A Zimbabwean wildlife ranger has been killed after being trampled by an elephant in Kariba, authorities have confirmed.
Josphat Mandishara, 62, a ranger with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was fatally attacked on Wednesday night while on patrol in the remote Gatche-gatche area.
ZimParks said in a statement that Mandishara was on duty with two colleagues and members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) when he returned alone to their boat, which was docked at a nearby harbour.
โUnfortunately, during this short trip, he encountered a charged elephant that emerged unexpectedly and fatally injured him,โ the statement read.
His body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and police were informed.
In response to the incident, ZimParks said it had dispatched rangers from the Charara Safari Area to โmanage the problem animalโ.
โThe safety of our staff and wildlife is our utmost priority, and we are committed to taking the necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future,โ the organisation said.
The death of the experienced ranger has been met with sadness among conservationists.
ZimParks Director General Prof Edson Gandiwa expressed โheartfelt condolencesโ to Mandisharaโs family, friends, and colleagues, saying he would be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.
Human-wildlife conflict remains a serious challenge in Zimbabwe, where increasing interactions between people and wild animals have led to numerous fatal encounters.
