A 13,000-pound sexually-charged elephant reportedly killed a South African safari ranger during a rampage.
Mark Lautenbac died after the elephant broke through a fence at the Leopard Rock Lodge and ran through the Madikwe Game Reserve – a tourist area in the facility.
According to reports, the 33-year-old was trampled to death as he tried to steer the animal away from visitors.
Officials blamed the male elephant’s violent behavior on musth – a heightened state of sexual tension.
Musth is a periodic condition in male elephants, characterized by highly aggressive behavior and accompanied by a large rise in reproductive hormones. Testosterone levels in an elephant in musth can be as much as 6 times greater than in the same elephant at other times.
The Field Guides Association of South Africa posted on Facebook: “The news of Mark Lautenbach is terribly sad and devastating. Condolences from FGASA to the family.”
