GWAI, ZIMBABWE — A South African professional big game hunter was crushed to death last Friday afternoon during a hunt in Zimbabwe when an elephant shot by his own hunting group fell on top of him.
Theunis Botha was 51-year-old veteran hunter who often recruited wealthy Americans to take part in big game hunting in Africa. He led leopard- and lion-hunting trips with a pack of dogs for his company, Game Hounds Safaris, South Africa’s Netwerk24 reported.
Last Friday, Botha took a hunting group with him to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, the same place where the killing of Cecil the Lion sparked a public outcry in 2015.
The group came across a breeding herd of elephants and started firing at them, but the gunshots startled the animals and caused three elephants to charge at the hunters. After Botha shot at the elephants, a fourth elephant rushed in from the side and picked Botha up with its trunk. In an attempt to rescue him, one of the other hunters shot the elephant.
However, instead of putting Botha down, the dying animal collapsed and fell on top of Botha, crushing him to death.
Botha leaves behind a wife and five children. Botha’s wife will travel to Zimbabwe on Monday to identify his body.
Theunis Botha was 51-year-old veteran hunter who often recruited wealthy Americans to take part in big game hunting in Africa. He led leopard- and lion-hunting trips with a pack of dogs for his company, Game Hounds Safaris, South Africa’s Netwerk24 reported.
Last Friday, Botha took a hunting group with him to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, the same place where the killing of Cecil the Lion sparked a public outcry in 2015.
The group came across a breeding herd of elephants and started firing at them, but the gunshots startled the animals and caused three elephants to charge at the hunters. After Botha shot at the elephants, a fourth elephant rushed in from the side and picked Botha up with its trunk. In an attempt to rescue him, one of the other hunters shot the elephant.
However, instead of putting Botha down, the dying animal collapsed and fell on top of Botha, crushing him to death.
Botha leaves behind a wife and five children. Botha’s wife will travel to Zimbabwe on Monday to identify his body.
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