An 80-year-old United States (US) woman has died after an aggressive elephant attacked and overturned a safari van she was travelling in.
The incident which occurred at Lufupa River Camp in the Kafue National Park in Zambia, on Saturday March 30, left one other tourist seriously injured and four others with minor injuries.
A video recording of the moment the incident occurred has circulated online sparking reactions among members of the social media community.
The video, seen by The Kenya Times, shows the elephant charging towards the tour van. The tour guide, who was also the driver, stopped the vehicle as the terrain was uneven, and covered with loose rocks and gravel.
Moments later, the elephant is seen flipping the vehicle over onto its side.
The scared tourists in the van can be heard screaming and begging the tour guide to chase the elephant away.
However, the elephant does not relent and keeps pushing the vehicle which then rolls over three times.
Also Read: Stray Elephants Attack Man at the Narok-Bomet Border
Tour Services Issues Statement on the Death of the US Woman
According to Wilderness Destinations, the tour service provider whose van was toppled, all guides are well-trained and experienced, and as such the attack was an accident.
Wilderness Chief Executive Officer, Keith Vincent, additionally explained that the vehicle had to stop because of the terrain, adding that the route was blocked, and the driver could not maneuver faster.
“This is a tragic event, and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died. We are also, naturally, supporting those guests and the guide involved in this distressing incident.”
“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,” he said.
Local authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka are working to return the body of the deceased woman to her family.
Also, Wilderness Destinations stated that it was cooperating in the joint investigation by authorities and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, to determine the sudden aggression from the elephant.
Also Read: Makueni Man, survived Hyena Attack in 2020, Killed by Elephant
Foreigners Die During Safari in Kenya
In a separate incident in March 2023, a German and a Swiss national died during a Safari at Maasai Mara after their tour vehicle veered off the road and rolled several times.
According to a statement by police spokesperson Resila Onyango, the vehicle had five occupants at the time of the accident including three Germans and two Swiss nationals.
One German national was killed on the spot while the Swiss succumbed to his injuries later while undergoing treatment.
Maasai Mara Chief Park Warden Stephen Ole Mining at the time explained that the tourists were attempting to navigate through the Sekenani-Mara Bridge Road through the Maasai Mara National Park.
