An elephant has trampled a woman close to the Mashikhiri windmill in the far north of the Kruger National Park (KNP), breaking her left arm and leg. The incident occurred in the small hours of the morning of January 10, 2005. The 21-year-old Mozambican woman, together with her husband, was attempting to make her way illegally into South Africa through the KNP when they encountered the elephant.
According to Saselamani police, as soon as the elephant left the scene the woman's husband carried her to the tar road that leads to Pafuri, where she was picked up by law enforcement officers. The couple was brought to the Saselamani police station, where the woman was sent onwards for treatment of her injuries.
KNP spokesperson Raymond Travers has said that although the park understands the pressures faced by Mozambicans seeking work in South Africa, they urge people who want to come through to do so legally, making use of the available taxis. Last year well over 2,000 Mozambican refugees crossed through the Kruger National Park, shorting out the electric fence in the process.
A 40-year old motorist and three children all sustained minor injuries when an elephant bull overturned their vehicle in the Kruger National...