A field ranger carrying out routine duties at Munywana Conservancy near Hluhluwe in the heart of Zululand was on Monday trampled to death by a herd of stampeding elephants.

The tragic incident occurred at about 16:30 when Nyathi Anti-Poaching Unit member Philani Sibiya (33) was returning to his field post with a colleague.

The pair reportedly surprised the elephants in dense bush.

The rangers attempted to retreat but Sibiya was unable to get out of the way of the charging animals.

Munywana vice-chair Kevin Pretorius says Sibiya’s death came as a great shock to the community, and his dedication and experience are a great loss.

“In this incident, two game guards were returning to their field post on foot and surprised a herd of elephant in thick bush. Both were caught up in the subsequent stampede, and regrettably one of the game guards was killed,” adds Pretorius.

“Our preliminary investigation indicates no negligence on the part of the game guards; the herd of elephant were surprised in dense vegetation, and this was an unfortunate and tragic event,” explains Pretorius.

“The Nyathi Anti-poaching Unit provides the Munywana Conservancy, in which andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, Zuka Private Game Reserve and Makhasa Game Reserve are situated, with specialised security services that include anti-poaching operations, reserve access control and lodge security.”