Elephant attacks, kills US tourist in Zambia
On June 19, in Livingstone, a tragic incident occurred when an elephant fatally attacked a U.S. tourist, marking the second occurrence of its kind this year, as confirmed by local authorities.
The 64-year-old Juliana Gle Tourneau was observing a herd of elephants when one of the animals charged at the tourists' vehicle, ejecting and subsequently trampling Ms Tourneau.
Ms. Tourneau was travelling with a group that had paused near the Maramba Cultural Bridge due to the congestion caused by the elephants in the vicinity of the bridge.
"Juliana Gle Tourneau, a 64-year-old from New Mexico, USA, passed away on Wednesday at approximately 17:50 after an elephant struck a stationary vehicle she was in, which had halted because of elephants congregating around the Maramba Cultural Bridge," reported Auxensio Daka, Southern Province Police Commissioner, to ZNBC, the national broadcaster of Zambia.
Earlier this year, in March, another American tourist suffered a fatal attack during a safari in a Zambian national park. An elephant charged at the vehicle, overturning it, resulting in the death of the tourist and injuries to five others.
Following these incidents, Zambian officials have urged tourists to remain vigilant and exercise utmost caution when viewing wildlife in the country.
