A South African soldier on border patrol has been trampled to death by a herd of elephants in Limpopo near Zimbabwe.
The incident happened on Sunday night near the banks of the Limpopo River in Musina, about 300m from the SANDF’s Madimbo operational base.
Private Xavier Raynard was doing routine patrols on the Malala Drift road when he was killed.
The SANDF went to collect his remains on Monday.
SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala said Raynard, a member of the 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment, who was deployed under Operation Corona, was found dead near the base.
“Early indications suggest that he may have been fatally trampled by a herd of elephants while conducting routine patrols in the area. His service weapon was recovered at the scene.
“The matter is under investigation by SANDF authorities in co-operation with environmental and wildlife officials to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. A formal board of inquiry has been initiated,” said Tshabalala.
Tshabalala said Raynard’s next of kin, from Kimberley, Northern Cape, have been formally notified, and psychosocial support is being provided to the family and his unit members.
Operation Corona is a national border safeguarding initiative aimed at combating transnational crimes along the country’s borders.
Tshabalala said that soldiers deployed in these operations face harsh terrain, isolation and exposure to unpredictable natural conditions.
Lauren Liebenberg from the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve said: “At this time of year, the crisis with the elephant populations that roam the Limpopo River Valley intensifies.
When elephant hunting starts in the dry season they come across the Limpopo River [into SA] in huge numbers,” she said, adding that the elephants needed a well-managed migration corridor.
“The problem extends along the whole length of the 200km strip between Mapungubwe and Kruger National Park. We become a massive human-wildlife conflict zone.”
Liebenberg said a programme by the US Agency for International Development to manage the problem collapsed after the US administration cancelled it earlier this year.
“Through the programme, they trained elephant herders and provided all sorts of defence interventions.”
“Deaths still remain rare and at the extreme end of the human wildlife conflict interface, but the elephants do massive damage to crops, to infrastructure — especially fencing and water infrastructure, and to the natural vegetation in the nature reserves,” said Liebenberg.
Source: Newzimbabwe
