Elephant tramples man to death

Sunday News Reporter

A 61-year-old man from Chiredzi in Masvingo was last week trampled to death by an elephant amid concerns that villagers were now living in fear of the jumbos believed to be escaping from protected areas around the Gonarezhou National Park.



Police spokesman for Masvingo province Inspector Phibion Nyambo confirmed that Naboth Paraffin of village six Dawlish Farm in Chiredzi came across a head of elephants while he was walking to Oscrow Wildlife where he was employed.
One of the elephants became aggressive and started running after him. He tried to run away but could not get far before the elephant caught up with him and trampled him.
He sustained multiple body injuries and his body was discovered by other villagers who alerted police in Chiredzi. Insp Nyambo said the number of elephants in the Gonarezhou National Park have now outgrown its carrying capacity making it very difficult for the department of national parks and wildlife to contain the movement of the jumbos.
“We received a report that a man from Chiredzi was trampled to death by an elephant while he was walking to work. The herd of elephants was not in a conservancy but was out in the villages where one of the elephants became aggressive and attacked the man,” said Insp Nyambo.
He said if measures are not put in place more people could be affected by the elephants.
The elephants are also destroying vegetation and crops in the area.
He said the elephants are believed to be escaping from veld fires that are sweeping across some parts of the park.
Insp Nyambo warned people against provoking elephants as they risk being attacked.