Elephant Charges Safari Truck, Flips It, Kills 80-Year-Old American

Tragedy struck in Zambia over the weekend when an elephant estimated to weigh five tons charged a safari truck and flipped it several times resulting in the death of an 80-year-old American woman. 

A group of six tourists, according to media reports, were out on a photography tour on Saturday morning around 9:30 a.m. when the truck was attacked in the Kafue National Park. "Sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough," safari operator Wilderness Destinations CEO Keith Vincent told a Zambia news outlet. 

Besides the one death, another tourist was evacuated to South Africa for injuries sustained in the attack. 

Let's cut to the chase here, this is just the nature of the business you get into when you sign up to play ball on the elephant's turf. You want to get a good look? This elephant gave you a real good view before flipping the safari truck several times. 

Personally, I'll sit at home and watch those BBC documentaries where others go into the bush to see Dumbo seconds before he starts flipping trucks. I'm good on the couch. 

But…but…you'll never see nature with that attitude! 

You know who else will never see nature? The couple that was honeymooning last year in Uganda when they were murdered by ISIS-linked rebels. 

Isolated incident! 

What about 2015 when a lion mauled an American to death? 

My stance is simple: I'm going to let the lions and elephants have their land and I'll stay on my own turf and look at your amazing photos on Instagram. Everyone wins and I don't die by having an elephant flip a truck over on me. 

Do you have an African safari story to share? Were you nearly killed? Fire away. 

Email: joekinsey@gmail.com