A SAFARI park owner has been killed by a 6,000kg charging elephant in what witnesses called a “dreadful” attack.
Gary Freeman, 65, had previously vowed he would rather die being attacked by one of the powerful beasts than ever firing a shot at an elephant.
Gary Freeman, 65, was killed by a huge elephant in a ‘dreadful’ attackCredit: Claire Galaway – Insidehook
Elephants in The Klaserie Private Nature Reserve that Gary co-ownedCredit: Getty
The dry river bed of the Klaserie River – the group were walking its banks at the time of the terrifying attackCredit: Alamy
Witnesses say he was true to his word and didn’t fire a single shot in the deadly attack, despite being armed with a revolver.
Gary was leading a group of four tourists on a hike through the lush 148,000-acre Klaserie Private Nature Reserve in South Africa when the horrifying attack took place.
The animal was hidden behind trees and suddenly ran at Gary out of nowhere.
When the elephant charged, he was said to brandish his revolver, trying to scare the beast off.
But Gary didn’t fire a single shot and was crushed by the creature.
One source at the par said that the attack was “all over quickly”, saying: “Gary tried to break the charge but he never fired a shot.
“The elephant was very quickly on him and it was as you can imagine not pleasant.
They added: “There is nothing anyone can do to stop six tonne of angry elephant.”
“Gary had said many times he would never shoot an elephant.”
The tourists then rushed to get Freeman onto a vehicle, but said “nothing could be done”.
“He had succumbed to his dreadful injuries,” the witness said.
The group were walking along the banks of the Klaserie River, inside the expansive reserve he co-owned north of Pretoria.
Tributes flooded in for the conservationist, who was known as “Thutwa” – meaning giraffe in the local language – because he was well over 6ft tall.
Gary’s friend Judy Connors, who had attended a safari camp ran by Freeman in February, said she had “heard Gary speak of his deep respect and love for the elephants”.
Gary was an experienced safari guideCredit: Facebook
She wrote: “He said he would rather be killed by an elephant than shoot one.
“Perhaps this is what I want to believe but there must have been a special bond, soul-to-soul, for this elephant to be the chosen one tasked with his deliverance.”
Michael Eric Girardin said: “A very large tree has fallen, a pioneer in the walking safari world.”
Limpopo police have opened an inquest into the tragic accident.
No action will be taken against the elephant, but experts will study its behaviour and determine if it is a threat to others.
A spokesperson for the reserve called Gary “a true gentleman and an integral part of the fabric of Klaserie”.
They added: “Gary’s presence, kindness and contribution to this landscape will be deeply missed by all who knew him and our thoughts are with his partner Hanneke and his family and his many, many friends.”
It comes after a Brit tourist and her Kiwi cousin were trampled to death by a “peaceful looking” elephant in a shocking safari accident in last month.
Janet Taylor Easton, 67, from Bradford, and her cousin Alison Taylor, 67, from New Zealand, died in the terrifying attack at Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park.