A hungry elephant demanded food from terrified tourists on safari - and nearly sent them flying when it tried to reach inside their vehicle.

The cheeky tusker stuck his trunk inside a broken-down truck while begging for treats at Yala National Park in Sri Lanka.

Photographer Sidath Wanaguru captured the extraordinary moment from a vehicle travelling in convoy behind.

There are an estimated 6,000 elephants in Sri Lanka but they are an endangered species as humans increasingly encroach into their habitats. 

Unlike their African cousins, only an estimated seven per cent of Asian elephants have tusks and in Sri Lanka the percentage is believed to be even lower so these tourists were a tad unlucky to come across one.

Wanaguru, 36, said: 'No-one was harmed but the guests were terrified due to the sheer size of the elephant and because they were helpless to getting away due to breaking down.'

(Daily Mail)