Elephant tramples tourists to death in Zambia

CAPE TOWN — Two tourists were trampled to death while trying to take pictures close to a wild elephant.

According to AFP, a 64-year-old Dutch man and a 57-year-old Belgium woman were on safari at Maramba River Lodge in Livingstone. They were trying to get close to the animal to take pictures, which led to the elephant charging the woman.

Police spokesperson Danny Mwale said they found the bodies lying on the ground with multiple injuries.

The Senior Wildlife Warden for the southern region Lewis Daka told the Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) that the man tried to save the woman but also got trampled. His department is urging lodge owners to provide guides to visitors to make sure that tourists don’t get so close to the animals.

ZNBC reports that there’s been an influx of the giant animals in Livingstone and Mosi-o-tunya National Park, and that last week a security officer at another nearby lodge was also trampled by elephants on his way to work.

He was cycling through the park when an elephant charged, leading to his company banning employees from travelling through the park to work.

The area has had similar incidents with elephants Many tourists in Africa flock to the continent to get an up-close and personal encounter with its wild animals, and unfortunately it has ended in tragedy many times. The general rule of thumb is to keep your distance when viewing these animals, and respect their space. — AFP