Wounded jumbo kills ranger

Herald Reporter

The Herald-June 22, 2007

A PARKS and Wildlife Management Authority game ranger based at Chipinda Pools in Gonarezhou National Park was last month trampled to death by a wounded elephant.

Admire Kuyungwa was part of a team of rangers who shot the elephant but could not kill it before running out of ammunition. The enraged elephant subsequently charged at them and caught up with Kuyungwa who could not keep up with his fellow rangers.

Confirming the incident, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority public relations manager Retired Major Edward Mbewe said: "The elephant was regarded as a threat by CMED road construction workers who are helping us in Gonarezhou.

"So they alerted the rangers who keep guard while construction work is done. The rangers fired at the jumbo but failed to bring it down. It went away after trampling Kuyungwa but a follow-up team found it dead a short distance from the scene of the trampling."

Rtd Major Mbewe noted that tramplings involving members of the public were on the increase and people had to exercise caution when they come in close contact with elephants.

He added that it was a standing rule in all national parks that tourists on game drives should not alight from their vehicles without permission.

Hey, if they'd used real guns instead of those AK-47's. . . .

Zim Parks has .375s and .458s to issue for work like that.

Not saying they did in this case, but they have them.

The rangers I met that were on a cull hunt were using softpoints because thats what visiting hunters left for them. Also when they shoot at an ele they shoot at the whole elephant or if there is more than one its a flock shoot. That was my experience but Im sure there are competent rangers out there as I only met eight of them.

Maybe they thought they were shooting Egyptian Geese and were flock shooting.