This is the moment two tourists run for their lives from a rampaging elephant before one of them trips over and is nearly trampled after they stopped to take a picture with the beast. 

The two men got out of their car to pose for a selfie with the elephant on the side of the road on January 31.

The elephant, who was ambling along the National Highway 766 that passes through Bandipur National Park in southern India suddenly went berserk and charged at the pair. 

A dramatic video shows the tourists running for their lives as the huge elephant charges towards them.

The two men sprint down the road as a third person drives the red car alongside them.

Two tourists got out of their car to snap a selfie with an elephant when it charged at them 

As the elephant chased after them down on the National Highway 766 that passes through Bandipur National Park in Karnataka, southern India one of the men tripped and fell

The elephant tried to trample the man but he escaped by crawling off into the forest as the elephant ran off in the opposite direction

Recently the Kerala Forest Department slapped a hefty fine on a tourist who had a narrow escape after he attempted to take a selfie with an elephant herd

Just as the selfie-snappers appear to be out-running the crazed animal, one trips and falls leaving him at the mercy of the elephant who tramples him underfoot.

The man avoids the blows from the animal and crawls away towards the forest to escape as the elephant turns around and runs back across the road towards an oncoming car.

Tourist Savad C.A., who witnessed the terrifying chase while travelling with his family, said: ‘At one point, we thought one of the men would be trampled by the animal.

‘The man who fell down had a miraculous escape as the elephant turned its attention to a passing vehicle just as it was upon him.

‘We sped away as we were very much shocked.’

Recently the Kerala Forest Department slapped a hefty fine on a tourist who had a narrow escape after he attempted to take a selfie with an elephant herd.

According to officials, trespassing on prohibited forest land is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of up to 100,000 ruppees or both.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Forest Department has launched an inquiry into the incident and efforts are underway to identify the two tourists.