A tourist on safari was trampled to death by a heard of elephants after taking a nighttime walk.
The 68-year-old had been staying at Sirheni Bushveld Camp in South Africa’s Kruger National Park when she left her husband sleeping in their accommodation, and took a stroll outside just before 11pm.
CCTV cameras captured her walking out of the gates of the camp and onto a dark road, at which point she was met by a herd of elephants with calves.
Panicked, the animals charged at the pensioner, trampling her to death.
A spokesman for Kruger National Park confirmed the woman – who was staying with her partner in self-catered accommodation – died on Saturday night.
Mr JP Louw said: ‘SANParks who operate the bush camp have been attending to the unfortunate incident of a visitor who lost her life after encountering elephants.
‘In compliance with the law, the matter has been handed over to the police who must be approached for updates, and we will not be making any further comment on it.
‘That is both out of respect for the family and also in appreciation of the law.’
The SANParks website said that elephants, lions, hippo, buffalo and leopard all walk the fence line at night and warn tourists that if they ‘must walk’ to take a torch with them.
Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the woman’s death was reported at the Saselamani Police Station and that officers were investigating.
He added: ‘The circumstances surrounding the incident are still a subject for investigation and we will not be revealing the identity until we have contacted the victim’s next of kin.’
The nationality of the tourist has not been revealed.
Sirheni Bushveld Camp is 360 miles north of Johannesburg, at the top of the Kruger National Park and lies on the banks of the Mphongolo River.
It runs two daily trips out into the park, which are accompanied by armed rangers.
In January this year tourist Shaik Ahmed, 59, was trampled to death by an elephant in the Kruger as he tried to protect his five and 11-year-old grandchildren.
The eldest boy suffered leg injuries after it was swung around by the elephant’s trunk but when Mr Ahmed ran to help the child the animal dropped the youngster and killed the man.
In July last year, meanwhile, a Spanish tourist who was with his bride-to-be was trampled to death in the Pilanesberg National Park near Sun City, two hours from Johannesburg.
Carlos Luna, 43, had got out of the couple’s hire car despite being warned not to and approached a herd of elephants drinking out of a lake.
A mother who had two calves charged and trampled him to death as his fiancée screamed in horror.
The African elephant, which kills around 500 people a year in Africa, can weigh six tons, stand 13 feet to the shoulder and run up to 25mph.
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