s another phobia added to the collection!’ 

She added: ‘Our son ran barefoot along the road, and the car was left without a door.

‘[An elephant] can trample you at any moment. We certainly did not expect an ending like this!’

Liliya, 43, was with her husband Maxim Mikhailovsky, 42, their son and another traveller.

‘It was so scary, the child got petrified,’ she said.

Miraculously, no one was injured in the incident. In the chaos afterwards, the family said: ‘The phone is smashed to pieces, thank God there’s protective glass.

‘We’ll drive without a door.’

The shocked party heard the sound of a gunshot and said: ‘Oh, now they’re scaring the elephant! This is just total ****ing madness.’

The group had clearly been put off sight seeing for the rest of the day, with one saying: ‘We don’t want to watch [the elephants] anymore!

‘Thank you, Lord, we’re alive! Today we will go instead to the main temple.’

Despite the damage to the rented Suzuki, they were able to drive away afterwards – without the ripped-off door however. 

Liliya said: ‘Thank God, everything worked out, but we’re all in such shock, we’re driving on now… 

‘We’re reliving it all and never cease to thank the Almighty.’