Rhino clambers onto car

A terrified family had a lucky escape after a rhino clambered onto their car at West Midland Safari Park.

Lee Aston, aged 36, from Cannock had been enjoying a day trip at the park with his girl-friend Hannah and seven-year-old son Ben when the one-and-a-half ton African white rhino called Tootsie struck their Vauxhall Vectra.

They were heading out of the park in a queue of traffic when the rhino walked in front of the car.

Mr Aston, who was recently made redundant from Bellway Homes, was unable to reverse the company car because of vehicles behind him. He watched in horror as the 16-year-old animal tried to turn around and put its two front feet onto the bonnet.

In seconds, the giant animal had stomped its way onto the car, causing extensive damage, and stepped onto the windscreen, inches from Mr Aston's head.

He told the Express & Star today: "My instincts took over, and I told Hannah to get in the back of the car with my son, and I was just staring at this huge foot.

"The windscreen bowed but it was a miracle that it didn't break. If it had shattered, I think I would have been a gonner.

"I must have blacked out because all I can remember is the huge foot and then rangers at the park asking me if I was OK."

Safari park bosses provided Mr Aston with a car to get home and today said Tootsie was not attacking.

Bob Lawrence, director of wildlife, said: "She wasn't attacking or charging.

"She was boxed in by cars and was trying to turn around and had to scramble over this car's bonnet."

Mr Lawrence said rangers, who were feet away, shunted Tootsie off the bonnet.

He added: "Obviously it is scary if you are not used to having a rhino climb on your car but she was not attacking them. We had a similar incident about 10 years ago but that's it, so twice in 35 years is not bad."