An elephant in South Africa’s Kruger National Park trampled a tourist to death as he was trying to protect children, officials say.
The South African National Parks reported that they are still investigating the incident involving Shaik Adam Shabir Ammed, a 59-year-old from Mkhondo, South Africa that occurred on Sunday.
According to the agency, eyewitnesses stated that the family had parked near the Malelane reception area. The children then ran into the bush, where they were charged by an elephant from a nearby herd. When the deceased tried to help the children, he was chased and trampled by one of the animals and sadly passed away from his injuries at the scene.
It was noted that on the day of the tragic event, the specific elephant that caused the fatality could not be pinpointed as there were numerous elephants in the area. The elephants quickly retreated while bystanders attempted to save the victim’s life.
An elephant similar to the one pictured above charged at the tourist as he was trying to bring children to safety inside Kruger National Park, officials say. (Murat Ozgur Guvendik/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Park officials describe elephants as “usually peaceful animals” but note that they “may become aggressive when sick, injured or harassed.”
“Elephants may run at the threat in a demonstration or real charge. Most charges are mock charges which are broken off before the target is reached,” South African National Parks said.
South Africa National Parks says elephants may become aggressive if they feel harassed. (Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images)
“However, if an attack is followed through, an elephant is quite capable of killing another elephant, other animals (including humans) or wrecking cars,” it added.
