Gary Freeman was leading a group of four tourists on a guided hike when an elephant attacked, according to reports. Reports indicate Freeman brandished his revolver to try to scare off the elephant but did not fire. The group helped get him onto a vehicle and rushed him for medical attention, but nothing could be done, reports say.
Freeman was a co-owner of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve from its founding in 1969. Freeman had previously said he would rather be killed by an elephant than shoot one. Police in Limpopo Province have opened an inquest into Freeman's death.
No action has been taken against the elephant that killed Freeman, but experts have been called to study its behavior and assess its threat. In a previous incident, Janet Taylor Easton, a British tourist, was fatally trampled by an elephant at South Luangwa National Park in Zambia on July 3 last year. Her death has been recorded as misadventure following an inquest at Bradford Coroner's Court.
On the day of her death, Janet Taylor Easton was on a guided walk with a group that included a guide and a tracker. The guide spotted a female elephant with a younger elephant in the distance that appeared peaceful, and adjusted the walk to remain downwind and undetected. The tracker saw the elephant charging from behind, shouted to the scout, who fired a warning shot, but the elephant did not stop and reached the group quickly, causing Janet Taylor Easton to fall.
The cause of Janet Taylor Easton's death was traumatic thoracic injuries and elephant attack. The inquest into Easton's death received a report from the Zambian Ministry of Tourism, but it did not add much information. Janet Taylor Easton taught chemistry at Titus Salt School in Baildon, Bradford, from September 1983 until retiring in August 2022.
The safari holiday for Janet Taylor Easton and Alison Taylor was organized by travel company Expert Africa.