safari attacks on humans

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American woman, 79, killed during African safari after elephant charges truck

A Minnesota woman died after her tour vehicle was charged by an elephant during a safari in Africa.

Gail Mattson, who was 79, was on safari at Kafue National Park in western Zambia on March 30 when a bull elephant approached her tour group’s truck, which was carrying six tourists and a guide.

The elephant ran toward the truck and flipped it over, as seen in a video shared on social media that appears to show the incident. 

Mattson’s daughter, Rona Wells, confirmed that her mother passed away while on safari, writing in an April 2 Facebook post that her mom “lost her life in a tragic accident while on her dream adventure.”

The tour company that operated Mattson’s tour, Wilderness, confirmed in an April 2 press release that an American tourist died after a tour vehicle was “unexpectedly charged” by an “aggressive bull elephant.’

“Our guides are extremely well trained and experienced, but sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough,” Keith Vincent, the CEO of Wilderness, said in a statement. 

Another female tourist was injured in the incident, and four other guests received treatment for minor injuries, according to Wilderness.

The tour company also said in a statement that Mattson’s body would be repatriated to the United States with help from Zambian authorities and the U.S. embassy in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital.

This incident came after another situation involving an aggressive elephant occurred in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park last month.

In a video captured by a tourist that appears to show the moment, the elephant can be seen charging a safari tour truck and lifting it with its tusks. No one was hurt in that incident. 

These types of frightening run-ins with wildlife are quite rare during safaris, Marlon du Toit, a professional safari guide and wildlife photographer, told NBC News. 

Commenting on the fatal incident in Zambia, du Toit said “it’s extremely rare to see an elephant that irate react so aggressively.” 

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’ve never had an encounter as aggressive (as) that with elephants,” he added.

He also told NBC News that he had worked with the tour company involved in the Zambia incident for years, and called them one of the best in Africa.

“Across Africa, there are thousands and thousands  of guests on safari on a daily basis, with no negative consequences,” he said.

Lindsay Lowe has been a regular contributor to TODAY.com since 2016, covering pop culture, style, home and other lifestyle topics. She is also working on her first novel, a domestic drama set in rural Regency England.

10 safari horror stories that will chill you to the bone

Going on safari can be a thrilling and remarkable experience. But in the midst of all the excitement, guides are quick to point out that safaris are not vacations in which you can safely sit idly by.

The purpose of many wildlife preserves and safaris is to raise awareness for the receding natural habitat of some of the world’s most beautiful and fascinating plants and animals. But sometimes, as we encroach too much on these natural predators' homes, the results can quickly turn tragic.

Read on for 10 safari horror stories.

In 2018, a 22-year-old woman was mauled to death by a lion.

While on vacation in a game reserve outside Pretoria in South Africa , a 22-year-old woman was attacked and killed by a lion as she took photos outside the fenced area of a camp. A lioness was charging after an Impala (an antelope), but encountered the young woman instead.

The victim was not staying at the camp, and instead was a guest of a friend and was intending to interview the camp’s manager before tragedy struck.

A gorilla pushed a woman to the ground as it charged past in Rwanda.

In video footage captured in March 2016, a new husband happened to film his wife as a gorilla ran past her, pushing her to the ground.

Gemma Cosgriff was on her honeymoon in Rwanda when the incident took place, and together with her husband, had been observing animals at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, according to The Mirror. And although the fall seemed to be quite terrifying, Cosgriff was not seriously injured.

A former "Game of Thrones" editor was mauled to death by a lion in South Africa.

In 2015, 29-year-old Katherine Chappell was being driven through a lion park in South Africa when a lioness took hold of the graphic effects creator. Witnesses noted that Chappell had her windows down and was taking photographs of her surroundings just moments before the lioness attacked, according to Express.

Chappell was not in Johannesburg simply to see the sights — rather, the film editor was on a volunteer mission with the aim of protecting wildlife throughout the country.

An elephant charged at a billionaire tourist and his guide in Tanzania.

Nearly 10 years ago, billionaire Tom Siebel, the founder and CEO of C3 IoT , was on a walking tour with a guide in Tanzania.

Near a watering hole, Siebel and his guide spotted a 6-ton elephant, which proceeded to charge the group. The animal attacked Siebel, shattering his leg and causing the iPhone in his pocket to explode into 200 pieces, according to Forbes. Siebel has since undergone 16 surgeries to save his leg, but he’s one of the lucky few who have survived such a massive attack.

A leopard attacked a safari guide by jumping into the open-top jeep in South Africa.

In 2015, safari guide Curtis Plumb was leading a tour in an open-top 4x4 jeep when a leopard jumped into the vehicle. Plumb was on a routine safari route in South Africa's Kruger National Park when he spotted the animal, and stopped the car so that tourists could get a closer look, according to Mirror. At this point, the big cat suddenly attacked.

Tourists in Plumb’s jeep attempted to help the guide fight off the predator, but were unsuccessful in their efforts. Ultimately, it was Plumb himself who managed to pry himself loose. Luckily, he lived to tell the tale, despite serious injuries. The animal was put down following the incident.

Two tourists were trampled to death by elephants after getting too close in Zambia.

Last year, a 57-year-old woman and a 64-year-old man were trampled to death by elephants at the Maramba River Lodge in Livingstone, Zambia. Zambian Police Service spokesperson Danny Mwale told Express that the Belgium and Netherlands nationals were killed after coming too close to the wildlife in attempts to take photos.

The woman, identified later as Sabine Goossens, had been living in Africa for 10 years, and had invited her friend Wim Van Griensven to visit. Reports suggested that Griensven died when he attempted to rescue Goossens from the charging elephant.

A 75-year-old grandmother was killed by a hippo while on safari in Tanzania.

Last August, a 75-year-old businesswoman named Carol Sue Kirken was killed by a hippopotamus while on a family vacation in Tanzania, according to The Daily Mail. Described as an avid world traveler and local philanthropist, Kirken was on safari with her son Robert, and the duo were observing hippos when the attack took place.

Details around her death were unclear , but hippos are largely considered some of the most dangerous animals in the world, responsible for around 500 human deaths every year. They’re capable of outrunning a human, and have extremely sharp teeth.

A family was attacked by lions while in a UK safari park but lived to tell the tale.

