A guard that was protecting mine workers from a pride of 14 hungry lions died after being trampled by an elephant.
45-year-old Eric Kgatla is believed left his guard hut in darkness either to answer a call of nature or to investigate noises out in the bush.
His movements surprised an elephant which immediately attacked and trampled him to death.
His body was found by a fellow guard at 4am on Saturday after he heard the elephant trumpeting.
Kgatla and his colleagues were on full alert after a pride of man-eating lions were found to be living very close to the phosphate mine and had been ordered to be on keen lookout for the predators near Phalaborwa, South Africa.
Th lions are said to have escaped Kruger National Park.
The Foskor Mine in Phalaborwa is just five miles from the South African game reserve and had been on full alert ever since the lions had been seen close to their workings.
A spokesperson from the mine, Frans Mokhondo, said: “According to the report one security guard was busy patrolling when he heard an elephant trumpeting and he tried to warn the other guard.
“He ran to the other guard room but he could not find him and then he searched for him and found his body not far from the guard room. He had been trampled and the elephant had gone.”
Mokhondo said it is common for wild animals to break out from Kruger National Park and veer into the mines. He added that the wild animals would be tracked and returned to the park.
South African police confirmed Kgatla’s death.
