Elephants charge at hunters after they shoot and kill a member of the herd in Namibia

The two men are seen aiming their hunting rifles at a herd of elephants in Namibia, in video footage which has recently surfaced. Photo / News24

This is the moment the tables turned on two hunters, who found themselves under attack from a herd of elephants after they shot one of the bulls.

Video footage shows two men armed with rifles trying to sneak up on the herd of elephants in Namibia.

They are seen aiming at the elephant herd from a distance, with one of them telling the other "hit it between the eyes".

They both fire and appear to hit one of the bulls in the herd, causing it to stumble while the other elephants panic, the Daily Mail reports.

However, within seconds, the men are forced to scramble for safety as the herd of elephants turn on them and a large bull charges at them.

The incident took place at the Nakabolelwa Conservancy in north-east Namibia and has recently surfaced online.

The two men are soon forced to face the music, as the hunters become the hunted when the elephant herd charge at them. Photo / News24

"There is a small quota of elephants in the area and we only hunt two elephants a year," Namibia-based professional hunter Corne Kruger told News24.

Kruger told the news website the video had been filmed three or four years ago, and stressed that the shooting of the bull had been completely "legal and sustainable".

There are several companies in Namibia offering hunting safaris to visiting foreign tourists.

The season runs from March until the end of October, and while foreign nationals do not require a licence to take part, a professional hunter accompanies all big game hunts.

Legal permission to hunt any animal is required, or it becomes poaching, which is a serious issue, in particular when it comes to conservation of certain species such as elephants, lions and rhinos.