View comments
Stuart Hall, Alexi, four and Isabella, nine (pictured together), were in their car when it was charged by two fighting rhinos at West Midlands Safari Park
A father has talked of his family's terror after a pair of rhinos attacked their car and left his two young daughters 'traumatised'.
Four-year-old Alexi and Isabella, nine, screamed as the animals, which can weigh up to two tonnes, charged into their Volvo as they fought at West Midlands Safari Park.
Their father, Stuart Hall, could do nothing to stop the impact, which sent Isabella flying and caused £4,000 of damage to his company car.
Mr Hall, 46, said: 'It was terrifying and I was thinking: "How do I get us out of this?"
'The girls were screaming in the back. Isabella had taken her seatbelt off around the park and she went flying in the back.
'She was traumatised by it all. The girls were still awake at midnight talking about it.
'The rangers came flying down in Land Rovers and blocked them off. They were really good and asked if we were OK.'
Mr Hall, who works for a removal firm, now has to get the damage repaired after the trip to the safari park near Bewdley, Worcestershire, on July 17.
He said: 'There is a huge dent in the front driver's side, above the wheel arch. And there is a smash in the back, as well as big scratch marks down the side.
'Luckily it is quite a big car. I'm not sure what the safari park are going to do about it, but I feel they have a duty of care, even though you enter at your own risk.
'I accept you may get a little scratch but don't expect a rhino to charge at your car.'
Earlier this year, the popular safari park celebrated the birth of a southern white rhino - the first born at the attraction in a decade.
The two rhinos had been fighting at the safari park, near Bewdley, Worcestershire, when they charged at the car, sending Isabella flying back. File image
Their father, Stuart Hall, could do nothing to stop the impact, which sent Isabella flying and caused £4,000 of damage to his company car (pictured)
Mr Hall said the family were 'lucky' that they were in such a large car when the rhinos charged into the bonnet
It left a dent in the wheel arch, scratches on the side of the car (pictured) and a smash on the back, Mr Hall said
The fam ily were offered free passes to the safari park (pictured) in Bewdley 'as a gesture of good will'
Animals at the site are free to roam large enclosures and are viewed by drivers who follow a trail in their cars.
But a mother, Vicky Liggins, demanded tighter safety controls after a similar incident last year.
She said an Asian rhino chased her Mitsubishi Warrior car, with her toddler daughter inside, after it smashed into the vehicle, causing £500-worth of damage.
A safari park spokeswoman said she could not comment on the latest incident as it was being investigated.
But a letter sent to Stuart by the venue said its terms and conditions stated it could not accept responsibility for any car damage caused by its animals.
His family was instead offered passes to the safari park 'as a g esture of goodwill and without prejudice'.
Source: Father's terror as a pair of two tonne RHINOS charge at his car while his young daughters sat in the back during a day out at a safari park
No comments:
Post a Comment