A VISITOR to West Midland Safari Park has spoken of her horror after her car was rammed by a rhino who mistook it for a female mate.

Vicky Liggins, 29, said she feared for her life after the three-tonne beast caused £500 of damage to her Mitsubishi Warrior.

She had been at a safari park at Bewdley, Worcestershire, with her 19-month-old daughter and sister when the African white rhino approached and began sniffing around the boot of the car.

Then without warning, the powerful animal charged at the car and lifted the back end off the ground with its horn.

The rhino then repeatedly shunted the 4x4, smashing a back light and crumpling the rear as well as leaving dents on the driver's side.

Yesterday, Vicky said she believed the rhino might have mistaken her car for a potential mate.

She said: "We had just driven in and the rhinos were right in front of us on the road so no one could drive forward.

"All of a sudden there was a rhino behind and it came right up and was sniffing the car, which I'm told is classic mating behaviour for rhinos when they are looking for a mate.

"Then it just got its horn and dragged it from one side of the back panel to the other.

"It then shunted us from behind with such force that the back wheel lifted off the floor.

"We were absolutely petrified. I thought the rhino was going to pierce the back panel and smash through the rear windscreen.

"We couldn’t drive away because of the rhinos in front. I dread to think what would’ve happened if we’d been in a smaller, lighter vehicle.

"My daughter was in tears, and the sad thing is that she loves animals.

Vicky, of Dudley, was on a day out at the safari park with Evelyn and sister Beth Rees, 26, on January 31 when the incident happened.

The family eventually managed to drive off to safety after a ranger shepherded the rhinos away from the cars.

The rhino was displaying courtship behaviour, experts revealed.

A spokesperson for the Save the Rhino charity said: "Courtship lasts up to a day, characterised by the male resting his chin on the female’s rump and attempted mounting."

West Midland Safari Park has apologised to Vicky and sent £250 as a goodwill gesture.

Bob Lawrence, director of wildlife at the safari park, said: "You've got a far greater chance having an accident on the way to a zoo than you have in a zoo.

The white rhino, who are native to southern Africa, are renowned as the largest and most sociable of the surviving species.

The stand at about 2m (6.6ft) tall and 4m (13ft) long and can weigh up to three tonnes (472 stones).

There are an estimated 14,500 white rhinos left in the world today, three times more than all other rhino species put together.