This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/5399314.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Elephant tramples Briton to death | Elephant tramples Briton to death |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A British tourist has been killed by an elephant while on honeymoon in Kenya. | |
| Patrick Smith, 34, from London, was trampled to death in the Masai Mara game reserve on Sunday while on a nature trail with his wife Julie. | |
| It is understood the couple, both employed by the global media group Reuters, had been married for just one week before Mr Smith's death. | It is understood the couple, both employed by the global media group Reuters, had been married for just one week before Mr Smith's death. |
| Mrs Smith was not injured in the stampede but is "shaken up", according to reports. | Mrs Smith was not injured in the stampede but is "shaken up", according to reports. |
| The pair were said to have been on an early morning walking safari with a guard when the small group of elephants they were observing was startled. | The pair were said to have been on an early morning walking safari with a guard when the small group of elephants they were observing was startled. |
| 'Tragic' | 'Tragic' |
| Kenya Wildlife Service spokeswoman Connie Maina said efforts were being made to track the elephant. | Kenya Wildlife Service spokeswoman Connie Maina said efforts were being made to track the elephant. |
| "It is very unusual... but accidents can happen," she said. | "It is very unusual... but accidents can happen," she said. |
| We will try to monitor to see if we can get any leads, if it is a rogue elephant it may do this again Connie Maina,Kenya Wildlife Service | |
| "They say it was one elephant, I'm trying to find out whether it was a lone bull. | "They say it was one elephant, I'm trying to find out whether it was a lone bull. |
| "We will try to monitor to see if we can get any leads, if it is a rogue elephant it may do this again - but we don't have any information on whether it is or not," she said. | "We will try to monitor to see if we can get any leads, if it is a rogue elephant it may do this again - but we don't have any information on whether it is or not," she said. |
| Ms Maina added the couple had been a short distance from the upmarket encampment, Richard's Camp, where they were reported to be staying. | Ms Maina added the couple had been a short distance from the upmarket encampment, Richard's Camp, where they were reported to be staying. |
| A spokeswoman at the British High Commission in the Kenyan capital Nairobi said the man's next of kin had been informed. | A spokeswoman at the British High Commission in the Kenyan capital Nairobi said the man's next of kin had been informed. |
| A Reuters spokesman said: "Clearly it is a very tragic situation, we are sending our condolences to the family, we are trying to help them practically as best we can." | A Reuters spokesman said: "Clearly it is a very tragic situation, we are sending our condolences to the family, we are trying to help them practically as best we can." |
| Wild animals | Wild animals |
| The BBC's Adam Mynott, in Kenya, said human beings were occasionally killed by elephants in the country. | The BBC's Adam Mynott, in Kenya, said human beings were occasionally killed by elephants in the country. |
| But this normally happened in areas where humans had encroached onto land used by the elephants. | But this normally happened in areas where humans had encroached onto land used by the elephants. |
| In this case it appeared safety precautions had been followed to the letter but that this was a "tragic accident", our correspondent said. | In this case it appeared safety precautions had been followed to the letter but that this was a "tragic accident", our correspondent said. |
| "People who go on safari are warned very carefully about the risks that wild animals pose to them," he added. | "People who go on safari are warned very carefully about the risks that wild animals pose to them," he added. |
| He said it was very uncommon for elephants to kill humans in wildlife reserves. | He said it was very uncommon for elephants to kill humans in wildlife reserves. |
| Tourists on game drives through wildlife reserves are told to stay in their cars because of the threat from wild animals. | Tourists on game drives through wildlife reserves are told to stay in their cars because of the threat from wild animals. |
| And where tourists are taken on walks through the bush, they are accompanied by rangers armed with rifles. | And where tourists are taken on walks through the bush, they are accompanied by rangers armed with rifles. |
| In 2000, another Briton was trampled to death by an elephant in the Masai Mara reserve, when he ventured out of a secure compound to take a photograph of it. | In 2000, another Briton was trampled to death by an elephant in the Masai Mara reserve, when he ventured out of a secure compound to take a photograph of it. |