The youngster approached the enormous creature in a road in Sri Lanka
Commenters said they were in shock as the small child held up her hand
Slowly the elephant begins to take backwards strides and eventually flees
Astonishing footage of a modern-day David vs Goliath confrontation has emerged – with the underdog being a small girl.
In an almost spooky fashion, a child has been filmed walking right up to an approaching elephant on a road and seemingly controlling it by showing it the palm of her hand.
The dramatic scene unfolded in Sri Lanka, with the girl showing absolutely no fear as she walks towards the creature gazing down upon her.
Astonishing moment little girl appears to control wild elephant
Commenters on YouTube said they were in shock as they watched the child approach the creature and hold out her hand
Remarkably, the elephant, despite its massive size, appears to be scared of her and backs away as she continues to walk forwards.
The confident little girl keeps her arm outstretched as she walks closer to it, then the elephant flees into the bush.
Commenters on YouTube said they were in shock as they watched the child approach the creature and hold out her hand. One person said ‘oh my god, I can’t believe this’.
At the beginning of the 20-second long clip, the youngster in a yellow top and beige shorts strides slowly towards the elephant
The elephant walks backwards at first as the barefoot girl continues to approach it with her arm outstretched
And one asked if the youngster’s ‘parents had been arrested yet’ for allowing her to go so close to a wild animal.
Another user, bulbadox, came to the conclusion that the elephant is young and may be lost from its herd and feeling vulnerable.
He said: ‘They are used to humans moving around. That elephant is young and must have [been] lost from its herd, otherwise it would never be in that situation.’
The elephant seems to listen to the confident little girl and seconds later flees into the bush
The shocking footage has triggered mixed reactions from viewers, with one person asking if the youngster’s ‘parents had been arrested yet’ for allowing her to go so close to a wild animal