American Tourist Dies in Elephant Attack in Zambia

A 79-year-old 🧳American tourist died when a bull elephant attacked a vehicle she was in in 🇿🇲Zambia, the safari operator said.

ABC News reported Gail Mattson, 79, Saturday morning at Kafue National Park, a Lusaka Police spokesperson confirmed. The report did not list where Mattson was from.

“An aggressive bull elephant charged the vehicle carrying six guests and a guide who were on a game drive from Lufupa Camp,” Wilderness, the company operating the safari, said in a statement to ABC News Wednesday.

Four people were treated for minor injuries, the company said.

“The six guests were on the game drive when the vehicle was unexpectedly charged by the bull elephant,” Keith Vincent, Wilderness’ chief executive officer, said in the statement. He added that the safari guide’s vehicle was “blocked” by the terrain at the time of the attack.

“Our guides are all extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough,” Vincent said.

“This is a tragic event and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died,” he said in the statement. “We are also, naturally, supporting those guests and the guide involved in this distressing incident.”