FILE – A male elephant grazes in Kenya on Dec. 20, 2020. (Photo by Siegfried Modola/Getty Images)
An 80-year-old woman from the U.S. was killed in an elephant attack while she was on a safari in Zambia, according to multiple reports.
The terrifying moments leading up to the woman’s reported death were caught on camera.
Video, which was shared online by Andrew Cash, shows an elephant running behind a safari vehicle. The vehicle moves along before it suddenly stops and the animal approaches.
Someone repeatedly yells “Hey!” to apparently ward off the elephant, but the animal appears to flip the vehicle, which reportedly caused the woman’s death.
***WARNING: The following video contains graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised. ***
The attack reportedly happened in Kafue National Park on Saturday an involved a bull elephant, which is a male elephant.
According to Forbes, the woman was one of six guests on a safari drive with Wilderness, a conservation company operating the safari, when the elephant rammed their vehicle.
Wilderness CEO Keith Vincent told the media outlet the vehicle was “unexpectedly charged” by the animal.
Vincent, according to Forbes, said the company’s guides are “extremely well trained and experienced” but added the guide involved in Saturday’s accident did not have enough time to move the vehicle to safety after the route became blocked from terrain and vegetation.
A statement obtained by Forbes noted the woman died, while another woman was “taken to a private medical facility in South Africa.” The statement also noted four other guests were treated for minor injuries, according to the media outlet.
The woman has not been identified by name.
Multiple media outlets noted authorities are working to return the woman’s body to her family.
The cause for the animal’s aggression was not immediately clear.
A 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine noted “male elephants experience a biological phenomenon called ‘musth’, which is characterized by increased testosterone production, temporal gland secretion and urine dribbling, heightened aggression and sexual behavior, and therefore can pose unique challenges for human safety and animal welfare.”
The incident is reportedly under investigation.