A South African safari park owner is believed to have been killed by a charging elephant after claiming he would rather die that way than shoot one of the animals dead.
Gary Freeman, 65, was leading a group of tourists on a guided hike when an elephant attacked – he brandished his revolver to try to scare it off but did not pull the trigger.
Mr Freeman, a co-owner of the 148,000-acre Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, was killed in the attack, which a source said was ‘all over quickly’.
The source added: ‘Gary tried to break the charge but he never fired a shot. The elephant was very quickly on him and it was as you can imagine not pleasant.
‘There is nothing anyone can do to stop six tonne of angry elephant. Fortunately it was all over quickly.’
Mr Freeman’s group of four tourists helped to get him on to a vehicle and ‘rushed him to try and get medical attention but nothing could be done’.
‘He had succumbed to his dreadful injuries,’ the source said.
Mr Freeman had been leading his group along the banks of the Klaserie River inside the reserve, which sits on the western border of Kruger National Park – one of South Africa’s largest game reserves – in the north-east of the country.
Judy Connors, from Johannesburg, attended Mr Freeman’s safari camp at Klaserie in February, writing on Facebook: ‘In the past we have heard Gary speak of his deep respect and love for the elephants.
‘He said he would rather be killed by an elephant than shoot one.
‘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.’
Another friend, Thomas Marshall, said: ‘I had the pleasure of joining Gary three times on his wilderness hikes and he was totally at one with nature and told the most amazing stories around the camp-fire.
‘The word legend is much abused but he truly was one.’
A mechanical engineering graduate, he ran Gary Freeman Safaris for 33 years after becoming a ranger when he left university.
Standing at well over 6ft, he was known as ‘Thutwa’, which means giraffe in the local Tswana language.
Mr Freeman was a co-owner of Klaserie from its founding in 1969, when 36 farm owners merged to create one of the biggest Big Five game reserves in South Africa.
The Big Five are a group of animals traditionally believed to be the most dangerous to hunt on foot, including the elephant, rhinoceros, lion, buffalo and leopard.
Klaserie is home to around 750 wild elephants and also hosts rhino, lions, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, hyena, buck and hundreds of different types of bird.
Though he died on April 9, the circumstances of Mr Freeman’s death have just emerged and police in Limpopo Province have opened an inquest into the episode.
It is understood no action has been taken against the elephant but experts have been called in to study its behaviour and assess its threat to others.
Male elephants are the world’s largest land animal and can grow up to 13ft tall and run up to 25mph.
They can weigh as much as six tonnes and kill up to 500 people a year throughout Africa.
Police spokesman Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said: ‘The deceased, who is the owner of the game reserve, was touring with the tourists and at some point alighted from their vehicle and walked on foot.
‘As the group were walking an elephant suddenly emerged and charged at him. He tried to scare it off with the revolver he was carrying but he was ultimately attacked by the elephant.
‘The driver and tracker together with other tourists took him to a safe place and summoned the emergency medical personnel. Upon their arrival, he was unfortunately certified dead.
‘There is no evidence that suggests the firearm was used.’
A spokesman for the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve said: ‘Gary was a true gentleman and an integral part of the fabric of Klaserie who was a remarkable and extraordinary trail guide who loved the bush.
‘Gary’s presence, kindness and contribution to this landscape will be deeply missed by all who knew him and our thoughts are with his partner Hanneke and his family and his many, many friends.
‘Gary will forever be a part of the Klaserie.’
In July 2025 two female tourists including a British pensioner were killed by a charging female elephant protecting a young calf while out on a walking safari in the Zambian bush.
Janet Easton, 68, from Bradford, and her New Zealander cousin Alsion Taylor, 67, were trampled to death at the South Luangwa National Park despite tour guides firing shots to stop the attack.
