Elephant Handler Killed During Bush Walk by Elephant He Raised from Birth
A senior elephant handler was killed in a sudden and unprovoked attack by a female elephant he had raised from birth, during a routine bush walk at a South African wildlife reserve.
Israel Shambira, 58, was fatally gored on Saturday afternoon at the Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development (HERD) facility, where he had worked for nearly two decades.
The elephant, named Limpopo, unexpectedly charged and drove her tusks into his chest while he rested beneath a tree.
The incident occurred after Limpopo knocked down a large tree that blocked the reserve path. While three carers left to seek help clearing the obstruction, Shambira remained behind.
Limpopo, previously known for her calm and nurturing nature, suddenly turned aggressive.
By the time his colleagues returned, Shambira had suffered fatal injuries and could not be saved.
HERD officials say the attack was deeply shocking and completely out of character.
A HERD spokesperson expressed the team’s confusion over Limpopo’s behaviour.
“We don’t know what went through Limpopo’s mind and why she did it.
“Her behaviour was totally unexpected and unprovoked during the usual walk out in the bush, and why she turned on Israel we just will never know,” the spokesperson said.
Shambira’s journey with elephants began in 1996 while working as a builder in Zimbabwe. He became captivated by a group of orphaned elephants near a construction site and left his trade to care for them full-time.
In 2002, as political unrest threatened the herd’s survival, he helped relocate the elephants to South Africa’s only dedicated elephant orphanage.
Limpopo was the first elephant born at the HERD reserve in 2006. Unlike others in the herd—many of whom were orphaned or rescued from poaching—she was born into safety and had never experienced trauma.
HERD confirmed that Shambira had been by her side for 19 years, since the day she was born.
The HERD spokesperson said Shambira’s bond with Limpopo was especially close.
“Israel cared for those elephants with the same devotion he showed his family.
“Limpopo was always calm and affectionate, which makes this loss so painful and difficult to comprehend,” the spokesperson added.
Staff at HERD described Shambira as a man of quiet faith and unwavering dedication.
They said he was known for his daily prayers in the vegetable garden and his peaceful evening walks with elder elephants like Sebakwe.
His death has left a deep void. His decades-long commitment to elephant welfare shaped the lives of the herd he helped rescue and raise.
His legacy endures in every animal he touched and in the mission he gave his life to.
HERD has brought in Brett Mitchell from the Elephant Reintegration Trust to assess Limpopo’s behavior and support the team.
The organization said Shambira’s death will not be in vain, and that his work will continue through the elephants he helped protect.
