A 79-year-old US tourist named Gail Mattson lost her life during a game drive in Zambia’s Kafue National Park when an aggressive bull elephant charged and overturned their safari vehicle.
The incident, captured on video and shared on social media by ABC News, left four others injured.
Elephant Charge Was Unexpected
Keith Vincent, the executive director of safari operator Wilderness, described the elephant’s charge as unexpected as the driver was unable to avoid the attack due to blocked terrain and vegetation.
Vincent extended heartfelt condolences to Mattson’s family and assured support for those killed and injured in the terrible incident.
Climate Change Responsible
Mattson, who also had a home in Arizona, was described by family members as “living life” on the safari trip.
Photos of her on the day of her death, clutching a flower in a safari truck, accompanied the news report.
Neighboring Zimbabwe has raised concerns over human-elephant conflicts due to a growing elephant population, mostly attributed to human-induced climate change.
