A BRIT tourist and her Kiwi cousin have been tragically trampled to death by a “peaceful looking” elephant in a shocking safari accident.
Janet Taylor Easton, 67, from Bradford, and her cousin Alison Taylor, 67, from New Zealand, died in the terrifying attack in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park.
The pair had been on a sunrise safari in the southern African nation in July last year.
During the tour, their group came upon an elephant and her calf.
According to guides, the beast first charged at Alison within a matter of seconds.
As the chaos ensued, guides fired shots at the charging elephant and wounded it in the process.
Police say the guides were unable to stop the attack, which left both women dead.
This week the Zambian Tourism Ministry submitted a completed report to the Bradford Coroner’s Court as part of an inquest into the pair’s tragic deaths.
Using the report, Assistant Coroner Caroline Chandler was able to reach her final decision, labelling the cause of their demise as “death by misadventure”.
According to the BBC, Chandler said the two women had been on a walking safari and began their day with “all intent and purpose on what [they] intended to be a lovely excursion”.
“[They] certainly didn’t anticipate that it would end in the way that it very sadly did,” Chandler said.
She said the safari guide saw the elephants in the distance, where they “appeared peaceful”.
“The guide adjusted the walk so they were down wind and remained undetected,” she said.
“What happened next is described as happening in a matter of seconds.
“The tracker saw the elephant charging from behind and shouted towards the scout who fired a warning shot. The elephant did not stop,” she said.
The inquest heard the causes of death were traumatic thoracic injuries and elephant attack.
Chandler also addressed Jane’t brother – William Easton – who had attended the inquest via a video link.
“You still have a lot of unanswered questions and I hope you get to the bottom of those so you and the rest of the family can have some closure,” she said.
Janet – fondly known as Janice – taught chemistry at Titus Salt School in Baildon, Bradford, from September 1983 until she retired in August 2022.
Described as an “intrepid traveller, she had touched down in locations including New Zealand, Canada and Brazil.
Beloved by her community, Janice’s former colleague Phil Temple said she had also been “admired” for her skills.
“Janice had a profound impact on generations of pupils and students in the local community as well as countless colleagues who admired her skill, tenacity and determination to ensure all young people had the opportunity to succeed,” he said.
“Janice will be fondly remembered by all in the Titus Salt School and wider communities.”
Janice’s cousin Alison has since been described as representing “the best of the bay” by Porirua City Council Councillor Geoff Hayward.
A longtime resident of New Zealand’s Titahi Bay, Hayward said she was an “open, cheerful” volunteer who gave her time to help others through her work, and an important part of her local community.
Alison’s colleagues at the Porirua Citizens Advice Bureau said she was “a valued and highly effective volunteer” and“ will be profoundly missed”.
The pair of cousins had been staying in a Bush camp for four days and had planned to move to another camp before the attack.
Zambian locals have also mourned the two women, with one person posting a moving tribute online.
“[The pair] had spent four peaceful days immersed in nature’s embrace,” they wrote.
“Their journey was meant to continue – but instead, we remember them for their courage, their curiosity, and their love for life’s wild places.”
According to the South Luangwa National Park website, the region has one of the highest concentration of animals in all of Africa.
Female elephants are very protective of their calves and are known to respond aggressively to what they perceive as threats.
