On 6 July 2024, a Spanish tourist died after being trampled by a herd of elephants in a popular national park. The tourist was travelling with his fiancé as well as two other individuals.
Unsplash/Will Shirley
The man in question and his group were travelling in their own vehicle when they stopped to examine and photograph nearby elephants. As the herd has three calves in its presence, the tourist was warned by passengers from nearby cars, but he persisted.
The herd became agitated and trampled the man, who was taken to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Following this death, Thami Matshego, the chief executive officer of the North West Parks and Tourism Board, made his opinion clear. In an interview with Netwerk24, he states the importance of following the safety procedures set up by game reserves:
“Tourists are constantly reminded about the importance of staying inside their vehicles when visiting the park, and to keep a good distance between animals and their vehicles and give animals a chance to move freely, and to only get out of vehicles in safely designated areas.”
