Elephants trample Spanish vacationer to death
In South Africa, there are frequent attacks by elephants on humans. Now, in the Pilanesberg-National Park northwest of Johannesburg, a group of bull elephants have attacked a Spanish tourist. The 43-year-old man failed to escape in time.
A tourist from Spain was killed by elephants in a South African National Park. According to the police and the National Park authority, the man had stepped out of his car at the Pilanesberg-National Park to take photos of elephants. An elephant cow attacked the man and trampled him to death with her herd.
The man was reportedly traveling with his fiancée and two other women in a private car in the approximately 50,000 hectare large National Park on Sunday. When they saw a small herd of three cow elephants and three calves, the man got out of the car to take photos. "The elephants attacked and killed him," said the police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone.
The National Park and Tourism Authority of the North West Province stated that a cow elephant had first attacked the man. Unfortunately, he could not escape or avoid the cow elephant and her approaching herd. The animals had eventually "trampled him to death." After that, the elephants had withdrawn without paying attention to other vehicles and had disappeared into the bush.
The wildlife officer of the authority, Pieter Nel, said the herd leader had become agitated when the man approached them. It was "normal" for elephants "to defend their young." He added, "Many tourists are not aware of the danger and don't know how dangerous these animals can be."
The other occupants of the car, all from Johannesburg, remained unharmed according to police reports. The police have launched an investigation into the incident.
In South Africa, there are frequent elephant attacks. In 2021, a poacher was trampled to death by elephants in the famous Kruger-National Park. Visitors to the parks are advised to remain in their cars and keep their windows closed.
The tragic incident occurred within South Africa's Pilanesberg-National Park, where international tourists are often drawn to observe elephants in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, this man's misfortune occurred when he stepped out of his car to capture photographs, leading to his fatal encounter with a herd of elephants.
