https://www.zimbabwesituation....o-death-by-elephant/



Animal rights activist trampled to death by elephant

October 9, 2021 9:23 AM
Source: Animal rights activist trampled to death by elephant – #Asakhe – CITE


By Judith Sibanda

A Victoria Falls anti-poaching official was on Friday morning trampled to death by an elephant as he was conducting patrols.

Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda said he was not aware of the incident, but according to one of the first responders to the tragic event, Lovemore Ndlovu, the victim, whose name has been withheld for ethical reasons was trampled to death around 8 AM by a stray elephant near Bonnaise Air bush owned by Victoria Falls City Council.

“He worked for the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching (VFAP) and when the tragic incident happened around 8 AM, he and his other three colleagues were conducting a patrol at some bushy area belonging to council,” Ndlovu said.

“When we attended the scene shortly after the incident, we were told by one of the rangers that before starting the patrol, they had grouped themselves into two parts and he was with the deceased when they spotted an elephant at a distance of approximately 300 meters and he said he still doesn’t know how it suddenly reached to them as it immediately started to attack his colleague by trampling on his head, arms and legs.”

Ndlovu said the deceased was pronounced dead at the scene by the Ace ambulance services responders.

“When they came, we were told that he had already died and that’s when they had to call in the police and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) who immediately took his body to a mortuary.

VFAP declined to give details surrounding the tragedy after indicating that they were still trying to notify the next kin.

Ndlovu said police, rangers and other relevant stakeholders have since joined hands to search for the elephant, adding that helicopters have also been dispatched to conduct surveillance.

Their headline is misleading, since it calls an anti-poaching ranger an “Animal Rights Activist”. Tragic incident, it’ll be interesting to learn, when they finally get the offending elephant, whether it has been wounded by poachers with bullets or a snare.

Classic internet news reporting.

https://www.zimbabwesituation....lephant-gunned-down/


Vic Falls killer elephant gunned down
0 October 9, 2021 6:54 PM
Source: Vic Falls killer elephant gunned down – #Asakhe – CITE


BY JUDITH SIBANDA

An elephant that killed the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit (VFAPU) operations director on Friday morning was tracked and later gunned down by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) rangers.

Clever Kapandura (51)was attacked and trampled to death by the stray elephant while he was conducting an anti-poaching patrol on Friday near Bonnaise Air bush owned by the Victoria Falls City Council.

“They killed it approximately five hours later at Aerodrome suburbs,” Lovemore Ndlovu from Bonnaise Air confirmed.

“The search was not easy as it was equally dangerous, but it was spotted by a helicopter that was dispatched to join the search and it was immediately gunned down at the same spot.”

The developments were also confirmed by VFAPU co- director Teddy Brightman.

However, Zimparks spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo said he was not aware of the development but commended what rangers had done.

“When such problem animals come to endanger our people, we are quick to react,” he said.

According to eyewitnesses, the elephant charged at Kapandura and his colleague who narrowly escaped the attack.

It could not be immediately ascertained whether the elephant was a bull or a cow.

"Lovemore Ndlovu, the victim, whose name has been withheld for ethical reasons was trampled to death…."

More excellent reporting.

Tragic for his family and definitely unfortunate. But elephants will be elephants and they don't know which side you're on. Not the elephant's fault, so I question why it had to be destroyed.

We've all had to dodge elephants who took exception to our presence.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
We've all had to dodge elephants who took exception to our presence.

According to the press release the bull took exception while he was 120 meters away.

The scouts took "prescribed evasive action" but Clever was intercepted and hurt critically.

I go back to "elephants will be elephants." Some are tolerant at rather close range, others not so much. I've bumped cows with calves who just tucked their trunk under the calf's tail and led them away (while I froze and took a deep breath). Just this year, had a tuskless cow mount an out and out charge on the car at over that distance. Fortunately, we were in a place where we could drive and we left her behind screaming at us.