An American tourist was killed over the weekend while on a safari in Africa when the vehicle in which she was a passenger was attacked by an aggressive bull elephant.
The harrowing moment was caught on video and not only proved fatal for a woman but also left four others injured.
ABC News reported a total of six people were observing wildlife at Zambia’s Kafue National Park on Saturday morning when tragedy struck.
Keith Vincent, the CEO of the company — Wilderness — that operated the safari, told the network that the vehicle became “blocked” by impassable terrain.
A clip circulating on the social media platform X shows the elephant’s attack as seen from inside the vehicle and as the animal pursued the tourists through some brush:
NEW: American tourist killed after an enraged bull elephant attacks a safari truck in the Kafue National Park in Africa.
The elephant reportedly separated from the herd to chase the vehicle traveling about 25 mph.
The elephant caught up to the vehicle and charged, flipping the… pic.twitter.com/Sy3t6JoA4S
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 3, 2024
According to ABC News, a helicopter was dispatched to the scene, but 79-year-old Gail Mattson died in the attack.
Mattson was a resident of Hopkins, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, according to KARE-TV.
Charging elephant kills Minnesota tourist https://t.co/aOIDLXzc0N
— KARE 11 (@kare11) April 4, 2024
Would you ever go on safari in Africa?
“An aggressive bull elephant charged the vehicle carrying six guests and a guide who were on a game drive from Lufupa Camp,” Vincent said in a statement.
“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,” Vincent said.
“This is a tragic event and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died,” he said. “We are also, naturally, supporting those guests and the guide involved in this distressing incident.”
Vincent said Wilderness was fully cooperating in an investigation being led by local police and Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife.
Mattson’s remains will be flown back to the United States, ABC News reported.
Her daughter, Rona Wells, shared photos from the trip in a Facebook post.
“We would like to share some amazing pictures of our wonderful Mom’s trip to South Africa with her friends and family,” she wrote. “Sadly she lost her life in a tragic accident while on her dream adventure.
“I hope these pictures bring some happiness to those that loved her. RIP Mom. We love you and will miss you.”
According to the nonprofit wildlife conservation organization Tsavo Trust, it is not out of character for bull elephants to be aggressive toward humans.
“They may exhibit aggressive behaviour to assert dominance and secure mating rights with females,” the group said. “Humans who inadvertently come across a bull elephant in mating season can be at risk.”
The elephants also can exhibit aggressive behavior during interactions with people if they have had any negative experiences with them.
The animals can be as tall as 13 feet and weigh as much as 14,000 pounds, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.
