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Safari Guide, Who Once Said He’d ‘Rather Be Killed by’ an Elephant Than Ever ‘Shoot One,’ Killed by a Charging Elephant

Gary Freeman was leading a walking safari in South Africa when he was fatally attacked by an elephant

Gary Freeman, a photo of an elephant taken by Gary Freeman.Credit: Gary Freeman/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

An elephant "suddenly emerged and charged at him" as he was walking with a tour group on April 9, according to police
Freeman once said he "would rather be killed by” an elephant than shoot one, a social media tribute claims

A charging elephant killed a longtime safari guide in South Africa who allegedly once declared that he "would rather be killed by" an elephant than shoot one.

Gary Freeman was leading a walking safari at Klaserie Private Nature Reserve in the Limpopo province of South Africa on Thursday, April 9, when he died in an elephant attack, a spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo confirmed in a statement to theDaily Mail.

Freeman, identified as the owner of the reserve, and the tour group had left a vehicle on foot when the attack occurred, SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said, according to the outlet.

“As the group were walking, an elephant suddenly emerged and charged at him,” Mashaba said. "He tried to scare it off with the revolver he was carrying, but he was ultimately attacked by the elephant."

Gary Freeman.Credit: Gary Freeman/Instagram

“There is no evidence that suggests the firearm was used," the police spokesperson added.

The tour group took Freeman to a “safe place” and contacted emergency medical personnel, who pronounced him dead when they arrived, Mashaba said.

A spokesperson for the South African Police Service in Limpopo did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, April 18.

Freeman had led the walking safari operation since its inception in the early 1990s, according to the reserve’s publication, theKlaserie Chronicle. As of 2024, peranother issue, he still ran the operation “mainly by himself.”

“As a result, Gary has become an integral part of the KPNR community, with guests often returning to partake in the unique experience he offers; he refers to his guests as family and forms such a deep connection with them that he even gets invited to family gatherings as big as weddings," the reserve said.

After the reserve announced Freeman’s death onFacebookon Friday, April 10, tributes poured in — including from one community member who claimed that Freeman once said he "would rather be killed by” an elephant than shoot one.

Klaserie Private Nature Reserve in South Africa, pictured in 2023Credit: Shutterstock

In a comment, Judy Connors said that she and her brother spent time with Freeman in February, weeks before his death, during which the reserve owner “carried a fulfilled sense of ‘Life has given me enough.’ ”

“In the past, we heard Gary speak of his deep respect and love for elephants. He said he would rather be killed by, than shoot, one,” she wrote on Facebook. “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.”

“Gary, you were a brother who held masculinity beautifully,” she continued. “You were a guide and an elder. We bow in silence before an integral life, a courageous transition, and an everlasting presence.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Connors.

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In its own post, the reserve wrote, “Gary was a true gentleman and an integral part of the fabric of the Klaserie. His presence, kindness, and contribution to this landscape will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”

“Gary will always remain part of the Klaserie,” the post concluded.

Read the original article onPeople

byNeo

in

April 20, 2026

Safari Guide, Who Once Said He’d ‘Rather Be Killed by’ an Elephant Than Ever ‘Shoot One,’ Killed by a Charging Elephant

Gary Freeman was leading a walking safari in South Africa when he was fatally attacked by an elephant NEED TO KNOW ...

Japan warns of slightly increased risk of mega-quake after a 7.7-magnitude one

TOKYO (AP) — An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northernJapanon Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert and the advisory of a higher risk of a possible mega-quake for coastal areas there.

The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance for a mega-quake, compared to a 0.1% chance during normal times, in the next week or so following the powerful quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches.

Officials said the advisory was not a quake prediction but urged residents in 182 towns along the northeastern coasts to raise their preparedness while continuing their daily lives.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, speaking to reporters, urged residents in the affected area to confirm their designated shelters and evacuation routes and to check emergency food and grab bags so they can run immediately when the next big one hits. “The government will do our utmost in case of an emergency,” she said.

It was the second such advisory for the region in recent months.One was issued following a 7.5-magnitude quake in Decemberbut no mega-quake occurred.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said one person in Aomori, north of Iwate, was injured after falling Monday.

Still, Monday's earthquake and tsunami warning were a reminder to the quake-prone area of the March 2011 disaster that ravaged large swaths of the northern coast, triggering a nuclear crisis in Fukushima.

The quake occurred off the coast of Sanriku at around 4:53 p.m. (0753 GMT) Monday, at a depth of about 19 kilometers (11 miles), the meteorological agency said.

Footage on NHK television showed hanging objects swaying and people squatting at a shopping center in Aomori, as authorities told people to seek higher ground and stay away from coastal areas.

Shinkansen bullet trains connecting Tokyo and northern Japan were suspended, leaving passengers in cars and on platforms waiting for service to resume.

A tsunami of about 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) was detected at the Kuji port in Iwate prefecture within an hour of the quake, and a smaller tsunami of 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) was recorded at another port in the prefecture, the meteorological agency said.

The U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the tsunami threat “has now passed.”

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said nuclear power plants and related facilities in the region were intact and no abnormalities were detected.

The disaster management agency said at one point, more than 170,000 people in five northern prefectures from Hokkaido to Fukushima were advised to take shelter.

It's 15 years sincea magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunamion March 11, 2011, ravaged parts of northern Japan, causing more than 22,000 deaths and forcing nearly half a million people to flee their homes, most of them due to tsunami damage.

byNeo

in

April 20, 2026

Japan warns of slightly increased risk of mega-quake after a 7.7-magnitude one

TOKYO (AP) — An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northernJapanon Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert a...

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