Elephant Attack On Safari Leaves Elderly American Tourist Dead, Others Injured—What We Know Cailey Gleeson, Forbes April 3, 2024 An 80-year-old American woman died after a bull elephant “unexpectedly charged” a vehicle on an expedition in Zambia on Saturday, safari operator Wilderness Destinations confirmed in a statement to Forbes Wednesday, an incident that was captured in a shocking video posted to social media. Key Facts The incident, which was widely shared on social media and is being investigated by authorities, occurred at 9:30 am local time Saturday at Kafue National Park in Zambia, according to Wilderness CEO Keith Vincent, who said the six guests were on a game drive when the vehicle was “unexpectedly charged” by the bull elephant. Vincent said the company’s guides are “extremely well trained and experienced,” but the guide in Saturday’s accident did not have enough time to move the vehicle to safety, after the route became blocked from terrain and vegetation. The 80-year-old American woman, who’s name has not been released, died in the incident while another woman was “taken to a private medical facility in South Africa” and four other guests were treated for minor injuries, according to the statement. Local authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Lusaka are working to return the woman’s body to her family, according to the statement. Kafue National Park did not immediately respond to Forbes’ requests for comment. What We Don't Know The reason for the unexpected aggression has not been confirmed, but Wilderness is cooperating in the joint investigation from authorities and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, according to the statement. Key Background While the cause for the aggression is currently unknown, bull elephants can become aggressive when experiencing “musth,” characterized by heightened aggression, increased testosterone excretion and temporal gland secretion, according to a 2022 report published in MDPI. It is a common phenomenon in healthy adult male elephants, according to the Asian Elephant Specialist Group, and can last for months. A similar incident involving a tour vehicle and a bull elephant confirmed to be experiencing “musth” occurred late last month in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park, according to ABC News, but no one was injured when the animal attempted to overturn the tour vehicle. https://www.forbes.com/sites/caileygleeson/2024/04/03/elephant-attack-on-safari-leaves-elderly-american-tourist-dead-others-injured-what-we-know/?sh=1e9e17f0746e