A few years ago, writer Glenys Newton shared a terrifying experience from her childhood with the Guardian . Then 5, Newton went on vacation with her family to Longleat, a safari park in the UK. The group found themselves immediately next to a lion, but unfortunately, the young Newton thought it would be advisable to roll down her window and pat the lion on its head.

Needless to say, the lion did not take kindly to the gesture, roaring as the family frantically rolled up the window. This set the other lions in motion, and soon, they were climbing all over the car, leaving paw-prints as proof, according to Newton. While the car was battered and bruised (and ended up with a flat tire), the occupants of the vehicle were physically unharmed.

A tiger killed a woman on safari after she got out of her car in Beijing.

Video footage provided by NBC News captured the moment a tourist was attacked by a tiger in Badaling Wildlife Park in Beijing. While visitors are told explicitly to remain in their vehicles, the victim can be seen exiting the vehicle and walking around to the driver’s side door just before a tiger attacked her, dragging her away.

A second woman attempted to rescue her, but was killed by another tiger. The first woman sustained critical injuries, while the driver of the car and a child were unharmed.

A buffalo stampede crashed right into a car in South Africa.

Here to prove that it’s not just big cats, elephants, or hippos that are dangerous when it comes to safari, footage filmed in May 2016 and provided by MSN showed a herd of buffalo stampeding and ultimately crashing directly into a passenger car in South Africa's Kruger National Park.

The herd of cape buffalo were moving toward a waterhole when they spotted lions near their water source. This likely caused the animals to panic, and the herd suddenly ran in the opposite direction, barging into a white sedan. The car was nearly tipped over, but amazingly, no one was hurt.

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Is Going on Safari Dangerous? Your Safety Questions Answered

Is going on safari dangerous? If you spend time on the Internet, then you may have come across videos of safari attacks on humans by animals. You may even have read or heard grizzly stories about tourists killed in African safaris. Of course, this can raise concerns about ticking off this bucket list adventure.

Feeling concerned or fearful about safety on safari is natural. After all, you’d be venturing into the vast wilderness (likely with companions), where dangerous beasts roam free, and there have been accidents. That being said, the experience isn’t nearly as hazardous as some would have you believe.

Is Going on Safari Dangerous?

Whenever human beings expose themselves to wild, unrestrained animals in nature, there will always be an element of danger. This is partly what makes safari expeditions exciting. However, on safaris in Africa , game reserves take every precaution to ensure the safety of guests during game drives and walks.

The key to remaining safe on game drives and safari walks is to listen to your safari guide. This is of great importance, as not following instructions can result in accidents and injuries. Respect your surroundings and the fact that you are in the wild. Do this and you will enjoy a safe, unforgettable experience.

Do Animals Attack Safari Vehicles?

Wild animals rarely attack or even approach or acknowledge safari vehicles. They are used to the traffic of safari-goers and have adapted to seeing them outdoors. When animals do approach the trucks, it usually because they are seeking shade or camouflage for prey that they are stalking for food.

Now, is going on safari dangerous? It can be, but it seldom is. Safari trucks and tourists are scenery to bush animals, and safari game rangers are experienced and well trained. Should an animal approach, then your driver will tell you how to behave (close windows, sit, stand, etc.) and interact with it.

An African rhino doing his thing as safari tourists look on.

What Is the Safari Death Rate?

It is quite difficult to find information related to fatal safari incidents. This is because all deaths caused by wild animals in Africa are categorised into one group. The deaths that do occur normally do not involve tourists, though. They involve locals and villagers while farming and going about their daily lives.

Deaths that have occurred while on safari are very few, so few that they do not even feature on country statistics for safari destinations. Every year, millions of people go safariing in Africa . On average, perhaps one tourist dies as a result of harmful interactions with wild animals in the bushveld.

What Is the Most Dangerous Animal on Safaris?

Lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, hippos and buffalo… You’ll encounter them all in Africa, depending on when and where you go, and they can all be dangerous. The biggest threat to your health and life, however, is not a member of the Big Five or some other large creature. Rather, it is the pesky mosquito.

Although the tiny mosquito looks far less impressive than Africa’s many sizeable beasts, it can be extremely dangerous. Mozzies carry many potentially deadly diseases, including malaria. The good news is that the risk of contraction is miniscule. Moreover, bites can be prevented if you know what to wear on safari .

The most deadly animal (insect) in Africa, the mosquito!

Is It Safe to Go on Safari?

So then, is going on safari dangerous or is it safe to go on a safari in Africa? African safaris, if you plan well and follow the rules, are not only safe but also incredibly enjoyable. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget, and statistically, you are much safer on safari than you are driving to work in the mornings.

For more information regarding safety on safaris, particularly safaris in South Africa, you can contact Safaris Down South here . You may also want to check out our other safari blogs .

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The Cheetahs Made a Kill. Then the Safari Trucks Swarmed In.

A video showing dozens of vehicles moving in on a pair of big cats in a Kenyan game reserve highlights how “aggressive tourism” can put endangered animals at even greater risk.

By Maria Cramer and Costas Christ

The video surfaced online around October. Filmed from a distance, it shows an antelope grazing on the African plain. Suddenly, two cheetahs race toward it and the antelope takes off, running toward the camera. But the cats are too fast. They converge on it and bring it down. They begin to feed.

Almost at that exact moment, a second drama unfolds: The safari vehicles that have been parked in the background begin to move. One dark-colored 4x4 hits the gas and begins driving closer to the animals. Then vehicle after vehicle is on the move — green, brown, white, in various states of repair. You can hear the voices of the guides within yelling at one another. Some start to honk their horns. The vehicles form a circle, jockeying for position as their passengers hold up cellphones to record the cheetahs and their meal.

A woman’s voice can be heard in the background. “Are they stupid?” she asks.

The video was filmed in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, home to many of the Big Five animals ( lions , leopards, elephants , buffalo and rhinoceroses ) that safari participants tick off their lists. The identity of the video’s creator remains unknown, as does the date it was shot.

It was originally shared by a Twitter account using the name @DrumChronicles and has been viewed more than 175,000 times since it appeared. Guides and conservationists who have seen it said the video underscored a problem many of them have observed since the Kenyan government began lifting most pandemic-related travel restrictions : safari vehicles packed with cellphone-wielding tourists led by guides who are willing to get too close to the animals.

Overcrowding at popular safari spots was a serious issue before the pandemic, but as tourists have returned to Kenya, the problem has come back with alarming speed and “appears to be heightened by pent-up travel demand,” said Judy Kepher-Gona , director of the Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda , an organization based in Kenya that has called for stricter monitoring in the reserve.

