Eugene Nyavor
An American tourist tragically lost her life during a safari in Zambia.
The woman, 80-year-old Gail Mattson, was on a wildlife viewing tour in Kafue National Park when an elephant charged the vehicle carrying her and other tourists.
The incident happened at around 9.30am local time on 30 March at the Kafue National Park in Zambia and the shocking video of the moment was captured and posted on social media.
The video showed the adult male elephant chasing the car which came to a halt as the animal closed in.
The elephant then knocked the vehicle over as the guide screamed, “Hey, hey, hey!”
Safari operators, Wilderness Destinations, said the elephant “unexpectedly charged” at the vehicle that was on an excursion with six guests and a guide.
“An aggressive bull elephant charged the vehicle carrying six guests and a guide who were on a game drive from Lufupa Camp,” the company said in a statement to ABC News.
“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,” Wilderness CEO Keith Vincent said.
The group, which was staying at the Lufupa Camp inside the largest game reserve in Africa, had gone out for a photography tour at the time of the attack, the Telegraph reported.
A park helicopter transported Gail Mattson to a South African hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Other passengers sustained minor injuries.
