Celebrated Hunter Crushed To Death By Baby Elephant As He Tried To Measure Its Ivory For U.S. Client
A celebrated Texas-born hunter was crushed to death by a baby elephant in Zimbabwe as he tried to measure its ivory tusks for an American client.
Ian Gibson, 55, was a lauded figure among U.S. safari enthusiasts, who would commission him to slaughter prized animals near his home in South Africa.
On Wednesday, he was tentatively approaching the young bull elephant in Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Valley when the animal charged, and knelt on Gibson until he died.
His American client, who was also present, has not been identified. The Dallas Safari Club is paying for Gibson’s funeral.
Despite only having one leg, Gibson was described by fans as ‘fit and strong’.
According to a statement from Safari Classics, posted on AfricaHunting.com, the group had stopped for a rest when the animal approached their group.
Gibson and his tracker approached to assess its ivory.
‘At very close range, Ian was able to get off one shot before the bull killed him. The scene was very graphic,’ the statement read.
Twitter users were widely pitiless, with hundreds of animal rights supporters commenting that he ‘got what he deserved’.