A Spanish man has been trampled to death by elephants in a South African national park.
The man was attacked on Sunday morning in Pilanesberg national park, about 20 miles outside Johannesburg, after he left the car he was traveling in with his fiancée and two other women.
Reports indicate that the man stopped the vehicle, got out, and approached the elephants to take pictures, says police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone.
The elephants are said to have attacked and killed him.
National park visitors are informed that it is not allowed to leave their vehicles in the park, says Piet Niel, who is responsible for nature conservation in the North West Province. He says that the elephant matriarch was probably provoked by the man's approach and that it is natural for elephants to protect the herd's calves.
Many tourists are unaware of the risks and do not know how dangerous these animals can be, he says.
