On Tuesday, a Kenyan woman was trampled to death by an elephant in Kajiado county.
![Graça Machel was born in 1945 [CGTN]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Graça Machel was born in 1945 [CGTN]")
The woman was collecting firewood in a thicket in Olgulului Group Ranch in Olmoti area, Kajiado county when she was attacked by the Jumbo.
Through a statement posted on its twitter handle, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) confirmed the incident and said the unidentified woman was with her friend when the tragedy happened.
“Kenya Wildlife Service regrets to announce the death of a young woman after she was killed by an elephant yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon while collecting firewood in (a) thicket,” the statement read in part.
According to KWS, the incident was reported to their team in Amboseli National Park by a woman who had accompanied the deceased to collect firewood.
The latest case points to a growing human-wildlife conflict in Kenya as more and more humans encroach the last wildlife sanctuaries.
Around 500 people are killed by elephants annually most of which are from trampling and goring, according to National Geographic.
Despite its deadliness, however, far more elephants have been killed by people. Human-wildlife conflict has cost the Kenyan government Sh1.2 billion ($120 million) in the last five years alone and the figure is set to shoot upwards even further going forward.
KWS forecasts the figures will double in the coming year with the number of victims killed or injured by the animals already on an upward trajectory. Between 2014 and 2017, there were 13,125 compensation claims which had been presented to the ministry with 4,722 deferred due to lack of relevant documents. Between June 2017 and November 2019, there were an additional 8,478 claims which included 352 human deaths that had been presented to the State.
Meanwhile, last month Big Tim, one of Africa's last remaining giant "tusker" elephants died aged 50 in the same park.
KWS said Big Tim died in Mada area of Amboseli National Park from natural causes.
Big Tim's carcass was found at the foot of the snow capped peak of Kilimanjaro, the Amboseli Trust for Elephants said.
An elephant is technically a "tusker" when its ivory tusks are so long that they scrape the ground. Usually, only old bull elephants grow their tusks long enough to reach this acclaimed status.
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