“Sadly, what is seen in this video is the rule and not the exception in Masai Mara reserve,” she said.

In February, a Toyota Land Cruiser carrying tourists got so close to a family of cheetahs, the vehicle nearly ran over one of the cubs.

In August, Simon Espley, the chief executive of Africa Geographic , a travel and conservation company, watched in horror as 60 vehicles idled on both sides of the Mara River, which runs through the reserve, mere feet from where hundreds of wildebeests and zebras were slowly amassing at a crossing point during their migration in the Masai Mara.

When the hooves hit the water, there was a “crazy, chaotic rush as hundreds of tons of steel lunged forward with screaming engines” from the 4x4s that maneuvered to get closer to the herds, Mr. Espley said.

“It was surreal and sickening as we all converged on what is only a few hundred meters of riverbank, jostled for position and somehow avoided collisions,” he said.

Mr. Espley, whose company had organized the safari trip for a group of photographers, said he felt “regret and unease” about being part of that crowd. “Everyone in our safari vehicle did,” he said. The travelers asked their guide, a local Masai, to drive them away immediately.

“He was happy to oblige,” Mr. Espley said.

The problem, which conservationists describe as “aggressive tourism,” preceded the pandemic, but it appears to have gotten worse, with guests hungry for Instagram moments and tour companies trying to make up for the losses they suffered when the world shut down.

“Personally I won’t go into the Mara Reserve ever again in season because of this,” said Michael Lorentz, a safari guide based in Cape Town who leads tours in Kenya. “It actually upsets me so much, and it upsets my guests to see how badly animals are being treated.”

An urge to get too close

The human desire to get close to animals, however dangerous, is innate, said Prof. Philip Tedeschi, the founder of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver, who frequently visits Kenya with his students.

“It’s part of our DNA to pay special attention to living systems,” he said.

Last summer, a small boat in Plymouth, Mass., came so close to a humpback that it almost capsized when the whale leapt out of the water and landed on its bow.

In May, a 25-year-old woman who approached a bison in Yellowstone National Park was gored and tossed 10 feet into the air. She survived, park officials said in a statement that warned visitors to stay at least 25 yards from the animals.

The behavior may be misguided and dangerous, Mr. Tedeschi said, but it is also an attempt to have a “peak experience,” a term coined by the psychologist Abraham Maslow that describes a euphoric state of mind that comes from witnessing or participating in a moment so intense it changes the neurochemistry of the brain.

And it can lead us to put a premium on being far too close to animals — “literally being able to look over the shoulder of the animal as it kills its prey” — while forgetting that animals are sentient beings whose behavior is altered by our presence, he said.

The consequences for animals can be devastating, Mr. Tedeschi said.

In Kenya, cheetahs — the fastest of the big cats, but also among the most timid — can easily be scared off a hard-won kill even if they have gone days without eating. Vehicles that get too close can reveal a cheetah’s position to prey or other predators, adding another challenge for animals that are already struggling to find food because of drought and habitat loss.

Large numbers of vehicles and tourists in the roughly 580-square-mile Masai Mara are also threatening the annual journey of mammals known as the Great Migration, when more than one million wildebeests, along with zebras and gazelles, move through the reserve in July and August, the peak travel months for Kenya.

The Great Migration was already being threatened by other types of human behavior, including urban development, new settlements and fencing for farms.

Tourists clamoring for front-row seats are adding pressure on the animals, who could respond by traveling in smaller numbers or deviating from their established routes to avoid the crush of vehicles and tourists, said Benson Gitau, a Kenyan guide.

Searching for a better way

Tourism is critical to many African economies. By 2030, travel to the continent is projected to generate more than $260 billion annually. In Kenya, before the pandemic, tourism accounted for nearly 10 percent of the gross domestic product, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife.

In 2019, more than two million people visited Kenya, a number that was expected to grow by more than 7 percent in 2020, the tourism ministry said. But then the pandemic hit, forcing hotels and restaurants to close and more than 80 percent of companies in the country’s tourism sector to lay off workers . And those who did not lose their jobs often had to cope with pay cuts of up to 70 percent, the ministry said.

During the height of the pandemic, many guides lost their jobs and had to use their vehicles as taxis or to deliver groceries, said Mr. Gitau, the Kenyan guide, who works in the Loisaba Conservancy , a 57,000-acre wildlife reserve north of Nairobi.

Visitors have returned steadily, though in smaller numbers. By the spring of 2022, international tourist arrivals in Africa had more than doubled compared with 2021. In October, Najib Balala, then Kenya’s tourism secretary, projected 1.4 million to 1.5 million visitors to the country by the end of 2022, compared with 870,000 in 2021.

But as the country welcomed back visitors, leaders began rethinking how to manage tourism in its reserves and parks.

In May, Mr. Balala’s office released a 130-page report that called for a “new tourism strategy.” Among its proposals: increasing prices for the Masai Mara in July and August ( it currently costs up to $80 for nonresident adults to visit the park ) and restricting development of new lodging in the country’s national parks to 30 beds.

There are dozens of camps and lodges in the reserve and the protected areas that neighbor it, according to Masai Mara Travel, a tour company in Kenya. Some camps and lodges in the reserve have up to 200 beds, Mr. Gitau said.

But conservationists and guides on the ground say few, if any, of the measures proposed by the ministry have been enacted.

The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, which came under new leadership in October, did not respond to repeated messages for comment. The Kenya Wildlife Service , a state corporation charged with managing and conserving the country’s wildlife, declined to comment.

Zebra Plains, one of the tour operators whose vehicles can be seen in the video, did not respond to requests for comment. The video was posted in November on Zebra Plains’ Facebook page by a user complaining about the drivers’ conduct.

“Whilst our photographic guests usually have off road permits that does not excuse driving between other vehicles and the sighting,” the company responded in the comments. “This will be taken up with the guides concerned.”

With the Masai Mara increasingly under pressure from tourists, conservationists have been pushing for the “conservancy” model, in which private parcels of land owned by local communities, such as the Masai, are leased to tour companies. They agree to hire community members as guides, camp managers, kitchen staff and housekeepers and to follow rules that include caps on the number of lodges and camps and limits on the number of tourist vehicles. The largest camp in Loisaba Conservancy, for example, fits 20 to 30 tourists, Mr. Gitau said.

