Elephant gores ranger

2003-12-30 17:43

Hoedspruit - A game ranger has a broken pelvis after being gored by an elephant in Kapama private game reserve near Hoedspruit on Sunday, said co-owner Adine Roode on Tuesday.

Senior ranger Henry Parsons was not injured internally, she said.

"Under the circumstances, things are going well. But, he really is in a lot of pain."

Parsons was walking with one of the regular elephant safaris in the reserve just after 08:00 on Sunday, said Roode.

The sight of fresh green leaves in the dry area enticed Jimmy, the 18-year-old elephant that always walked at the back, she said.

It started eating the leaves. To get it back in line, the elephant keeper on its back gave it one of the regular commands: "Back up!"

Parsons, who did not normally work with the elephants, then approached it head-on, which apparently sparked its anger.

One should always approach an elephant from the side, not head-on, Roode said.

The animal gored Parsons with its tusk.

Keepers 'saved the situation'

He was taken back to the lodge where a medical specialist, a guest from abroad, treated him before he was rushed to hospital at Hoedspruit air force base. From there, he was taken to Nelspruit Medi-Clinic.

Meanwhile the guests, including the two who were seated on Jimmy, were taken back to the lodge.

If it were not for the elephant keepers, the situation could have been much worse, said Roode.

"The keepers kept complete control. They kept their cool. They saved the situation."

The elephant was calm afterwards, she said.

"It was a once-off. Something just triggered it."

The safaris continued the same day and Jimmy was still part of them, according to Roode.

The guests were a little jittery, but after everything was explained to them, they still wanted to ride, she said.

"That night, a woman of 86 years rode. She said she was a little scared, but she was glad she had done it."

The reserve started with the safaris earlier this year, using experienced animals from Zimbabwe.

But Roode said: "One must remember they remain wild animals. One can never fully gauge them."

- SAPA