Three people from Tshabili village outside Beit Bridge, among them a three-year-old toddler, were trampled to death by elephants in two separate incidents. The local police spokesperson, C/Supt Hosiah Mukombero, said the body of one of the victims, a man aged 40, was picked up near his maize field on Wednesday (May 12) and it was in an advanced state of decomposition. “The other two victims, a woman and her baby, were killed near the Limpopo River the following day while trying to cross into South Africa,” he said. A relative of the deceased man said he was attacked last Saturday night while trying to scare the elephant away. The animal had strayed into his maize field. “The victim heard the elephants breaking into field and he then armed himself with a machete and a sjambok before he went to the field where he chased the animals away, using a sjambok. He later tried to repair the fence where the elephants had entered through. During the process, he was attacked by a bull elephant that had been tracking the other herd. “We took time to discover his body as he lived alone at a local farm,” said Philemon Mbedzi. The man was discovered by a local herd boy who then informed local community members. A machete and a sjambok were also found next to the body. Meanwhile, the elephant has since been killed by officials from the local parks and wildlife management authority.