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An African elephant and her two daughters. Image Credit: AP

Dubai: A Saudi tourist was trampled to death by an elephant during a game drive at a popular park in Uganda, an official at the African country’s wildlife authority said on Wednesday.

The man died immediately after he was attacked and trampled by the elephant.

The accident occurred on Tuesday in Murchison Falls National Park when the man left his vehicle along with his friends accompanying him on the trip, according to a statement issued by Bashir Hengi, spokesperson of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, spokesman.

“The elephant chased and attacked the man who died immediately,” Hengi said.

Park curators said police have opened an investigation into the killing of the Saudi tourist and would review safety protocols to prevent the recurrence of such accidents, he added.

Attacks by wild animals in the East African country have occurred previously. In 2018, a leopard snatched and ate the three-year-old son of a female game ranger at another park in the west of the country.