Trending Topics

White South African Hunter Crushed to Death by Elephant

Theunis Botha leaves behind a wife and five children. (The Big Game Hounds Safari)

A South African hunter was crushed to death by an elephant Friday, May 19, while leading a hunt near a Zimbabwe national park.

Theunis Botha, 51, had been leading hunters through Good Luck Farm near Hwange National Park, a spokesperson told The Telegraph, when the group came upon a herd of breeding elephants. Three of the animals charged the hunters, News24 reported, leading Botha to fire his rifle. A fourth elephant rushed Botha, raising him with her trunk, causing another hunter to open fire; the elephant died and fell on Botha.

Botha was known for pioneering Monteria hunts, a European style of hunting where dog packs lead boars and deer to hunters who shoot them, according to the website for Game Hounds Safaris, a family-operated company established in 1983. Botha specialized in hunting leopards in Africa utilizing the Monteria style.

Botha leaves behind five children and a wife, who was reported to be traveling to Zimbabwe to identify the body and bring it back to South Africa.

Back to top