Since 2013, when the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association was established, about 350,000 acres of wilderness bordering the Masai Mara reserve have come under this type of private-public partnership.

Research shows wildlife fares better where tourism is more controlled. For example, female cheetahs in the Masai Mara reserve raised far fewer cubs than cheetahs in the conservancies, according to a 2018 report in the scientific journal Ecology and Evolution.

Staying in the conservancies instead of the Masai Mara is more expensive — at least $1,200 a night versus a few hundred, said Ashish Sanghrajka, president of Big Five Tours & Expeditions, a Florida-based tour company that organizes trips in the conservancies.

The answer to limiting the number of tourists in the Masai Mara may lie in raising park prices, he said.

“It should be expensive,” said Mr. Sanghrajka, who was born in Kenya. “It’s supposed to be a privilege. It’s not supposed to be a right.”

At the same time, a healthy tourism industry is critical to conservation efforts in a region of the world with some of the most endangered species, including black rhinos. Tourism offers local communities an incentive to protect wildlife, and with few other industries offering well-paying jobs, many Kenyans depend on tourism as a lifeline out of poverty.

The goal should be to improve enforcement and monitoring in the Masai Mara reserve, not to discourage travel, Ms. Kepher-Gona said.

To that end, visitors have tremendous power, she said. They can make sure tour companies have guides licensed by the Kenya Professional Safari Guide Association and ask tour companies for their codes of ethics and if the guides keep their distance from animals to avoid disturbing them.

Mr. Gitau said that as a rule, a trained guide will come no closer than 20 to 30 meters to a hunt. “When you arrive there, you have to switch off your engine, keep quiet and enjoy the scene,” he said.

Tourists can also act more responsibly by tempering their expectations, Mr. Gitau said. When he picks up guests, he said, he always asks them what they want to see. Often they say they want to see “a kill.”

Mr. Gitau said he tells them he will do his best to give them a memorable experience. But he always adds this reminder: “Nature is full of surprises. Whatever happens, just know that it was meant to happen.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

Susan C. Beachy contributed research.

An earlier version of this article misstated the distance that Yellowstone National Park officials, in a statement, warned visitors to keep between themselves and large animals like bison. It is 25 yards, not 25 feet.

How we handle corrections

Maria Cramer is a reporter on the Travel desk. Please send her tips, questions and complaints about traveling, especially on cruises. More about Maria Cramer

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Why don’t lions attack tourists on safari and more questions from our readers.

A Moon-less Earth, yoga history, climate change and human speech

Smithsonian magazine

Why don’t wild lions attack human tourists in open vehicles?

Douglas Hall, Suwanee, Georgia

It’s all about predator-prey dynamics: A lion wouldn’t think twice about going after an individual human, but a motor vehicle is just so much larger than any animal a lion would usually attack as prey (or perceive as a threat it could handle). This dynamic also helps explain why animals do things or have characteristics to make themselves look larger—to avoid being perceived as easy prey.

Craig Saffoe, Curator of great cats, National Zoo

What would happen to the Earth if the Moon were destroyed?

Rose Mary, Bundscho, Houston

There’s a vibrant literature on the subject on the Internet, but the logic chains are rather long and sometimes hard to follow. In reality, any event violent enough to destroy the Moon would likely destroy the Earth, too. Speaking less literally, the Earth without the Moon would be a planet without tides—and with a less compelling night sky. David DeVorkin Curator of astronomy and space sciences, Air and Space Museum

How long ago did humans develop the ability to speak and form words?

Marsha Cox, Kure Beach, North Carolina

We don’t know about spoken words; they don’t turn into fossils that we can discover and date. But written words date back about 8,000 years, and evidence of artistic expression, such as sculptures and paintings, is much more ancient. For instance, humans began using pigments like ocher and manganese to mark objects, and possibly their own skin, between 320,000 and 260,000 years ago.

Briana Pobiner, Paleoanthropologist, Natural History Museum

We often hear that climate change is raising the sea level. Is it rising globally or in specific locations?

Wayne Gilbert, Westminster, Colorado

The sea level is rising worldwide, but not uniformly, due to differences in ocean circulation, winds, the shape of local bodies of water, seafloor characteristics and even the gravitational pull of polar ice sheets. The elevation of land may also change over time in an equally variable fashion. Combined, the two factors create a great deal of local variation in the rise of sea elevation compared with land elevation, which we call relative sea level rise.

Patrick Megonigal, Climate change ecologist, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Who invented yoga?

Debbie Peck, Germantown, Wisconsin

No specific individual or spiritual tradition. Yoga emerged in northern India about 2,500 years ago, as men and women of various faiths began to renounce social bonds and turn to meditation as a means of rising above the pain of existence. By the seventh century A.D., the core concepts, practices and vocabulary of almost every yoga system were established, though variations and expansions continue.

Debra Diamond, Curator, “Yoga: The Art of Transformation,” Sackler Gallery

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Is Going on Safari Dangerous?

Tips on how to stay safe

moodboard / Getty Images

Every safari has an element of danger; that's what makes it exciting. While many of the animals you'll encounter can be dangerous , the four that you really have to watch out for are—elephant, lion, buffalo , and hippo (add crocodiles to that list if you're near water).

Most safari operators and guides at the various lodges and game reserves will stress basic precautions you need to take while game viewing. It will also help if you follow basic safari etiquette. If you are on safari in smaller, more remote game parks or encounter wildlife outside of game parks, here are some general rules to follow:

If You Are in a Vehicle

• Always stay in your car. When driving in a game park remain in your vehicle. Only get out at designated "hides" and follow the rules that will be posted. There have been several fatalities that occurred because a hapless tourist has wandered out of their vehicle, camera in hand, to get a closer shot of an elephant or lion. It may sound silly, but it happens.
• Don't stand up or stick anything out of the car . Many safari vehicles are open-topped, and the wildlife is generally accustomed to these. But, if you stand up or wave something around on the side, some animals will get annoyed and consequently aggressive. You also have to remember that poaching is rife in many areas, and anything that looks like a gun can trigger a very nasty response from a wild animal.
• Drive slowly and carefully . During the wet season, the grass can get quite high, and it's not always possible to tell when a large buffalo or elephant will decide to step into the middle of the road. Remember, you have to stop if this happens. Buffalos and elephants are not in the least bit afraid or impressed by you or your car.
• Keep your windows up . If you are in a car with windows, it's better to keep them closed. You could end up being harassed by baboons as you drive through the more popular game parks. They are so habituated to cars they are not afraid to leap upon them and dent the roof. You don't want one inside your vehicle.

