‘Marijuana’ kills elephant handler

An elephant that gave tourist rides in the Zimbabwean town of Victoria Falls trampled his professional handler to death, the local tour operators’ association said yesterday.

Enock Kufandanda, 50, was killed on Saturday by a bull elephant called Mbanje (“marijuana” in the local Shona language).

Parks and wildlife authority rangers shot and killed the elephant.

“We confirm the sad incident, the third in the last 10 years,” said Clement Mukwasi of the Employers’ Association of Tourism and Safari Operators. – AFP