Ranger killed by elephant that drove tusks into him in South Africa

Ranger is killed by frenzied elephant that drove its tusks through him several times as he tried to protect colleagues at South African safari park

• The animal used its trunk to release a gate catch which would allow it to escape
• The elephant became spooked and charged his handler, stamping him to death

A safari park ranger trying to coax a bull elephant back through a gate it had opened to the safety of the reserve has been horrifically trampled and tusked to death in a frenzied attack.

Elephant handler Kabelo Mashao, 36, was on park border patrol in South Africa when he saw the fully grown tusker use its trunk to release a gate catch which would allow it to escape.

The father-of-two stopped his 4×4 and told his colleague to stay in the vehicle while he approached the elephant he knew well at the upmarket Inverdoorn Private Nature Reserve.

As he tried to lure the elephant back into camp the elephant became spooked and charged his handler.

Mashao was subsequently knocked to the ground by the bull elephant’s heavy trunk before he was stamped to death.

Elephant handler Kabelo Mashao, 36, was on park border patrol in South Africa when he saw the fully grown tusker use its trunk to release a gate catch which would allow it to escape

Footage showed Kabelo Mashao trying to lure the elephant back into camp the elephant became spooked and charged his handler

Kabelo Mashao was subsequently knocked to the ground by the bull elephant’s heavy trunk before he was stamped to death

A park employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: ‘It is normally a very friendly elephant and Kabelo knew it well and went over to try and get it back in the open gate.

‘But they say it just trumpeted and went for him and then stamped on him repeatedly and drove its tusks through him several times killing him instantly and leaving him unrecognisable.

‘His colleague was helpless to do anything and is in a terrible way from what he saw and we just don’t know what went wrong but it was all over and done with very quickly’ he said.

Managers at the luxury Big Five game reserve where a lodge for two costs between £250 a night to £550 a night had to break the news to Kabelo’s wife of three years Busi Magagula.

The devastated mother-of-two was said to be ‘distraught’ and posted on Facebook ‘RIP my lovely husband’ and then had to break the news to her two sons of his brutal death.

The handler was killed by the elephant he trusted yesterday which was a public holiday as Workers Day and he had volunteered to be on duty so others could take the day off.

A South African Police Service spokesman said: ‘An inquest docket into this tragedy has been opened following the trampling and tusk death of a park handler by an adult elephant bull.

‘Preliminary information is he and a colleague were patrolling the camp when they saw a male elephant push open a gate and on seeing it the deceased got out of the vehicle.

‘He tried to lure the elephant back into camp when the elephant suddenly turned on him and trampled him and engulfed him with its tusks and he was declared dead at the scene.

‘The investigation is ongoing and our condolences go to all involved’ he said.

Kabelo Mashao, an experienced elephant handler was killed by an elephant he trusted at the Inverdoorn Private Nature Reserve

Kabelo Botha Mashao, 36, was trampled and gored to death by a trusted elephant he knew

Kabelo Botha Mashao is pictured waving and smiling. He worked at the Inverdoorn Private Nature Reserve

African bush elephants kill some 500 people a year and are the biggest land animal in the world and can stand up to 13 feet (four metres) tall and weigh 12,500lbs (5,700kg) and run at up to 25mph.

Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve is set on 10,000 acres a 2-and-a-half drive from Cape Town and is just outside Ceres in the Klein Karoo and is popular with wealthy UK tourists.

It is home to the Big Five of elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard. Herds of elephants were introduced to the park in 2012, although the killer elephant has been there for at least 15 years.

An Inverdoorn spokesman said: ‘It is with great sadness we confirm the tragic death of one of our staff members Kabelo Botha Mashao who was fatally injured by an elephant.

‘The elephant had been introduced approximately 15 years ago and we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Mashao family, his friends and colleagues at this time.

‘We are providing support to our staff and all those affected by this terrible loss’ it said.

Inverdoorn Private Nature Reserve, where Mashao worked, is home to the Big Five of elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard

Neither spokesman would comment on the future of the killer bull elephant or confirm or deny whether it had been euthanised

Kabelo Mashao, 36, was on park border patrol in South Africa when he saw the fully grown tusker use its trunk to release a gate catch which would allow it to escape

Aquila Collection which owns and manages Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve stressed that the safety and well-being of staff and guests and wildlife was of the ‘utmost importance’.

‘We are providing support to our staff and all those affected by this terrible loss’.

Neither spokesman would comment on the future of the killer bull elephant or confirm or deny whether it had been euthanised after it killed one of the most popular handlers at Inverdoorn.

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