If You Are on Foot

If you are on a walking safari, you will no doubt be briefed on safety by your guides. But, there are times when you'll be walking in Africa and encounter wildlife without a guide. You could run into elephants even in the middle of town. Baboons are also a menace in many places and a lot larger than you think. Here are some basic tips if you encounter wildlife eye to eye:

• Try and stay downwind from the animal . If the animal catches your scent, it will know you are there, and you have no idea whether this will make it angry or afraid.
• If an animal you approach looks hostile, make sure you are not in the way of its escape route . Give the animal a clear birth and don't make any noise to aggravate the situation further.
• Walk away slowly . If you encounter an animal that doesn't like your presence move back slowly and quietly.
• Avoid swimming in rivers or lakes unless you are absolutely sure there are no hippos or crocodiles. Hippos are the most dangerous of all the big animals. They feed on the banks of the river, and if they sense danger will charge and attack whatever lies in their path in order to get back to the safety of the water.
• If you are camping out in the open, always make sure you have something covering you even if it's just a mosquito net. Hyenas like to check out camps for leftover food and are especially attracted to protruding objects, so keep your feet and nose inside that tent or net.
• Always wear boots and socks when walking around the bush . There are plenty of venomous snakes and scorpions around that could bite you.
• Don't walk around at night in areas where you know there is wildlife present that can be potentially harmful to you. That includes the beaches and around lakes where hippos graze between tents on a camping safari. Also, be careful in towns. Hyenas wander around freely in the capital city of Lilongwe in Malawi, so always be cautious.

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Watch terrifying moment bull elephant charges safari truck in South Africa forcing students to run for their lives

Three terrified eco-students had a lucky escape when their safari truck was attacked by a bull elephant and rammed off the road.

The huge six ton, 13-foot tall tusker, which was in season for mating, became enraged when the two vehicles came close to its breeding herd.

The confrontation happened after both trucks came to a stop behind each other on a dirt road on the Selati Game Reserve near Hoedspruit on the edge of Kruger Park in South Africa .

Incredible videos show the bull elephant–with ears flaring suddenly charging at the visitors.

The giant bull then flattens its ears and charges, ramming its tusks into the vehicle.

The guide on the viewing seat, in front of the bonnet, jumps for his life to avoid the elephant’s tusks.

Its tusks slice through the bodywork of the safari truck and it lifts the 11-seater vehicle off the ground, pushing it off the road.

Screams can be heard from the three students on board throughout the 30-second attack.

Fortunately just as the safari truck is on the point of being rolled over the bull elephant breaks off its attack and stands defiantly in front of them.

A brave guide from the second safari truck runs to help the three students who are frozen with fear in their seats shouting “get out, get out, get out” and rescues them.

He orders them to run to the safety of his truck keeping the wrecked first vehicle between them and the bull elephant as the guide and spotter also escape.

The terrified students were taken back to the safari lodge and have received counselling but were unhurt. The wrecked safari vehicle was later recovered by staff.

Bull elephants when they are ready to breed go into what is called musth, where their testosterone level can multiply by up to 60 times.

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The become sexually aggressive and highly violent towards humans, and they secrete a tar like discharge on the side of their heads which warns of their sexual arousal.

The herbivores, which spend most of the day eating, are in musth for two to three months a year when they cover as many females as possible and fight their rivals.

They have been known to attack African villages. Elephants, mainly in musth, trample or crush to death an average of 500 people a year.

EcoTraining is based at the 18,000 acre Selati Game Reserve which is home to 135 elephants as well as black and white rhinos and lions, leopard and cheetah.

MD Anton Lategan said: “On a routine activity EcoTraining instructors and trainees came across a breeding herd of elephants and stopped to allow them to settle down.

“An elephant bull, who was with the breeding herd, mock charged the vehicle.

“The elephant bull mock charged again, when they moved forward slowly, and then made direct contact with the game drive vehicle and displaced it off the road.

“Once the vehicle had come to a standstill the trainees were moved to the second vehicle parked in close proximity by instructors with 25 years of experience.”

The general manager of Selati Game Reserve, Bryan Havemann, said: “Although the vehicle was badly damaged, thankfully none of the people on the vehicle were injured.”

The footage captured by an eco-student on the second safari truck has gone viral.

In 2018 a top safari ranger Mark Lautenbach, 33, was trampled to death by a bull elephant that had broken into a game park lodge on a rampage on the Madikwe Game Reserve, by the Kruger.

Videos show terrifying moment bull elephant lifts safari truck

The safari guide who warded off the elephant was praised by wildlife experts.

Frightened tourists can be seen ducking between seats during a tense standoff between a bull elephant and a safari truck in Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa.

Videos of Monday’s incident show a bull elephant lifting the 22-seat truck up several times with his trunk before letting it drop. The driver can be heard calling for the elephant to "go away" and slapping his hand against the side of the truck to scare away the animal.

Hendry Blom, a bystander who caught the incident on camera, told ABC News: "We were definitely scared, especially for the people in the truck because we thought they might die."

Another video from inside the truck shows frightened tourists cowering on the floor of the vehicle. One woman can be heard praying as the elephant approaches.

MORE: Global warming could increase risk of human-elephant conflict, researchers say

Poncho Mogodiri, field operations manager of Mankwe Game Trackers, the tour company involved in the incident, told ABC News the guide and guests were in animal hide when the bull elephant approached. "Hides provide you with the rare opportunity to unobtrusively view the wildlife and birds at close quarters," according to Pilanesberg National Park.

Mogodiri said some of the tourists "came too close to the elephant to take pictures and he started getting aggressive."

The guide's actions -- revving the engine, slamming car doors and shouting to ward the elephant away -- have been widely praised by wildlife experts. Mogodiri said the guide reacted "by the book."

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"Anyone that’s worked with elephants will tell you when a bull like that charges, you don’t turn and run, you need to make as much noise and stand your ground," said Ron Magill, communications director at Zoo Miami.

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Mogodiri confirmed the bull was in musth, or when an elephant "experiences an increase in reproductive hormones and becomes highly aggressive," according to the Pilanesberg National Park website.

No one was injured in the incident, though Mankwe Game Trackers told ABC News one family had been offered counseling after being left "extremely rattled." The Pilanesberg National Park said it will be conducting an internal investigation of the incident.

