Jinja Moyo, 44, was killed in the Mlageni grazing area of Tsholotsho at 4:00 on Monday, a tragedy likely precipitated by the drought affecting the country.
Moyo and a companion had taken their cattle into the area, even though it was out of bounds because of the threat of wild animals.
“Those two men were risking their lives by being found in that place at this time of year,” local councillor Elmon Ncube told the newspaper.
Moyo’s companion escaped unhurt.
The drought currently hitting Zimbabwe and the southern African region has taken a huge toll on cattle because grazing lands have shrivelled up. At least 19 300 cattle were reported to have died in Zimbabwe by the end of February, with the figure likely to be higher now.
The Tsholotsho area was one of the worst hit.
Speaking at the official independence day celebrations in Harare on Monday, President Robert Mugabe described the drought as “one of the worst droughts in living memory”.
The Chronicle did not say what had happened to the elephant.
Fatal elephant attacks occurred in game-rich areas of Zimbabwe from time to time. One of the most recent tragedies was in February, when a 6-year-old boy was trampled to death in front of his sister in the Beitbridge area.