Zimbabwe’s state wildlife authority has confirmed the death of another elephant in a road accident, the third reported death in less than a month, a newspaper said on Wednesday.
The state-owned Chronicle said villagers scrambled for elephant meat after the bull was hit by a Zambian-registered truck on the road between Victoria Falls and Bulawayo on Sunday night and died instantly.
Two people were injured, the paper said. The truck was carrying copper and the accident happened at a known black spot.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Caroline Washaya-Moyo told the newspaper: “The driver and passenger sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.”
A worker at a nearby lodge told of hearing a “loud bang” as the truck hit the elephant. The man, named as Khumbulani Nyoni, said he had tried to warn the driver that a herd of about 20 elephants was in the road but the driver did not stop.
Last month an adult female elephant had to be euthanised after she was hit by a vehicle near Hwange. An elephant calf was also killed near the resort town of Lake Kariba, where conservationists say there is at least one elephant road fatality per year.
Echoing pleas from wildlife lovers, Washaya-Moyo urged drivers to “exercise caution” on roads where wild animals are likely to roam, the Chronicle said.