South African Safari Lodge Owner Trampled to Death by Elephant

Sudden Attack by a 6-Ton Elephant
Already Deceased When Paramedics Arrived

A 39-year-old man who owned a private wildlife reserve in South Africa has died after being attacked by an elephant.

According to reports from the Times of India and other sources on July 24 (local time), FC Conradi, the CEO and co-owner of Gondwana Private Game Reserve near Mossel Bay in the Garden Route region of southern South Africa, was killed by an elephant on July 22.

According to the reports, he was trying to guide a herd of elephants away from the guest area when he was suddenly attacked by a male elephant weighing about 6 tons. The elephant reportedly struck him with its tusks and trampled him multiple times.

By the time paramedics arrived at the scene, Conradi had already passed away. Local authorities are conducting an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.

Gondwana Private Game Reserve is a five-star safari lodge. Despite the high price of approximately 1.7 million won per night for a couple, the lodge was reportedly fully booked at the time.

Conradi was known to hold a degree in zoology and a master's degree in business administration. In his social media profile, he described himself as "a traveler obsessed with and passionate about nature."

Gondwana staff said, "Conradi was a great person to work with and loved elephants deeply. He felt he had a bond of trust with the elephants, but even if you live in a reserve, you must never forget that it is still the wild. Everyone will miss him dearly."

A spokesperson for Gondwana said of Conradi, "He was a passionate conservationist. Thanks to his leadership, Gondwana became one of the top private wildlife reserves in South Africa."

This is not the first time an elephant attack has occurred at a South African wildlife reserve. Last year, David Candela, a 36-year-old guide at Gondwana, was also killed by an elephant. At the time, the reserve stated, "There are inherent risks in working closely with wildlife. When a group of peaceful elephants had almost passed through the camp, David encountered the last elephant, and a tragic incident occurred immediately afterward."