UPDATE: Woman killed by elephant was harvesting mopane worms

SANParks is investigating the elephant attack in which an employee was killed and another injured last week, Lowvelder reports.

A female employee of SANParks, based in the Kruger National Park (KNP), was trampled to death by an elephant, and another sustained serious injuries when a group of 15 SANParks employees were attacked by a herd of elephants late Thursday afternoon in the Mooiplaas Section of the park, near Mopani Camp.

According to Lieutenant-Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe, from Phalaborwa police, said an inquest into the incident has been opened.

“Three elephants chased [the two women and man] during their search. During that process, one woman in her forties was killed, and the other woman taken to hospital. The man escaped unharmed,” Ngoepe said.

He said it appeared the group of three wandered off without authorisation and were on their own to harvest mopane worms.

READ MORE: UPDATE: Woman killed by elephant in Kruger after attack by herd

William Mabasa, acting head of communications of SANParks, said at this point it was unclear what the group was working on in the veld.

The woman, whose name had not been made public, was declared dead on the scene by paramedic Jaco Gericke from Maponya 911 in Polokwane.

“The elephant tusk entered her lower back and exited her chest,” Gericke said.

She also had a severe open fracture to her left knee.

The other employee was taken to Mediclinic Tzaneen with a fractured right femur. She was transferred to Mediclinic Limpopo in Polokwane on Friday morning and went home on Monday.

– Caxton News Service

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.