OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday
A HANDLER has been killed by an elephant cow which was being used on a film set in Broederstroom outside Johannesburg.
A co-owner of Glen Africa farm outside Broederstroom, Vicky Brooker, said Fiso Mbambo, 23, was killed while walking through the veld with five fellow handlers, who worked for circus owner Brian Boswell, at around 2.30pm.
The cow was one of seven elephants being used as background animals for the filming of Olie, a film being made for video release.
The animals were not however, being filmed at the time of the incident.
“It was an accident. I wasn’t there myself, but everyone tells me she showed no signs of aggression. She just pushed him over, knelt on him and walked over him and down to the river.
“Unfortunately if an elephant kneels on you and pushes you into the ground you are history,” she said.
She said the animals were not being used to perform tricks and the filming was being monitored by the Animal Anti Cruelty League.
Brooker denied police reports that the man had been trampled to death.
“Because an elephant is so heavy they can cause severe damage just by leaning on someone. They are also boisterous and tend to lean on each other often.
“If someone is trampled to death, like what happened in Botswana, there is very little left of the person,” she said.
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