Elephant that killed security guard thought to have escaped from Kruger

09 June 2019 - 13:20 By Iavan Pijoos
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A security guard was trampled to death by an elephant at a mine near Phalaborwa in Limpopo on Saturday.
A security guard was trampled to death by an elephant at a mine near Phalaborwa in Limpopo on Saturday.
Image: PILANESBERG ELEPHANT-BACK SAFARIS

An elephant that trampled a security guard to death at a mine in Phalaborwa in Limpopo on Saturday is thought to have escaped from the Kruger National Park. 

"Our mine is next to the Kruger National Park, so animals do break the fence from the park and end up outside of the park. Some of them end up staying in the vicinity of our premises,” Foskor mine spokesperson Frans Mkhondo said on Sunday.

The guard, who was an employee of a security company that had been contracted by Foskor Zirconia which operates on the premises, was killed in the early hours of Saturday.

"He was working around 300m away from another colleague of his. This colleague heard what appeared to be an elephant trample and he rushed to the scene," Mkhondo said.

He said the man found a disturbed elephant behind the guard house where they worked.

"This colleague ran into the guard house for his safety and discovered there was no one in the guard house."

The body of the man was found outside the guard house.

Last week a pride of 14 lions caused some consternation after being spotted roaming in the same area. But the Limpopo department of economic development, environment and tourism (LEDET) said on Sunday that the area was the lions' "usual pride location" which they had returned to.   

"The department also confirms that the animals will be kept within the area. The department's role is to enforce control where human lives are threatened.

"The lions have not been of any threat to humans," department spokesperson Zaid Kalla said. 


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