An Australian tourist has been killed by an elephant in Namibia, the country’s government says.
The African nation’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism confirmed the 59-year-old man’s death in a Facebook post.
“Sadly today the Ministry received a report that a tourist was killed by an elephant,” the post read.
“The ministry has since confirmed that a 59-year-old Australian national man was killed in the Huab river, Kunene region where a group of tourists were camping this morning.
“This is a very unfortunate incident and highly regrettable.”
News.com.au has approached the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.
The post said the man was among a group of tourists who were camping in an area that was “not a designated camping site”.
It said the ministry and police were investigating the incident and sought to establish whether the group was with a tour guide.
“The ministry wishes to reiterate our call to our very welcome tourists to always be cautious and adhere to the rules and regulations put in place for their safety,” it added.
“Finally, we wish to express our sincere condolences to the bereaved family and friends of the deceased.”
The ABC reports Namibia’s Kunene region is home to the only known groups of desert elephants in the world. They are slightly smaller than other African elephants.
The death comes days after two men from Australia were killed after plunging 300m from a cliff during a challenging climb on The Remarkables mountain range near Queenstown in New Zealand.
