Elephants' rampage 'abnormal'

REPORTS stating that a South African woman was killed by a frightened elephant while trying to take pictures of it, have proved unfounded. Carol Currie, who resided in the UK, was trampled by a frightened elephant in the tribal village of Sianmonga this past weekend while on a walkabout with her guide, Steven Barnett. Following the freak incident, Currie's camera was recovered intact with a new, unused film inside. Barnett fractured his shoulder while trying to protect Currie from the elephant, but his actions proved too late. He is currently in a satisfactory condition in hospital. Elephants are reportedly not normally found in the area as it is not a national park or game reservation. One explanation given for their presence on this occasion and their apparent frightened state was that there was believed to be an elephant culling operation being conducted in Zimbabwe which resulted in the animals swimming across the Zambezi river in search of safety. Other media reports have suggested poachers were to blame for the elephants' flight. (Mary Ann Parker)