Featured Image Credit: X/@ginnydmm
Topics: Animals, World News
Emily Brown
Shocking footage caught on a safari in Zambia shows the moment an elephant charged towards a car and attacked a group of tourists.
One American woman is confirmed to have died in the incident which took place at Kafue National Park - the largest game reserve in Africa - last weekend.
In the footage which was later shared online, the elephant can be seen following the car through the reserve before suddenly picking up its pace and moving swiftly towards the car.
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Tourists began to shout as the elephant came right up to the car, but a statement from tour company Wilderness Zambia later said the car had been unable to drive away because the route was 'blocked'.
With the car stationary, the elephant began to slam into it, causing the vehicle to tip over.
The woman who lost her life was 80-years-old, and died in the aftermath of the attack due to her injuries.
She was one of a group of six tourists staying at the Lufupa Camp in the national park, and they had been travelling with Wilderness Zambia on a photography tour when the incident took place.
Another woman in the group was also injured and was hospitalized in the wake of the incident. The other four guests were treated for minor injuries.
Keith Vincent, Wilderness Zambia’s chief executive officer, commented on the incident in a statement released to local media.
“At around 9.30am on Saturday morning the six guests were on the game drive when the vehicle was unexpectedly charged by the bull elephant,” he said.
“Our guides are all extremely well trained and experienced, but 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.”
Management for Kafue National Park dispatched a helicopter to the scene after the attack unfolded to help those in the car, Vincent said.
“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,” he added.
According to the Wildlife Conservation Society, a mature bull elephant may stand up to 13 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh 14,000 pounds. The creatures are known to push over trees to get to their branches and roots and to use their tusks and trunks to dig for water.