afrol News, 27 March - A charged bull elephant in Zimbabwe killed two British tourists - Veronica Parker, 47, and her 10-year-old daughter Charlotte - as they took part in a walking safari with a guide and a professional hunter in Hwange National Park on Saturday.

The third victim of the elephant's attack, a guide, was knocked over after discharging his rifle could not stop the elephant from attacking the tourists. He was hospitalised for sustaining serious injuries as a result of the attack in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city.

But the third guest, Mr Parker, the husband and father of Mrs Parker and Charlotte, was not harmed physically.

Conservationists say apart from crocodiles, elephants pose the biggest threat to humans in Zimbabwe. Official figures show that 12 people were killed by charging elephants in 2005.

It is not clear whether the latest killings resulted from the negligence on the part of armed guides on tour with the tourists.

"We are investigating to see if there was an act of negligence on the part of the tour guides," Edmore Veterai, the police spokesperson in Zimbabwe, said.

The killed tourists had been expatriates who lived overseas for some years. They were reported to have been watching the elephant from behind when it suddenly charged and sprang on them.

The husband of an Italian fashion designer, Anna Molinari, was killed in a similar elephant attack in Zimbabwe last year.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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