Trophy Hunter Crushed to Death by Elephant

A well-known South African big game hunter died last week after he was crushed by an elephant during a hunt in Zimbabwe.

Theunis Botha was leading a group of hunters when they happened upon a herd of breeding elephants near Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe—the same park where Cecil the Lion was killed in July 2015.  Three elephants charged the group and Botha opened fire on them. But a fourth elephant caught the group by surprise and rammed Botha from the side, picking him up with her trunk, CBS News reported, quoting South African outlet News 24.

One of the other hunters in the group fatally shot the elephant, which then collapsed and fell on top of Botha. Simukai Nyasha, a spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, told AP that Botha was on a 10-day, licensed hunt. He also traveled often to the United States to recruit wealthy Americans for trophy hunts, The Telegraph reported.

Botha kept a YouTube page where he posted lengthy videos of his hunting trips, showing himself at work alongside his dogs and clients. His company's website also posted videos and photos of Botha with fellow hunters, posing proudly with their kills.