another tourist killed - this time an elephant killed honeymooner at luxury camp in Kenya
Oct 2nd, 2006, 09:36 AM
#1
another tourist killed - this time an elephant killed honeymooner at luxury camp in Kenya
Very, very sad.
An elephant trampled and killed a British man on a nature walk while on his honeymoon in Kenya.
http://tinyurl.com/m2mna
An elephant trampled and killed a British man on a nature walk while on his honeymoon in Kenya.
http://tinyurl.com/m2mna
Oct 2nd, 2006, 10:37 AM
#5
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How tragic. Would want to know circumstances. My guess is surprised elephant in the nearby forest and guide tried to protect them but was knocked aside. Most likely not armed with rifle to fire a warning shot or did not have time. This is the risk we take. Danger is unfortunately part of the lure of the experience.
Oct 2nd, 2006, 10:59 AM
#6
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Very sad indeed.
I didn’t know Richard’s was next to a forest and I think <b>forest</b> is a key word here. The couple and the guide couldn’t see the elephant and the elephant was surprised by them.
It’s not quite true that the last tourist killed by an elephant in Kenya was in 2000. In 2002 a Swedish writer of children’s books was killed by an elephant when on a walk on the forested slopes of Mount Kenya. Her husband set up a memorial fund to help a school in Talek and then he married a Danish woman whose husband was killed in Tanzania (in a road accident) the same year. They had been married for 30 years though.
I didn’t know Richard’s was next to a forest and I think <b>forest</b> is a key word here. The couple and the guide couldn’t see the elephant and the elephant was surprised by them.
It’s not quite true that the last tourist killed by an elephant in Kenya was in 2000. In 2002 a Swedish writer of children’s books was killed by an elephant when on a walk on the forested slopes of Mount Kenya. Her husband set up a memorial fund to help a school in Talek and then he married a Danish woman whose husband was killed in Tanzania (in a road accident) the same year. They had been married for 30 years though.
Oct 2nd, 2006, 11:44 AM
#7
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This is so sad.
Richard's camp, like Kicheche and other camps in the vicinity, is set in a thicket of trees. I'm not sure that I'd call it a forest, but I guess you could use that word to describe the setting. The area is mostly open plains, but you can't tell that there are camps there because they're hidden in the trees.
Isn't cindysafari supposed to be staying at Richard's Camp (about now?)?
Richard's camp, like Kicheche and other camps in the vicinity, is set in a thicket of trees. I'm not sure that I'd call it a forest, but I guess you could use that word to describe the setting. The area is mostly open plains, but you can't tell that there are camps there because they're hidden in the trees.
Isn't cindysafari supposed to be staying at Richard's Camp (about now?)?
Oct 2nd, 2006, 12:11 PM
#8
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And I have clients there now! I think. Just emailed to find out more information.
As Patty mentioned... not really a forest, but lots of trees surround Richard's which provides a secluded atmosphere.
This is devastating... a freak accident. Terrible.
As Patty mentioned... not really a forest, but lots of trees surround Richard's which provides a secluded atmosphere.
This is devastating... a freak accident. Terrible.
Oct 2nd, 2006, 07:31 PM
#10
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We sometimes don't realise just how close we can be, one way or another, to such happenings or their potential. The safari I mentioned in the Do's and Don'ts thread was our honeymoon, one year after our guide had to shoot a charging elephant which nearly killed a client.
John
John
Oct 3rd, 2006, 07:40 AM
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Very sad!
Hari: I had the same thoughts. Elephants in areas with conflicts with people are often harassed which can easily lead to a fear/uncomfortableness with humans and thus more aggressive behavior.
I once saw sick video of a moose in Alaska who was comfortable enough with people to be right in the middle of a town. Some idiots started pelting it with snow balls and a couple minutes later when some poor old guy walked out of the drug store close to the moose he got stomped to death.
There is certainly a correlation of human pressure on animals and their corresponding behavior.
Hari: I had the same thoughts. Elephants in areas with conflicts with people are often harassed which can easily lead to a fear/uncomfortableness with humans and thus more aggressive behavior.
I once saw sick video of a moose in Alaska who was comfortable enough with people to be right in the middle of a town. Some idiots started pelting it with snow balls and a couple minutes later when some poor old guy walked out of the drug store close to the moose he got stomped to death.
There is certainly a correlation of human pressure on animals and their corresponding behavior.
Oct 3rd, 2006, 08:29 AM
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How unfortunate and unlucky.
Statistically, it was probably more dangerous for the couple to leave their home, drive to the airport or train station and fly to the Mara; yet the husband died so tragically at the camp.
We don't know the sequence of events, skill level of the guide, or nature of the walk, but it reads like a pure accident.
My Maasai friend Naurori lives near Musiara gate. When he drives with me around the greater Mara he likes to stop and talk to Maasai friends he has not seen in a while! In the course of the conversation they will often ask if we've seen elephant in the direction they're going. They don't want to surprise an elephant in the woods!
Statistically, it was probably more dangerous for the couple to leave their home, drive to the airport or train station and fly to the Mara; yet the husband died so tragically at the camp.
We don't know the sequence of events, skill level of the guide, or nature of the walk, but it reads like a pure accident.
My Maasai friend Naurori lives near Musiara gate. When he drives with me around the greater Mara he likes to stop and talk to Maasai friends he has not seen in a while! In the course of the conversation they will often ask if we've seen elephant in the direction they're going. They don't want to surprise an elephant in the woods!
