Man survives jumbo attack - by Chrispin Inambao 10 November 2010


KATIMA MULILO – An elephant gored a man – its tusks missing vital organs by a whisker – the victim suffering horrendous abdominal injuries. The man, Martin Tekulo, has since been evacuated to the State hospital at Rundu for specialised treatment. Forty-six-year-old Tekulo is a resident of Mumbone’s village where the headman is Mukendwa Mumbone.

When a New Era journalist visited the scene of the attack, he was shown some thickets felled by the elephant that left numerous spoors at the scene.

Earlier, a team of game rangers armed with high-calibre hunting rifles recovered the victim’s half-buried wallet with some cash and other belongings.

The latest incident of human-wildlife conflict took place near Sumba village in the Lisikili area in Caprivi where the victim was riding a bicycle from a fishing camp near one lake to a village near Mubiza.

Cedric Mundia, the Game Warden for Caprivi Regional Service, said the incident occurred in an area heavily treed with mopani whose branches and leaves comprise one of the elephant’s main staples.

The game warden said the victim, while riding a bicycle, heard an adult she-elephant grunting next to an anthill near the two-track bush path and when he tried to race away from danger, the elephant charged towards him with young adult elephants in tow.

“A short distance later, he abandoned the bicycle and sprinted towards some trees but a while later, the she-elephant caught up with him and gored him in the thigh,” explained Mundia.

“And it again gored him in the stomach but what saved his life is he poked its eyes with his fingers and this tactic seemed to work because it retreated,” narrated the game warden.

After the attack, the victim who was bleeding profusely took off his camouflage T-shirt to distract the elephant in case it decided to pursue him and miraculously crawled for almost four kilometres to the nearest village where some villagers summoned help.

A State veterinary vehicle in the area on an official mission helped to transport the victim to the hospital at Katima Mulilo, where nurses stemmed the bleeding and stabilised his condition.

Last week, a baby girl who was being bathed in the Kwando River by her grandmother was caught and killed by a crocodile and her body is yet to be found.

Recently another person had to have his leg amputated after being mauled by a hippo.

He was referred to Rundu for specialised treatment.

Yesterday a group of game wardens tracked the rogue elephant that attacked Tekulo but the elephant managed to escape after they had shot at it.

The game rangers will possibly continue hunting for the rogue she elephant today after being authorised to destroy the elephant declared a problem animal by their superiors. Its meat will be distributed to the residents of Lisikili.

Sunday’s attack brings the tally to four of elephant attacks on humans recorded in Caprivi since January this year. There are separate incidents of attacks by hippos.

One of the four victims was trampled by an elephant at Mabanga in Linyanti Constituency while another died at Ngwasu in Katima Mulilo Rural Constituency.

A "she-elephant". New term!

The dangers that people face daily in rural areas of Africa would be inconceivable for people in the western world.

One recent fatality, caused by a crocodile, and two recent grievous injuries, caused by an elephant and a hippo, are reported in this story alone.

And these were people killed and injured just in the Caprivi Strip, which is a comparatively small panhandle of land.

How long will these people remain patient and tolerant? How long would you?

100% Mike, and for every tourist or hunter or conversationalist that gets killed and makes the paper, there are 500 villagers that go unnoticed.

When I hunted the Caprivi, there were quite a few stories of locals getting eaten. It seems some of the lion found that attacking men coming back from the makeshift bars were easy pickins.

I'm not sure that I have been on a hunt to Zim or Zambia where there was not a recent attack, and quite a few times they took place during the course of my stay.

+2 mike your right

It is not about patience and tolerance but rather an acceptance of that is how life may play out, partly fatalistic and partly pragmatic.

Many people are killed in car crashes every day in the 1st world but a minute minority choose to never travel on a road in a car.

Same for the guy that got eaten by lions while in the shower a few weeks back, if you lived here for a while you to would eventually leave your rifle in its case more than you would imagine. It is just a part of living in Africa!

quote:

A "she-elephant

I think I know some of those!

Rich Elliott

I don't know why it is going to make me remember the way used by my tour guide last year in Namibia to call more or less every black woman:
"Hey mama tembo"
In his opinion was a compliment..........

you see a lot of (she-elephants) at wal mart. there very very dangerous 500 or bigger advised for hunting hunting is ban in the ice cream section due to slowness caused by feeding sedation

quote:

Originally posted by ddrhook:
you see a lot of (she-elephants) at wal mart. there very very dangerous 500 or bigger advised for hunting hunting is ban in the ice cream section due to slowness caused by feeding sedation

ddrhook,

At what Wal Mart do you see all these she-elephants? You are probably saving a great deal of money if you can hunt cow elephants at Wal Mart?

quote:

Originally posted by Manyathelo:
It is not about patience and tolerance but rather an acceptance of that is how life may play out, partly fatalistic and partly pragmatic.

Many people are killed in car crashes every day in the 1st world but a minute minority choose to never travel on a road in a car.

Same for the guy that got eaten by lions while in the shower a few weeks back, if you lived here for a while you to would eventually leave your rifle in its case more than you would imagine. It is just a part of living in Africa!

Upon hearing such dreadful news such as these often, I've often wondered the same... but you've offered a clear and accurate
perspective...Thanks

quote:

The game rangers will possibly continue hunting for the rogue she elephant today after being authorised to destroy the elephant declared a problem animal by their superiors. Its meat will be distributed to the residents of Lisikili.

That's odd; I haven't seen an 'urgent hunt!' offered up here on AR for this critter...

boltshooter,
in Ft. smith ar. there of the genius spankexicus megahipicus faticus. the ones on the motorized carts are the most dangerous