Elephant kills Spanish tourist in North Luangwa National Park

From The Post July 18, 2009

Written by Ernest Mwape in Mpika

A Spanish tourist has been killed by an elephant in North Luangwa National Park in Mpika.
Mpika police officer-in-charge Mowa Simvula confirmed in Mpika and named the victim as Pelaez Laura Gomel aged 29.

Simvula said the victim was in a group of three male Spanish tourists and were being led by a Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) officer when the incident happened.

He said the tourists had gone for game viewing when they sighted a group of six elephants and drew nearer to take pictures.

Simvula said thereafter, the tourists retreated to where they had parked the vehicle.

However, as they were approaching the vehicle, they saw a big tree that had strange marks on it and wanted to find out as to what caused the marks.

Simvula said the officer explained to the four tourists that leopards made the marks.

According to police, as ZAWA officer continued explaining to them, they heard noise and an elephant emerged from the thicket behind the big tree where it had been sucking its baby and charged on them.

The group scampered in different direction.

Simvula said the ZAWA officer tried to scare the elephant away by firing in the air, but he ran out of ammunition.

He said the animal might have picked on the woman because she could not run swiftly due to her weight.

The tusks severed her and killed her instantly.

A terrible, predictable thing. I was in a Luangwa GMA bordering North Luangwa NP last season. the PHs in camp were looking forward to the resumption of elephant hunting in the area. One of the reasons for this is that they felt the females were getting too brash, chasing vehicles and the like. We ran into one family group at close range in long grass. I was too dumb to be scared, but it sure got the attention of the rest of the hunting party.

Dean