Dutch tourist killed by elephant in India

A few weeks ago I commented on Shoba Narayan’s rather stuck-up dispatch about elephant and tiger watching in India that appeared in the Washington Post. These types of treks for the rich are nice and all, I thought, but what happens when nature acts more unpredictable than the Four Seasons?

I’m not saying there’s a connection between that piece and the news today that a Dutch tourist has been trampled to death by a wild elephant while on safari in India. Still, obviously there’s more of a danger to journeying into the wilds than most travel writers like to mention in their essays.

The Dutch man has been identified as Robert Goldbach.

His group was in the Kaziranga National Park looking for rare birds and monkeys when a wild male elephant appeared. Most of the group managed to run to safety. Goldbach tripped and ended up getting trampled to death.

The guides escorting the group opened fire on the elephant, but it’s unclear whether they were able to wound it.