Sheldon Hooper (27) was tusked by an elephant and succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, August 18.
Hooper was a field guide at Thornybush River Lodge in the Greater Kruger area. He and a colleague were doing routine safety inspections at the lodge when they came across nine elephants, according to TimesLive.
Hooper was 27 years old.
It is unsure how the elephants reached the lodge, which is surrounded by electric fencing.
‘He was about 20m from the elephants and somehow one of them came at him fast. They were both supposed to see each other, and in all likelihood he got close to a six-month-old calf,’ Thornybush Nature Reserve CEO Trevor Jordan told TimesLive.
‘The elephant tusked him on the knee and just above his heart. It left two holes and he was bleeding profusely. The man who was with him ran to get help. The elephant left the scene. He succumbed to the wounds within 20 minutes. Paramedics came as soon as they could and they did all they could to stop the bleeding.’
Hooper had been working for Thornybush for 18 months and according to Jordan, he knew elephants well. The team consulted with experts as to what could have caused the incident.
‘We searched and finally found the cow with a bit of blood on its tusks. We went to its group to analyse their behaviour. The elephants were relaxed and showed no aggression. We decided against euthanising the elephant,’ Jordan said.
Thornybush issued a statement on Facebook about Hooper and how sorely missed he will be.
‘As a guest or a friend of Sheldon’s, you would have had the pleasure of experiencing his incredible kindness, infectious smile and love of the bush. His repertoire of knock-knock jokes couldn’t help but make you chuckle, no matter how you were feeling, and the adaptation of his signature fist-bump or high-five greeting, to a foot bump during COVID, would have been seen all over Waterside Lodge, which is where he was stationed.
‘Sheldon joined Thornybush in July of 2019, and fast made his way into the hearts of his colleagues, with his quirky sense of humour, the respect he showed those he worked with, his dedication for conservation and his talent for story-telling.
‘His keen eye behind the camera was also noted early on – as was his willingness to share his knowledge with guests of all ages, as well as his team members. Sheldon was also a gifted writer, contributing to our Thornybush blog.
‘Sheldon’s life was a celebration of his passions and he is sorely missed by all.’
Image credit: Facebook/Sheldon Hooper
