No other details.
Anyone know anything?

I have a video of the incident.

My guess is that it was a bunch of tourists. They were filming the elephant at a distance. The elephant headed for the vehicle. They are driving away but stop for some reason. The elephant turned the vehicle over. It is total chaos from there.

I have been watching the video several times.

Something very strange.

The car was driving along.

Then seems to stop, and start reversing??

Something happened before the elephant got to them.

As the camera show thing are moving inside the truck??

Watched it just now on FB, bad deal!

The video I saw did not show much.

Just an obviously disturbed elephant quite far away and chasing an open tourist van that inexplicably stopped.

Then the elephant caught up to the van and flipped it over on its side.

Nothing after that.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
The video I saw did not show much.

Just an obviously disturbed elephant quite far away and chasing an open tourist van that inexplicably stopped.

Then the elephant caught up to the van and flipped it over on its side.

Nothing after that.

You might wish to watch that video again.

It seems the truck stopped and started going back a bit.

Then things happened in the truck which we cannot see before the elephant had contact with the truck.

I will watch it again.

I didn't notice any of that. Also, there was no sound on the video I watched.

BTW, the closest I have come to being killed by an elephant was in the Kafue region of Zambia.

We were heading back to camp one night in the truck when we were confronted on the road and then chased by an angry cow-led herd.

Our own fairgame had to throw the truck into reverse and then make a high-speed turnaround through badly furrowed black cotton soil.

Before we pulled away, we could almost smell their breath.

Watched it again, this time with sound. I don't think the driver backed up. It was just the camera moving.

It looked to me as though the driver deliberately put on the brakes and stopped while the elephant had slowed down a bit but was still moving toward them.

I bet the driver was counting on the elephant to stop short and was trying to be in position to get some good photos.

Not smart. That elephant was pissed.

Can someone post a link to the video?

Jim, I sent it on WhatsApp

Jim, sent one, think there are others.

Is the vehicle backing up or is the camera moving ?

I just got a message from a PH about this.

What he has heard is that they were driving off road. In attempting to get away, the driver took a route that caused him to come across an obstruction which he could not get around.

Zambian Elephant Attack

The video lasts 45 seconds and it seems they knew they were being chased from the start.

Oops
Looks like he was misunderstood…the elephant that is
Maybe if they offered him banana he would walk away?

As Elephant populations keep building steadily this might more and more become a theme of these nature loving, photographic tours. Heaven forbid but the photographic lodges providing these tours might have to start packing serious stopping rifles on the tour trucks. What answer would our dear friends, the antis, have for this situation ?
I feel sorry for any loss of human life sustained on this Zambian incident but we know well the risk is inherent with entering the domain of the gentle giants.

After all the poaching crisis, I think cow elephants are more aggressive if anything. We've had to run from them a few times. Lesson is keep running.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
After all the poaching crisis, I think cow elephants are more aggressive if anything. We've had to run from them a few times. Lesson is keep running.

Cows are even worse.

We were going to a leopard blind in the after, having a 7mm rifle with me.

Gort chased by an irate cow all over the place.

Decided to shoot her.

Alan ran back to the truck to get my 375/303.

I asked Roy how will we find her.

His answer was "she will find us".

Sure enough, we saw he with her trunk up looking for us.

A few minutes later it was all over.

That bull was on a mission with a fixed agenda.

I noticed on the news that it was a Wilderness Safaris camp and vehicle. The CEO is Keith Vincent. Wilderness was found about 25 years ago by ex PH’s from Zim. I met 2 of the founders in Maun about 17-18 years ago. I wonder if Keith is related to Roy and Alan…

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
I noticed on the news that it was a Wilderness Safaris camp and vehicle. The CEO is Keith Vincent. Wilderness was found about 25 years ago by ex PH’s from Zim. I met 2 of the founders in Maun about 17-18 years ago. I wonder if Keith is related to Roy and Alan…

No he is not related.

They do now him though.

How does one run out of navigable terrain in elephant country with which one is presumably familiar as a game guide?

In my experience, game guides can be unconscionably reckless, especially since they are almost always and bafflingly unarmed.

My condolence to all the families

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
How does one run out of navigable terrain in elephant country with which one is presumably familiar as a game guide?

In my experience, game guides can be unconscionably reckless, especially since they are almost always and bafflingly unarmed.

Same experience for me. Had a male leopard walk up to the truck, look up into my face as if to say, "you are spaghetti if I wish you to be".
No gun, no fear other than to keep distance from elephants. I don't think there is much training other than speaking English...

Plenty of eles with attitude in Zambia. I can attest to that.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
That bull was on a mission with a fixed agenda.

saddly true.

I 2012 my wife and I were in Zim, hunting with Gibbo out of Mwanja camp. Our safari was going better than expected, so we did a side trip to Mana Pools. One of the appies was our guide. He had a .458 in a case under his seat, not much use in an emergency. We stopped about 50 yards shy of a feeding elephant. A photo safari car pulled alongside of us and the driver asked if we minded if he went closer. Our appie said no, and the Cruiser with two open high seats in the back went closer. About that time an unseen cow stepped out from behind a bush, stepped into the two track, screamed loudly, and smacked the hood of the Cruiser with her trunk a couple of times. Fortunately she then turned and went away. I'm sure that the photo tourists needed a wardrobe change, but no damage was done. You just can't fix stupid!

https://www.lusakatimes.com/20...ck-in-zambia-safari/

American Tourist’s Son Speaks Out After Fatal Elephant Attack in Zambia Safari
May 5, 2024



The son of Gail Mattson, the 79-year-old American tourist tragically killed in an elephant attack during a safari in Zambia last month has spoken out, expressing understanding and forgiveness towards both the elephant and the tour guide involved in the incident.

Gail Mattson, a grandmother from Minnesota, lost her life while on a game drive with a friend and four other tourists in the Kafue National Park in early April. Despite the tragic outcome, her son, Blake Vetter, has emphasized that his mother was aware of the risks associated with such adventures and held no blame towards the elephant or the driver for the incident.

“Mom was an adventurer at heart, and she understood the inherent risks of exploring the wild. She wouldn’t want any blame placed on the elephant or the driver,” Vetter stated.

Footage from the incident captured the terrifying moment when the elephant charged at the safari vehicle, ultimately flipping it over. Vetter commended the professionalism of the driver, noting that his actions likely prevented further injuries or loss of life.

“The driver stopped because he had to. He did his best to protect the passengers. We believe he saved lives by stopping,” Vetter remarked.

Describing his mother as someone who lived life to the fullest, Vetter shared heartbreaking images from the day of the attack, showing Mattson holding a flower inside the safari vehicle. She had embarked on the safari as her “last big adventure,” according to friends.

The safari company Wilderness, which operates tours in several African countries including Zambia, issued a statement expressing condolences to Mattson’s family and offering support to those affected by the incident. The company highlighted the extensive experience and training of its tour guides.

Meanwhile, investigations into the incident are ongoing, with local authorities in Zambia probing the circumstances surrounding the attack. The exact reason for the elephant’s aggression remains unclear.

This tragic event has brought attention to the challenges faced by both tourists and wildlife in safari environments. It also coincides with broader discussions about elephant populations in Africa, particularly in countries like Botswana, where concerns over increasing numbers have sparked debate over conservation measures.

So, saying ‘hey hey hey’ does not stop a charging elephant?


Good to know.