German doctor stable after rhino charges her

A German doctor is in a stable condition in the Nelspruit Medi-Clinic after a rhino charged her on a walking trail in the Kruger National Park.

Beeld reported that she declined to speak to the media, but according to a Medi-Clinic spokesman, she was being treated for broken ribs and a broken ankle.

Kruger Park spokesman Stephens Ledwaba told Beeld the woman was among a group of tourists walking along the Wolhuter trail when two rhino confronted them on Monday.

The guides tried to chase the rhino away while the tourists took shelter behind a rock. One of the animals circled behind the rock, chased the tourists out and trampled the doctor. The guides fired shots at the two animals and they ran away. The woman was airlifted to hospital.

The doctor was one of several medical emergencies park staff dealt with over the past few days.

On Monday, a tourist sustained a minor knee injury when an enraged elephant cow overturned his car. Another visitor died of a heart attack while driving through the park. A passing motorist tried to help the victim, reportedly in his late 50s, and summoned park emergency services. The man was declared dead on arrival at the local doctor in Skukuza.