Elephant kills two female tourists from the UK and New Zealand

Two aged female visitors successful Zambia person been killed by an elephant while connected a stepping safari successful a nationalist park, constabulary said.

Eastern Province Police Commissioner Robertson Mweemba said nan victims — 68-year-old Easton Janet Taylor from nan UK and 67-year-old Alison Jean Taylor from New Zealand — were attacked by a female elephant that was pinch a calf.

Safari guides who were pinch nan group attempted to extremity nan elephant from charging astatine nan women by firing shots astatine it, constabulary said.

The elephant was deed and wounded by nan gunshots.

The guides were incapable to forestall nan elephant's onslaught and some women died astatine nan scene, constabulary said.

It happened astatine nan South Luangwa National Park successful eastbound Zambia, astir 600 km from nan capital, Lusaka.

Female elephants are very protective of their calves and tin respond aggressively to what they comprehend arsenic threats.

Last year, 2 American visitors were killed successful abstracted encounters pinch elephants successful different parts of Zambia.

In some cases, nan visitors were besides aged women and were connected a safari conveyance erstwhile they were attacked.

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