Elephant kills 80-year-old US tourist in Zambia (video)

An 80-year-old American woman tragically lost her life during a wildlife safari in Zambia after encountering an “aggressive” bull elephant that charged at the vehicle unexpectedly, as stated by the tour operators.

The incident occurred around 9.30am local time on 30 March at the Kafue National Park in Zambia, with a shocking video of the moment capturing the event and subsequently being shared on social media.

In the video, the adult male elephant is seen chasing the vehicle, which came to a halt as the animal closed in. The elephant then forcefully knocked the vehicle over while the guide yelled, “Hey, hey, hey!”

The woman has been identified as Gail Mattson by her family, according to ABC News. Wilderness Destinations, the safari operators, described the incident as an “unexpected charge” by the elephant towards the vehicle carrying six guests and a guide on a game drive from Lufupa Camp.

“Our guides are all extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance, the terrain and vegetation were such that the guide’s route became blocked, and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough,” explained Wilderness CEO Keith Vincent.

The group, residing at Lufupa Camp within Africa’s largest game reserve, had embarked on a photography tour when the attack occurred.

A helicopter was dispatched to the scene by the park, and the woman was airlifted to a hospital in South Africa after sustaining unspecified injuries. Regrettably, she was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Four other individuals received treatment for minor injuries resulting from the incident.

An investigation into the matter has been initiated by local police and Zambia’s Department of National Parks.

Efforts are underway, with collaboration between local authorities and the US embassy in Lusaka, to repatriate the woman’s body to her family. African elephants stand among the largest land mammals globally.