Elephant shot near Phalaborwa gate?

[mouseinthehouse]

So an elephant was shot right and died right on/near the main Phalaborwa-Letaba road not far from the gate. Stories are flying around - traffic cops shot it; it was shot by poachers elsewhere and ran and collapsed there...

Anyone actually know what happened. Saw the photo and it is a sad sight indeed for visitors. Hopefully park officials have managed to drag it off the roadside?

Sanparks have yet to make a statement about what actually happened.

[Amoli]

Val had a posting on FB, basically only reporting what you said mith. - sad.

[Flutterby]

There's a discussion here:

https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.p ... 44#p160444

[RobertT]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/kruger.sanparks/

SANParks can confirm that rangers in the Phalaborwa section of the KNP shot dead a charging elephant in an effort to protect themselves. The incident happened on Monday, 9 December 2013 at approximately 16:00. According to reports, a herd of elephants was charging at traffic officers on duty 3 kilometres from the Phalaborwa gate. The ranger who had been on guard fired warning shots to scare away the animals in which most moved away with the exception of the one elephant which was unfortunately shot dead.

It is common practice to try and fire warning shots to scare the animal before any other step is taken. In this instance human life was in danger and rangers had to act quickly as the animal could have attacked even more people. SANParks would like to render an apology to the public who have witnessed the incident or exposed to it via photographs on various platforms.

Can see how a herd of elephants snuck up on a ranger and traffic cop.

[mouseinthehouse]

To be fair it is entirely possible in thick vegetation for an entire herd to move very close and you be completely unaware. I lived inside Hwange and worked with researchers for weeks. I have experienced just this thing happen. For example have sat at a waterhole on top of a vehicle and been startled when around 200 elephants suddenly start appearing right behind the vehicle and we never once heard them approaching.

I only know Craig and Lourens at Phalaborwa gate and I don't know if they were involved but I do know they would never take this sort of drastic and tragic action unless it was a last resort. I feel for whoever it was that had to take those shots and I feel deeply saddened that an elephant paid the ultimate price for our human encroachment in their world.

[Richprins]

That has been the general area for traffic control for many years, mith! I was party to a similar firing of warning shots at an elephant by traffic cops on the H14 a couple of years ago...and near Orpen gate an ellie chased the cops around a bit. They don't shoot readily, trust me!

I have no problem in this case...although I didn't know there was a "ranger on guard"...the cops have their own guns...but anyway...

[Amoli]

I have no problem in this case...although I didn't know there was a "ranger on guard"...the cops have their own guns...but anyway...

Interesting Cops have guns big enough to kill an ellie..

[Flutterby]

I think the ranger on guard shot the ellie.

[Richprins]

viewtopic.php?f=46&t=641&start=20



Here's the incident in 2011...

Both look the same to me?

Anyway, no biggie!

[nan]

looks the same... are the same