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Lion climbs into safari vehicle in Crimea, shocking tourists inside

By Danielle Garrand

September 5, 2018 / 11:31 PM EDT / CBS News

People head to safari parks to get up close and personal with animals usually seen only in photos. But, these tourists got a bit too close to a lion when it climbed right into their safari vehicle.

A video released by Taigan Safari Park in Vilnohirsk, Crimea, shows the surprising moment a lion hops into an open-air safari vehicle with tourists.

The footage shows the lion named Filya climbing over people sitting in rows in the car and then licking them, reports APTN. The lion even appeared to attempt to cuddle with the tourists in the vehicle.

Some can be seen taking photos with selfie sticks and laughing, while one woman appeared to be frightened and hops out of the car.

The man in the green shirt driving the vehicle is the park owner, Oleg Zubkov, known as the "lion whisperer," according to the  Daily Mail .

The moment occurred eight weeks after a woman said she was attacked by a different lion named Vitya in the Taigan Safari Park, according to the Daily Mail.  Olga Solomina, said Vitya "bit through my right arm and used it to drag me - it like a puppet."

The park is famous for offering tourists very close interactions with the giant cats.

Danielle Garrand is a social media producer and trending reporter for CBS News.

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Charging elephant kills an American woman on 'bucket list trip' in Zambia

An American woman who was on what she had called her "last big trip" was killed when a charging elephant flipped over the car she was traveling in at a national park in Zambia .

The “aggressive” creature buffeted the vehicle carrying six tourists and a guide, tour operator Wilderness said in a statement Tuesday. It said the 79-year-old victim died after Saturday's incident on a game drive at the Kafue National Park in western Zambia.

The company did not name the victim but Rona Wells, her daughter, identified her as Gail Mattson in a post on Facebook. She said her mother died in a “tragic accident while on her dream adventure.”

A video circulating on social media apparently showing the incident shows a large elephant running toward a car, which slows down as the animal approaches its left side. The elephant then flips the vehicle over and the passengers can be heard gasping as the car rolls over.

NBC News does not know the condition or identity of the person who filmed the video.

Photos shared online of the car, which is emblazoned with the logo of the tour operator, show it tipped onto its side after the incident, with a deep dent in two of its side doors.

Wilderness, which describes itself as a “leading conservation and hospitality company” operating in eight African countries, including Zambia, did not respond to NBC News when asked to confirm the authenticity of the video and the photos.

But the tour operator’s CEO, Keith Vincent, said in the statement that the company’s “guides are all extremely well trained and experienced.”

"Sadly in this instance the terrain and vegetation was such that the guide’s route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough,” he added.

Another woman was also injured in the incident and taken to a medical facility in South Africa, the Wilderness statement said, adding that four others were treated for minor injuries.

“It’s extremely rare to see an elephant that irate,” Marlon du Toit, a wildlife photographer and safari guide, told the “TODAY” show Thursday. “Across Africa, there are thousands and thousands of guests on safari on a daily basis with no negative consequences.”

The exact cause of Mattson’s death was unclear, but the company said her body would be repatriated to her family in the United States with the support of local Zambian authorities and the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Lusaka.

“This is a tragic event and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died,” the statement added.

NBC News has reached out to Mattson's family for further comment.

Kafue National Park is Zambia’s largest and oldest national park, according to its website, and spans an area of more than 8,000 square miles. Vast regions of the park remain unexplored and the website says it is home to a variety of untamed wildlife.

A 'bucket list trip'

Mattson spent her winters in Sun City West, Arizona, playing bridge and cards, but during the rest of the year, she "travels all over the world," her friend Brenda Biggs told NBC News. Biggs and her husband, John Longabauth, became friends with Mattson when they moved to the area 6 ½ years ago.

Longabauth said Mattson spoke to the couple about her upcoming safari trip about two weeks ago, and called it "one of her bucket list trips." He said she was very excited for the adventure.

Before she left, she gave the couple concert tickets for a show that would happen while she was traveling, telling them to enjoy the concert and "I'll see you when I get back," Longabauth recalled of the conversation.

Biggs said Mattson, who was almost 80 years old, told her that the African safari was her "my last big trip." She said Mattson was "super excited because it was like the culmination of all the trips that she had gone on."

An avid traveler, Mattson took to trips to Europe and Asia, Longabauth recalled, noting that she might have been to South America, too.

Biggs called her friend "flamboyant," "friendly" and "fabulous" and said she loved bright colors. Mattson had taken over Biggs’ job as the event planner for their 200-member bridge club, she said.

"Gail was one of the more up people you'd ever want to meet," Longabauth said. "She was always up. She was always optimistic. She was always seeing the good side of everybody."

Yuliya Talmazan is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in London.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

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Tanzania to relocate 36 Serengeti lions after attacks on humans and cattle

The lions, which live on the edge of the national park, will be moved to avoid conflicts with people and livestock

Tanzania will find a new home for 36 lions following a slew of attacks by the big cats on people and cattle.

The lions, an increasingly endangered species, live on the edge of the safari mecca of the Serengeti national park, but have been affected by encroaching human activity.

Eleven of the group have already been captured and will be taken to the Burigi Chato national park in the country’s north-west, Simon Mduma, director general of the east African country’s Wildlife Research Institute said.

“We used to kill when one lion attacked people but this is a huge group which we can not do the same (with),” said Mduma.

“Lions are becoming vulnerable and we want to take action that will sustain them.”

Twenty of the lions will be rehoused at Burigi Chato, according to the Institute. Another venue has yet to be found for the other 16.

“More areas have been taken for human activities and that has really affected the life of lions,” said institute researcher Dennis Ikanda.

Last September the Tanzanian government annulled the special status of 12 protected zones and of seven wildlife and forest reserves, allocating more than 700,000 hectares (1.8 million acres) of land to settlement, farming and livestock following an assessment of land disputes.

That move came as the global lion population continues to dwindle. Numbers have slumped 43% over the last two decades to some 20,000, according to an estimate by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which classes the predator as a vulnerable species amid habitat loss and increased land provision for agriculture.

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Most Dangerous Animals In Africa

The 10 deadliest animals in africa.

Interested in finding out the most dangerous animals in Africa? Read on to discover the top 10 deadliest animals in Africa, along with their annual human kill rate.

