NEED TO KNOW
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Gary Freeman was leading a walking safari in South Africa when he was fatally attacked by an elephant
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An elephant “suddenly emerged and charged at him” as he was walking with a tour group on April 9, according to police
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Freeman once said he “would rather be killed by” an elephant than shoot one, a social media tribute claims
A charging elephant killed a longtime safari guide in South Africa who allegedly once declared that he “would rather be killed by” an elephant than shoot one.
Gary Freeman was leading a walking safari at Klaserie Private Nature Reserve in the Limpopo province of South Africa on Thursday, April 9, when he died in an elephant attack, a spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo confirmed in a statement to the Daily Mail.
Freeman, identified as the owner of the reserve, and the tour group had left a vehicle on foot when the attack occurred, SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said, according to the outlet.
“As the group were walking, an elephant suddenly emerged and charged at him,” Mashaba said. “He tried to scare it off with the revolver he was carrying, but he was ultimately attacked by the elephant.”
Gary Freeman.
Credit: Gary Freeman/Instagram
“There is no evidence that suggests the firearm was used,” the police spokesperson added.
The tour group took Freeman to a “safe place” and contacted emergency medical personnel, who pronounced him dead when they arrived, Mashaba said.
A spokesperson for the South African Police Service in Limpopo did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, April 18.
Freeman had led the walking safari operation since its inception in the early 1990s, according to the reserve’s publication, the Klaserie Chronicle. As of 2024, per another issue, he still ran the operation “mainly by himself.”
“As a result, Gary has become an integral part of the KPNR community, with guests often returning to partake in the unique experience he offers; he refers to his guests as family and forms such a deep connection with them that he even gets invited to family gatherings as big as weddings,” the reserve said.
After the reserve announced Freeman’s death on Facebook on Friday, April 10, tributes poured in — including from one community member who claimed that Freeman once said he “would rather be killed by” an elephant than shoot one.
Klaserie Private Nature Reserve in South Africa, pictured in 2023
Credit: Shutterstock
In a comment, Judy Connors said that she and her brother spent time with Freeman in February, weeks before his death, during which the reserve owner “carried a fulfilled sense of ‘Life has given me enough.’ ”
“In the past, we heard Gary speak of his deep respect and love for elephants. He said he would rather be killed by, than shoot, one,” she wrote on Facebook. “Perhaps this is what I want to believe, but there must have been a special bond, soul-to-soul, for this elephant to be the chosen one tasked with his deliverance.”
“Gary, you were a brother who held masculinity beautifully,” she continued. “You were a guide and an elder. We bow in silence before an integral life, a courageous transition, and an everlasting presence.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Connors.
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Gary Freeman.
Credit: Gary Freeman/Instagram
In its own post, the reserve wrote, “Gary was a true gentleman and an integral part of the fabric of the Klaserie. His presence, kindness, and contribution to this landscape will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”
“Gary will always remain part of the Klaserie,” the post concluded.
Read the original article on People