[imagesource:pickpic]
A once-in-a-lifetime safari experience ended tragically in Kafue National Park recently.
One international tourist was killed by an elephant in the largest and oldest national park in Zambia, while two others were injured and were reportedly evacuated to the capital, Lusaka for medical attention.
In a video doing the rounds on social media, the raging elephant can be seen charging the safari vehicle.
Once the animal gets too close, the ranger can be heard shouting to deter it, but the bull flips the car anyway.
Consider yourself trigger warned:
One international client killed by elephant in Kafue National Park from lufupa Lodge during Safari. Two injured and being evacuated to Lusaka. Full details being awaited from the operator through the Senior Warden Kafue Region. Very unfortunate indeed. pic.twitter.com/4ntbyhec1G
— Gina (@ginnydmm) April 2, 2024
Cape Town ETC noted several commenters on social media noticing how close the vehicle was to the animal, while others wondered why it stopped. An unverified source on WhatsApp mentioned that there was another “jumbo” when the ranger had driven around the corner.
Chris Swart, an entrepreneur in the security industry, divulged more details on X, noting how Wilderness – a leading conservation and hospitality company focussing on immersing guests in a range of different environments – confirmed that an 80-year-old female American guest was tragically killed while another female guest was injured during the incident on March 30.
He noted that six guests and a guide were on a game drive from Lufupa Camp:
“At around 09h30 on Saturday the six guests were on the game drive when the vehicle was unexpectedly charged by the bull elephant. Our guides are all extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough” says Keith Vincent, Wilderness Chief Executive Officer.
Vincent says Kafue National Park management was immediately called to assist and that they dispatched a helicopter to the scene. Given the nature of the incident, the Police, the Department of National Parks & Wildlife, and other authorities are involved in investigating the matter. Wilderness is cooperating fully with this process.
INCIDENT AT LUFUPA ON 30 MARCH 2024
Wilderness can today confirm that an 80-year-old female American guest was tragically killed by a bull elephant while on a game drive at its Kafue National Park destination in Zambia on Saturday (SUBS: 30 March). Another female guest was also…
— Chris Swart (@BwanaChris) April 3, 2024
[source:capetownetc]
