A Spanish tourist was trampled to death by elephants after climbing out of his car to take photos of the herd at a game reserve in South Africa.
The unnamed 43-year-old man was visiting Pilanesberg National Park on Sunday morning with his fiancée and two other people when the attack occurred, according to police.
The group had been driving around in their own vehicle before spotting three elephants with three calves, officers said.
Once the man got out of the car and walked toward the herd, the matriarch became “agitated” and charged at him, said Pieter Nel, a spokesman for the local tourism board.
Unable to escape, the man was then trampled by the rest of the herd.
Local media reported that the man was taken to the hospital but died of his injuries.
The group he was visiting the park with—all residents of Johannesburg—were unharmed, according to police.
An investigation is now underway.
South Africa’s national parks attract more than a million visitors each year.
Officials emphasize the importance of following safety precautions.
“Tourists are constantly reminded about the importance of staying inside their vehicles when visiting the park, keeping a good distance between animals and their vehicles, giving animals a chance to move freely, and only getting out of vehicles in safely designated areas,” said Thami Matshego, chief executive officer of the North West Parks and Tourism Board, speaking to local news outlet Netwerk24.
It is “normal behavior” for wild elephants to defend their young, said Mr. Nel of the same tourism body.
“Despite warnings from his fellow passengers and occupants from two other vehicles at the sighting, he [the deceased] unfortunately did not heed their warnings,” he added.
Elephant attacks are not uncommon. Earlier this year, an 80-year-old woman from the US was killed by an elephant that charged at her safari vehicle in Zambia.
In 2019, a suspected rhino poacher was trampled by an elephant and then eaten by a pride of lions in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.