Oct 3rd, 2006, 08:32 AM
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Oct 3rd, 2006, 10:32 AM
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The new article makes me wonder a bit...
300m from camp? Somehow I missed that part in the first article. It appears they were on a substantial game walk and not a nature walk on the outskirts of camp as I first thought. It appears the elephant(s) were not surprised (i.e. walking around a bush and into tembo), but spooked from a distance. Were the clients approaching the elephant(s) or trying to steer away? The terrain away from the woods is open grassland and normally has good visibility.
In their activities brochure Richards shows a bushwalk with an armed guide in front, clients in the middle and a Maasai in the back (unsure what his role is).
This makes sense considering that Richards wrote in their newsletter of July 2006 of substantial elephant activity behind camp. And lion.
Yet, the recent articles mention only one guide - a Maasai - with no mention of a rifle.
Has anyone been on a bush walk at Richards, or any other camp in the vicinity? Do they use armed, trained guides with Maasai in support or do they have Maasai that are trained to handle walks and their rifles?
I visited the area many times and know of bush walks where clients look at plants, birds and insects but this is rather serious walking amidst some dangerous game.
300m from camp? Somehow I missed that part in the first article. It appears they were on a substantial game walk and not a nature walk on the outskirts of camp as I first thought. It appears the elephant(s) were not surprised (i.e. walking around a bush and into tembo), but spooked from a distance. Were the clients approaching the elephant(s) or trying to steer away? The terrain away from the woods is open grassland and normally has good visibility.
In their activities brochure Richards shows a bushwalk with an armed guide in front, clients in the middle and a Maasai in the back (unsure what his role is).
This makes sense considering that Richards wrote in their newsletter of July 2006 of substantial elephant activity behind camp. And lion.
Yet, the recent articles mention only one guide - a Maasai - with no mention of a rifle.
Has anyone been on a bush walk at Richards, or any other camp in the vicinity? Do they use armed, trained guides with Maasai in support or do they have Maasai that are trained to handle walks and their rifles?
I visited the area many times and know of bush walks where clients look at plants, birds and insects but this is rather serious walking amidst some dangerous game.
Oct 3rd, 2006, 11:38 AM
#18
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Eben,
When we went on our walks from Kicheche's fly camp, we had a Kicheche guide and an armed ranger(?) with us.
I'm not sure if ranger is the correct term, but he appeared to work for whatever governing body controls that area (not a camp employee). We had also met this same person earlier in the day at the nearby rhino sanctuary where he took us on a short walk to view the 3 white rhino there.
I'm puzzled by your last comment. What's the difference in definition between a bush walk and "serious walking"? We didn't specifically look for big game, but that doesn't mean that there couldn't have been dangerous game around the area. At one point, our guide was concerned about the possibility of buffalo nearby.
When we went on our walks from Kicheche's fly camp, we had a Kicheche guide and an armed ranger(?) with us.
I'm not sure if ranger is the correct term, but he appeared to work for whatever governing body controls that area (not a camp employee). We had also met this same person earlier in the day at the nearby rhino sanctuary where he took us on a short walk to view the 3 white rhino there.
I'm puzzled by your last comment. What's the difference in definition between a bush walk and "serious walking"? We didn't specifically look for big game, but that doesn't mean that there couldn't have been dangerous game around the area. At one point, our guide was concerned about the possibility of buffalo nearby.
Oct 3rd, 2006, 11:50 AM
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I can only assume there is information that has not been included in any of these news articles. Whether only a guide, or a ranger w/ or w/o rifle, and w/ or w/o a Masaai tracker.
When I was at Richard's in June, sitting outside my tent, I saw a couple returning from a game walk. Though from a distance, I did see them with a ranger, did see a rifle and did see a Masaai tracker; all dispersed in various directions once back on camp grounds.
I never gave it another thought at that time, so have no idea what the situation might have been in this most unfortunate incident. Additional information maybe learned and made available.
When I was at Richard's in June, sitting outside my tent, I saw a couple returning from a game walk. Though from a distance, I did see them with a ranger, did see a rifle and did see a Masaai tracker; all dispersed in various directions once back on camp grounds.
I never gave it another thought at that time, so have no idea what the situation might have been in this most unfortunate incident. Additional information maybe learned and made available.
Oct 3rd, 2006, 12:25 PM
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Terrible news and whilst it got big coverage in the UK my friend in Nairobi had not even heard about it.
My wife and I went on a a couple of game walks at Cottars in March - one inside the reserve but a long way form the usual routes (near Sand river) and one outside the reserve. We were always led by a guide with a gun and trailed by a Masai tracker. We never felt particularly in danger even though we got within 20-30 metres of a big buffalo herd. We were thinking of doing some walks with the kids in a couple of weeks time when we are at Mara Intrepids (they drive you out of the reserve near to where Richards camp is) but now have second thoughts ...
My wife and I went on a a couple of game walks at Cottars in March - one inside the reserve but a long way form the usual routes (near Sand river) and one outside the reserve. We were always led by a guide with a gun and trailed by a Masai tracker. We never felt particularly in danger even though we got within 20-30 metres of a big buffalo herd. We were thinking of doing some walks with the kids in a couple of weeks time when we are at Mara Intrepids (they drive you out of the reserve near to where Richards camp is) but now have second thoughts ...
