Woman killed by ‘lifeless’ elephant which got here again to life as she snapped pics with animal
A 46-year-old woman was tragically killed after approaching an elephant she believed was dead to take a photo, as the animal, having been shot in the leg and presumed lifeless, suddenly revived
African elephant with broken carf(Image: Getty Images)
A woman’s attempt to snap a dramatic photo with what she believed was a lifeless elephant ended in tragedy. The supposedly dead animal suddenly sprang to life, and killed her.
Klaudia Mwaala, 46, was tragically killed earlier this month after being attacked by a stray elephant. The incident occurred in the village of Omugulugwombashe, in Namibia’s Omusati region.
According to witnesses, Mwaala had reportedly approached the animal to take photographs, believing it to be dead after it was shot in the leg by a local villager. The tragedy unfolded as several residents gathered around the elephant, which had been roaming the area.
Johannes Paulus, an eyewitness, told local media outlet New Era that eight people had approached the animal to observe and photograph it.
According to his account, the situation escalated when the victim tugged on the elephant’s tail, provoking it to attack. Although she initially managed to escape, the elephant was subsequently shot in the leg by a villager, causing it to collapse.
Believing the animal to be dead, Mwaala approached to touch its head and asked someone to take her photo, Midi Libre reported. The elephant suddenly got up and reportedly attacked her.
Paulus said: “She was gravely injured, with her intestines damaged. She died at the scene.
The tragedy has sparked calls from local residents for quicker intervention by authorities in such situations, particularly as elephants are commonly found in Mahangu fields during the rainy season. Villagers have also highlighted a lack of public awareness regarding the dangers posed by wild animals.
Vilho Hangula, a representative from the Ministry of Environment, reminded the public that the movement of wild animals is frequent at this time of year, as they search for greener grazing areas in community fields. An investigation is currently underway to determine the precise circumstances surrounding the incident.
Elephants are estimated to kill around 500 people each year worldwide, though figures vary between 100 and 600 deaths annually depending on the source and region. According to BBC Wildlife Magazine and National Geographic, these fatalities are rarely due to predatory behaviour, as elephants are herbivores.
Instead, most deaths result from human-elephant conflict, particularly in areas where growing human populations encroach on elephant habitats, leading to competition for food and water. Common causes of attacks include crop raiding, when elephants enter farmland and farmers attempt to defend their livelihoods, territorial aggression, especially if humans inadvertently come between a mother and her calf, and the heightened aggression of adult males during “musth”, a period of increased testosterone.
Habitat fragmentation from development and climate change also forces elephants into closer contact with people. The majority of deaths occur in India, which records around 400 to 500 fatalities per year.
In Sri Lanka, 110 to 170 people are killed annually. Additionally, Zimbabwe reports about 120 deaths each year, while Kenya sees around 30.
While most incidents happen in the wild, captive elephants can also be dangerous. North America reported 168 dangerous incidents involving captive elephants between 1990 and 2017, resulting in 17 deaths, and in Thailand, captive elephants used in tourism are responsible for more human injuries and fatalities than any other captive wild animal.
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