Field Ranger Trampled by an Elephant in Kruger National Park Lucky to Be Alive, Says Mzansi

• A field ranger in the Kruger National Park is lucky to be alive after being trampled by an elephant on Tuesday, 20 December
• He was patrolling the park when a herd crossed his path, and one elephant charged at him, leaving him with severe injuries
• A doctor and support team onboard a helicopter immediately responded to the scene and worked to stabilise the injured man

MPUMALANGA - A Kruger National Park field ranger is on the road to recovery after being trampled by an elephant on Tuesday, 20 December.

The man was on patrol in the Pretoriuskop Section of the park. When the incident occurred, a herd of breeding elephants were crossing the road in front of the ranger and his colleagues.

SA National Parks (SANParks) spokesperson Ike Phaahla told TimesLIVE that one of the elephants from the herd turned back and charged at the ranger. The man sustained serious injuries.

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The field ranger’s colleagues fired a warning shot at the elephant, which ran off, allowing the man to be rescued. A doctor and support team onboard a helicopter immediately responded to the scene and stabilised the man.

Head ranger Catherine Dreyer told News24 that rangers face daily dangers while protecting the country’s natural heritage. She said the possibility of an attack always exists, sometimes unavoidable.

Dreyer praised the other field rangers for their efforts in stabilising their injured colleague. She added that the team worked well under challenging conditions.

Citizens react to the elephant attack:

Thom Sibanda said:

“Very sad story. Some jobs are very dangerous.”

Stephen Mthini commented:

“He’s lucky to be alive.”

Itumeleng Sono Mahlangu posted:

“At least it did not kill him.”

Mosima PapaKeitumetse Nong wrote:

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“I hope the elephant and its family are okay wherever they are.”

Adair Victoria Cross added:

“Hoping for a full and speedy recovery.”

Helang: Mzansi reacts as man gets chased by a fully grown elephant

Briefly News reported that imagining being chased by a fully-grown elephant - is something not many even want to think about. Unfortunately for one man, this was his scary reality.

In a clip shared online, the man narrowly escapes being attacked by the large animal. “Heeeelang!” the clip was captioned.

The clip attracted various reactions from social media users, who either shared what they would do if they found themselves in similar situations or criticised the person who took the clip for not helping the man.

Source: Briefly News