Elephant tramples man to death
2004-04-19 23:00
Enrico Claassen
Addo - An angry female elephant trampled a man to death in Addo National Elephant Park after he apparently scaled the fence to collect prickly pears.
Megan Bradfield, spokesperson for the park, said the half dismembered body of Monde Ngxwashula of Paterson was found on Saturday by a game rangers.
According to Bradfield, Ngxwashula apparently was collecting prickly pears in the Nyathi concession area when the elephant stormed him.
She said, however, that it was not clear how the man gained entry to the 400ha park as it was protected by electric fencing.
According to Ngxwashula's family, he went missing a week ago. Police, meanwhile, reported the man had been mentally disturbed.
Bradfield said everything pointed towards the man having been killed by a female elephant as he was covered in bruises.
"If one looks at the damage to the plants, it seems as if the elephant cow flung him around," she said.
She said they knew it was a female elephant because a male would have used its tusks while a rhino would have used its horn.
- Die Burger