Man killed by an elephant while taking a selfie
A man was killed by stray elephants just outside Kwekwe, some two weeks after two people were trampled to death by the animals in Gokwe.
The man, whose name was yet to be released, was reportedly gored and trampled by the huge animal while taking selfies.
About seven elephants that are believed to have strayed from a nearby Conservancy were spotted in Mbembeswana and Umlala Park in Kwekwe district last week. An official with the Zibagwe Rural District Council Rodgers Nhari said the elephants had left people in the area living in fear of being attacked by the animals.
“We have had a problem with elephants in our ward and I reported the incident on Thursday to our council (Zibagwe RDC) and national parks on Thursday. It`s very unfortunate that we hear the news that someone has been killed by one of the elephants,” Nhari said.
ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said two jumbos were shot down and the rest were driven back to the Black Rhino Conservancy where they are believed to have escaped from.
According to the African Wildlife Foundation, Zimparks reported 20 human deaths due to elephants between January and October 2019. Zimbabwe has one of the largest elephant populations in the world, behind Botswana.