Africa is a continent with huge biodiversity and wonderful wildlife viewing opportunities… and is also home to a large selection of dangerous animals – some of the most dangerous on the planet, in fact, causing significant numbers of human deaths.

In this article we explore the most dangerous animals in Africa in detail, and have ranked the species by the estimated number of human deaths they cause per year. We’ve excluded human beings from this list – if we’d included them they would certainly rate as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, responsible for over 100,000 murders each year across the continent.

Because of the way the list is compiled (estimated human deaths caused by animals) there are many African animals not on this list that could easily prove fatal to a human, if not treated with the respect that they deserve.

It’s worth bearing in mind that although there are some very dangerous animals on this list, the majority are limited to national parks and game reserves, where following the basic safari rules will remove almost any threat of death. So, with this in mind, here’s our list of the 10 most dangerous animals on the African continent:

Responsible for an estimated 1,000,000 deaths per year

The mosquito is Africa’s most dangerous animal

Although the tiny mosquito may look far less impressive than the other large creatures on this list, it is far and away the most dangerous animal in Africa – and the world.

The many species of mosquito in sub-Saharan Africa carry a number of different potentially fatal diseases , including Yellow Fever, Zika virus, West Nile virus, Dengue Fever, and of course Malaria. Between them, these diseases kill an estimated one million Africans every year.

Active from dusk to dawn, prevention against mosquito bites takes the form of wearing light colours, using spray or lotion repellents and sleeping in mosquito nets.

Hippopotamus

Responsible for an estimated 3,000 deaths per year.

A hippo showing its impressive mouth

With so many dangerous animals in Africa, many people often overlook the fact that the hippopotamus is actually the biggest killer of humans of all large African animals. Although hippos are herbivores, these highly territorial animals are estimated to kill an incredible 3,000 people each year.

Male hippos fiercely defend their territories – which include the banks of rivers and lakes, while females hippos can get extremely aggressive if they sense anything getting in between them and their babies, who stay in the water while they feed on the shore.

Hippos weigh up to 1,500 kg – the third biggest animal in Africa behind the elephant and rhino – and can run on land at speeds of up to 30 km per hour. Combine this with their aggressive nature, agility in and out of the water, and sharp, half-meter teeth in enormous jaws and you can understand why hippos can make for such a fearsome creature to encounter. (Did you hear about the pink hippo milk rumour?)

African Elephant

Responsible for an estimated 500 deaths per year.

The African elephant – Africa’s largest killer

Reaching weights of up to 7,000 kg the world’s largest land animals can often be unpredictable, with older bull elephants, young males, and elephants with babies particularly dangerous to anything that crosses their path. Unprovoked attacks by African elephants on humans are occasionally reported, usually by male elephants in musth (a sexually active period when testosterone levels increase).

Whilst they may seem like relatively relaxed animals, each year around 500 human fatalities are caused by African elephants by trampling and crushing their victims. In areas where poaching occurs, or the elephants’ habitat is in danger, elephants tend to be much more aggressive.

Nile Crocodile

Responsible for an estimated 300 deaths per year.

A Nile crocodile lying in wait for prey

Found in almost every major river throughout Africa, and in many lakes, Nile crocodiles are the continent’s largest freshwater predators.  The Nile crocodile is known for its aggressive nature and is the crocodile species involved in most fatal attacks on humans, killing an estimated 300 people every year. (Know the key differences between a crocodile and alligator ?)

Known for their ambush hunting technique, the crocodiles are indiscriminate hunters and attack any animal that comes within reach – including humans. Their attack usually takes the form of launching from the water and clamping its victim in its powerful jaws, dragging them back into the water to drown them before stashing them under submerged branches or rocks to eat later.

Attacks on humans usually occur when people are washing close to riverbanks and lakeshores, and when fishermen are getting in and out of their boats. Around 40% of crocodile attacks on humans are fatal, with children more at risk than adults due to their size. The risk of crocodile attacks has been shown to increase in the warmer season when the crocodiles have more energy.

Responsible for an estimated 200 deaths per year

Lioness scouting for prey

As the apex predator of the African wild, the lion is one of the world’s top predators. Whilst humans are not their natural prey, each year an estimated 200 people are killed by lions. Sick male lions are mostly responsible for this death rate, along with opportunistic attacks in areas where the lions’ natural prey has been depleted. (Read the incredible story of the man-eating Tsavo lions .

Whilst there have been a handful of reported deaths of tourists or guides being killed by lions during a safari trip, these cases are very much the exception. The vast majority of humans killed by lions are of locals going about their daily lives in or on the fringes of African game reserves.

Cape Buffalo

The Cape buffalo is without a doubt one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, and is sometimes referred to as ‘widowmaker’ or ‘the black death’.

These aggressive and unpredictable beasts can weigh up to 1,000 kgs and grow up to 1.7 meters tall. They’re fearless and will mob any predator that dares to take its young.  They usually travel in herds but are one of the few animals in Africa that will actively stalk and kill humans if alone.

The buffalo was a favourite of big game hunters (hence their status as one of the big five ), and are known to attack humans by circle back on their victims before charging, then trampling or goring them to death using their sharp horns. Buffalos kill an estimated 200 people each year.

Great White Shark

Responsible for an estimated 2 deaths per year.

Great white shark – Africa’s biggest marine killer

The great white shark is an animal that strikes fear into many people who get into the waters around southern Africa. It’s certainly the most aggressive shark when it comes to human encounters, being responsible for the majority of the fatal shark attacks in Africa, and globally.

Great whites don’t consider humans as prey, and seemingly only attack in cases of mistaken identity where they’re not able to clearly identify exactly what they’re attacked. Great whites charge their prey at up to 40 km per hour, take one large bite then back off, letting their prey bleed to death before eating it. When it comes to humans, great whites usually take a test bite then leave. However, in around 20% of cases, the damage is done and the victim dies from loss of blood from a single bite.

With all that said, deaths from shark attacks account for an average of only two deaths a year in Africa.

Responsible for ? deaths per year (unknown)

A lone rhino

Rhinos are extremely large and powerful animals, weighing in at up to 2,800 kgs and second only to the elephant for sheer size. On top of this, they’re renowned for being somewhat irritable. Although they have poor eyesight their sense of smell is excellent, and the smell of humans sometimes triggers rhino to charge at a person or vehicle.

Although the black rhino is generally more aggressive, both black and white rhino charge when threatened, which can result in human death. Rhino mothers with calves are very protective of their young and are quick to attack anything which they consider a threat.

