[PEOPLE] An elephant "suddenly emerged and charged at" Gary Freeman as he was walking with a tour group in South Africa on April 9, according to police.Gary Freeman was leading a walking safari in South Africa when he was fatally attacked by an elephant
An elephant "suddenly emerged and charged at him" as he was walking with a tour group on April 9, according to police
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.
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."
"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.