Efforts to herd escaped elephant back into park thwarted by angry mob

An elephant from Kruger National Park in South Africa escaped into a neighboring township and ran wild, sending people scrambling for safety.

But not all the people fled.

Some chased the elephant and threw objects at it, and the situation worsened as officials from the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency and KNP attempted to use a helicopter to drive the elephant back into the national park.

Villagers come across an elephant in Matsulu, South Africa. pic.twitter.com/So0TalIU3k

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Community members threatened MTPA officials on the ground, and police could not control the crowds, prompting the helicopter to be withdrawn, KNP’s Ike Phaahla told Lowvelder.

Sadly, the incident on Saturday in Matsulu ended in heartbreak with officials from the MTPA having to euthanize the elephant.

“The MTPA colleagues did their best, but it looks like their efforts were in vain,” Phaahla told Lowvelder.

From The South African: “The Matsulu Community Policing Forum’s Jacob Siboza told the publication that he was informed that some community members had started cutting the elephant up after the MTPA had shot it.”