Rhino can charge at speeds of up to run up to speeds of 64 km per hour, and have two large, sharp horns, so be sure to always keep your distance and never get between a mother and baby, or anywhere near an older male.

A beautiful puff adder head

Puff adders reach an average length of 1 meter and have a wide girth and varied camouflage colours depending on where they live. They are found the length and breadth of Africa, outside of the rainforest and Sahara regions.

Whilst it’s not the most venomous snake in Africa, the puff adder makes this list as it’s the snake that causes the most fatalities in Africa. This is due to its extensive habitat, its aggressive nature, and the fact it is well camouflaged. This means it lies still to avoid detection rather than fleeing, resulting in attacks when people accidentally step on the snake.

Its potent venom and long fangs mean fatality rates from bites of up to 20% if not treated.

Black Mamba

The bblack mamba, Africa’s most dangerous snake

Black mambas are regarded as one of the most deadly snakes in the world, and for good reason. They are the largest venomous snake in Africa, with adults growing to around 2.5 meters and also one of the world’s fastest snakes , moving at 20 km per hour. Black mambas have a well-developed vision and are active in the daytime as both an ambush and pursuit predator. They’re also a highly aggressive snake when cornered, known to attack and strike repeatedly.

The black mamba’s real danger comes from their extremely toxic venom, with one bite containing enough neuro and cardio-toxins to kill 10 people. The amount of venom a black mamba injects in an attack triggers a fast onset of symptoms of asphyxiation and cardiovascular collapse with a 100% fatality rate for untreated bites. This puts them near the top of the list of most venomous snakes in the world .

And that’s our list of the 10 most dangerous animals in Africa, based on the estimated number of humans killed each year. Any dangerous animals that surprise you, or that you’ve encountered in the wild? Or any dangerous African animals we’ve left off this list? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Why do Lions Not Attack When You are in a Safari Vehicle?

Author: Adelle Belle - 29 September 2023

Last Update: 26 April 2024

Part of the African Safari Collection

In this insightful article, we’ll delve into the behavioral patterns of lions, especially during safari tours in Africa . We will uncover the science behind why these majestic creatures, known for their predatory instincts, choose not to attack when you are in a vehicle.

From understanding their perception of the vehicle to the role of the safari guidelines, this article presents a comprehensive view that will appeal to both adventure enthusiasts and wildlife lovers.

Let’s explore the key reasons why a lion will avoid attacking an approaching vehicle.

Predator Perception

To understand why a lion avoids attacking a safari vehicle, it’s important to be aware of predator perception, which illustrates a lion’s thought process before attacking.

Lions are natural and instinctive hunters, and because they’ve evolved as predators for thousands of years, they follow their instincts when it comes to the things they see and interact within their environment.

There are two key reasons why lions attack when they do. They either see a specific target as food or a threat. A human on its own may fall into one or both of these categories, which is why lions may very well attack a human out in the open.

However, lion and human interaction becomes very different when a safari vehicle is involved. A human or group of humans can consider vehicles relatively safe from lion attacks because lions understand the size difference between themselves and a vehicle.

Because a vehicle is much larger than a lion, lions do not see the vehicle as a source of food. The safety of the vehicle often prevents lions from viewing the humans inside as food as well.

Safety measures are put in place to ensure responsible tourism practices, and these help keep lions from feeling threatened by approaching vehicles.

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Responsible Tourism

Safari coordinators and staff members understand lion behavior, and as such, they develop safari vehicle safety measures so that attacks are unlikely to occur. For example, vehicles are typically slow-moving, which helps reduce the odds of surprising a lion in the wild.

Furthermore, during trips, passengers are instructed to remain in the vehicle at all times, and the vehicles usually remain on clearly marked trails.

Because coordinators are dedicated to wildlife conservation and practicing responsible tourism, the approach they take with safari vehicles aims to infringe upon lion habitats as little as possible, while still allowing tourists to observe these majestic animals.

In some scenarios, lions may become curious about a safari vehicle and approach it to get a closer look. During these circumstances, tour leaders will instruct passengers to keep their hands and feet inside the vehicle and remain both still and quiet until the lion loses interest.

Lion attacks on safari vehicles are incredibly rare, both due to a lion’s natural instinct to hunt familiar prey and the safety protocols put in place by the coordinators.

If you’d like to embark upon a lion safari in Africa , consider exploring with Discover Africa . Visit our website and take a look at our variety of offerings and accommodations to find the sort of adventure that fits your needs.

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Mountain lion kills man in Northern California in state's first fatal attack in 20 years

A mountain lion attack in a remote Northern California region west of Lake Tahoe left one man dead and another injured, officials said, in the first such fatal attack in the state in 20 years.

An 18-year-old man called 911 on Saturday after 1 p.m. to report that he and his brother had been attacked in Georgetown, a small town north of Placerville, California, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.

The man who alerted authorities sustained "traumatic injuries to his face" and was separated from his brother during the attack, officials said. He was taken to a nearby hospital.

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Sheriff's deputies and paramedics searched for the brother and found a crouched mountain lion next to a man on the ground, authorities said. Deputies fired shots "scaring the mountain lion off so they could render aid" to the man. But the unidentified 21-year-old man had died.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the El Dorado County Trapper were sent to the region. They found the mountain lion "and dispatched it," according to a news release.

How many fatal mountain lion attacks have there been in recent years?

Before Saturday's attack, there had been only three fatal mountain lion attacks on humans in California since 1994, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Of those three attacks, the most recent involved a 35-year-old male who was fatally mauled in 2004 at Whiting Ranch Regional Park in Orange County.

The last fatal mountain lion attack in El Dorado County was in 1994, when a 40-year-old woman was killed at Auburn state recreation area.

Authorities said mountain lion attacks are rare, and most verified encounters between the big cats and humans are not fatal.

Boy, 5, attacked while out for a walk

Last year, a mountain lion attacked a 5-year-old boy who was out on a walk with his mother and grandparents near Half Moon Bay, California, a beach community south of San Francisco.

In that incident, the mountain lion pounced on Jack Trexler, pinning him to the ground. The boy's mother charged at the animal, which let go of her son and ran away, according to the boy's father. The attack occurred near a farm where the family lives in  Half Moon Bay .

The boy was treated for cuts and scratches on his face and all over his body and for a fracture near his eye.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mountain lion kills man in Northern California in state's first fatal attack in 20 years