非洲津巴布韦有游客游览野生动物园时，突然遭大象袭击致死。事发于西北部著名的万基国家公园，一对英国夫妇偕同女儿到该国家公园观赏野生动物时，一头大象突然发狂，在旁见状的导游曾开火制止，但未能命中目标，结果母亲及女儿遭大象践踏致死，目睹妻女惨死的父亲亦身受重伤。" L6 U! l9 ]7 ?) R+ c
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事件在24日下午发生，事发的万基国家公园是津巴布韦最大的国家公园，一向是非洲观赏野生动物的热点之一。当时该三名英国游客在当地一家观赏野生动物之旅的公司安排下，到万基国家公园作两晚野营畅游。4 u. Y2 E4 g% _- A6 w% {6 w3 m! |
# R) S3 ~2 }: l, D. }/ A 当时三人在一名导游及一名狩猎专家陪同下，乘坐一辆吉普车在公园畅游。一行人其后在公园南部一处景点下车，希望近距离细看一头雄性大象，但突然遭大象袭击。据悉园内雄象正处于交配期，性情会变得易怒，具有攻击性。一名导游见状曾开火制止，但未能命中目标。结果母女遭大象攻击致死，父亲则受重伤。图开枪制止的导游亦身受重伤，仍要在医院留医。. D/ v4 p: Z/ V7 U6 R& L5 h. u
, t/ ?# s7 t1 M2 t, R/ p3 B$ E 事发后，肇事公司已暂停安排下车步行观赏野生动物。至于警方则调查今次事件是否涉及人为疏忽。在津巴布韦，大象是继鳄鱼之后，第二种最危险的动物。在2005年，该国共有12人遭大象袭击身亡。去年，一名意大利女时装设计师的丈夫便在当地参加狩猎之旅时，遭两头大象攻击丧生。 . y) a* ~" y2 ]- Z$ h# S4 W2 o. e9 A. m. @# W
万基国家公园公园是是非洲其中一处野生动物最集中的地方，在十九世纪时更是专供国王打猎的场地。时至今日，虽然已再没有国王前来打猎，但动物仍然为数极多。但游客只要坐在吉普车上，在这个过万米的广阔森林中穿梭探险，就可以近距离观赏到大象、斑马、长颈鹿等动物，如果运气较佳的话，甚至有机会目睹狮子的神态，相当刺激精采。! o; y. A$ t7 J2 d
! i( _/ W* E; VSafari Britons killed by charging elephant ; Y+ N# x6 ?6 Y! iMother and daughter die, father injured in attack2 r8 r" |/ ]- A K* a
Zimbabwe police investigate 'negligence' " U! E/ R" s; s( }1 M; ? * t+ L( M7 A9 }# A1 p3 \; HTwo British tourists have died and one was injured after an elephant charged them in western Zimbabwe, the British embassy in Harare said last night. # u2 O1 Z+ j+ x- \
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Zimbabwean authorities said the dead were a mother and daughter on a walking holiday in the Hwange National Park. The injured man was the husband and father of the victims. The tourists have not be named. 8 x- t$ y" @6 e- u3 ?" g- w& ^+ j0 Q! ~2 A
The family is said to have been on a game viewing trip, accompanied by a guide and a professional hunter. The authorities said they were attacked by a bull elephant that was exceptionally aggressive because it was in musk. The guide fired a shot at the animal, but missed. " i+ m O9 R* ^+ ~3 A, L7 U, R Y( r0 i+ _9 \Police in Bulawayo and wildlife authorities said investigations were under way to see whether the guide had been negligent, though guides are often taken by surprise at the speed of such attacks. 6 s4 b/ x" j- n/ D' d4 c5 V+ u ; X& I+ D& ~, ?7 c" I/ KLast year, Gianpaolo Tarabini, husband of the Italian fashion designer Anna Molinari, was killed in an elephant attack in Zimbabwe.1 K0 g6 j7 `6 p1 R
3 S1 A& M( f" y: k" H$ BElephants are the second most dangerous animal for humans in Zimbabwe, after crocodiles, and tour guides in the country's national parks commonly carry weapons to protect tourists from elephants, hippos and crocodiles. + v8 B! g( h$ E& k6 {( B A5 C( A4 _' r: `( p, z
According to official figures, 12 people were trampled to death by elephants in 2005 - including villagers trying to protect their crops. 5 g' Q: X0 l/ ]: B0 \0 B0 m; O% n+ ]3 d, ]' U, F4 `$ w% c0 t
Park officials confirmed that two tourists had died. Provincial warden Tawanda Gotosa said that although tour guides carried weapons to protect tourists, the incident could have happened so fast that the guide could not take action. # e: r! g3 a+ W( q. K " L8 j' N" C* o$ Q"It is possible that the elephant could have charged so fast and suddenly that there was no chance for the guide to react," he told Zimbabwe's Herald newspaper. . x: n- Q& r5 [$ ?5 r* u0 T+ }8 B- H2 A2 p
"We are investigating to see if there was an act of negligence on the part of the tour guides," Edmore Veterai, a senior assistant police commissioner in Matabeleland North Province, told the newspaper. ! K1 E. j/ O$ D7 N% D) z 6 V; ]: N. G! Q, e1 MConservation groups say the elephant population in Hwange park has soared in the absence of regular culling measures to control the population.: y. c- z8 Z p3 X
5 C, z: {0 C5 ~John Gillon, chairman of the Hwange Conservation Society, a British charity which raises money in support of the park, said: "It's pretty much accepted that the population of elephants in Hwange is too big for the park. There are about 30,000 elephants, though the park is not fenced so they wander back and forth between Botswana and Zimbabwe./ o' k( V1 k9 @
- R: v) ]) r* }" o' }4 N"For some time, the park has wanted to cull elephants, although they realise there would be an outcry. The park can sustain somewhere round about 18,000."6 a5 E. ~ L# a; T! P
1 S8 d- j K- u- e9 wAlthough the opposition Movement for Democratic Change has not called for a boycott, tourism in Zimbabwe has declined as the country's economic crisis and political violence have worsened. - Q9 n% u8 v) G% x; M+ F6 D2 z4 F6 f+ a. Z4 n+ p0 X; D+ p/ U0 Y
A Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed that two Britons had died. Their families had requested confidentiality, she said. 2 r, a" g( O4 ?* S* F% V7 I6 }3 ^$ O1 K. D. R" ?4 z
"Two British tourists have been killed in Zimbabwe on a safari holiday. Their families are receiving appropriate consular assistance. The third person involved has not been hospitalised. Any injuries they may have are minor."
