Volunteers Experience Close Encounter with African Elephant
Volunteers with African Impact, participating in Photography and Wildlife Conservation internships, had the unique opportunity to get up close with an African elephant.
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Shocking Robbery on Tourists near Kruger National Park
Three terrified female tourists from the US, England, and the Netherlands were hijacked by armed robbers in South Africa. The criminals, who opened fire on their car, seriously injured two of the victims.
The gang used gunfire to force the car off the road and wounded two volunteers who were on their way to the Kruger National Park for their conservation and wildlife work. Bullets shattered the windscreen and windows, injuring the victims and covering them in flying glass.
The masked robbers then forcibly took the victims to a remote location near White River, 25 miles away from the Kruger gates in Mpumalanga Province. The South African Police (SAPS) is treating the incident as attempted murder.
All three victims were enrolled in the £3,750 Photography and Wildlife Conservation Course with African Impact, an NGO that offers volunteer internships throughout Africa. The organization’s logo can be seen here.
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Disturbing Details of the Robbery
The three gunmen, wearing balaclavas, stole valuable items including luggage, camera equipment, laptops, mobile phones, cash, and jewelry. Thankfully, the victims were not sexually assaulted, but the traumatic experience left them in tears and distress.
Stranded on a dark dirt track, with two girls bleeding from their bullet wounds, the uninjured volunteer from the USA took charge and drove the group to seek help. They found security guards at the Timrite Yaverland sawmill just outside White River, where emergency paramedics were called.
The victims with gunshot wounds received immediate medical attention, and all three were treated for cuts caused by the shattered glass. They were also treated for shock and taken to the Nelspruit Mediclinic at Mbombela.
It is known that the two students who were shot have returned home to Holland and England. The other two victims are in their early 20s, with one having previous volunteer experience in animal conservation abroad.
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Similar Attacks Near Kruger National Park
This recent attack adds to the growing number of incidents involving tourists driving to the Kruger National Park. Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency are taking measures to safeguard the region’s vital tourism industry.
A security guard at Timrite Sawmills, where the victims sought help, shared their harrowing experience. They had been robbed by three gunmen, with two victims suffering leg injuries from gunshot wounds and the other injured by shattered glass. The robbers had taken all valuable belongings from their car.
The three victims had signed up for a month-long Photography and Wildlife Conservation internship program run by African Impact. The program provides volunteers with life-changing experiences and teaches them the skills of wildlife photography under the guidance of a professional photographer.
In a similar incident in January of last year, a South African woman and her two children were shot at near the Numbi Gate as they left the park. Fortunately, they managed to escape without severe injuries.
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The South African Police reported that the attack occurred on June 30th at 7:30 pm. A sawmill security guard heard at least four gunshots, and shortly after, a Suzuki vehicle arrived with three white females who had been shot. The victims informed the guard about the robbery, and two of them, with serious injuries, were taken to the hospital. The incident is classified as attempted murder, and the suspects, traveling in a silver VW Polo, have not yet been apprehended.
African Impact in South Africa confirmed the incident but referred all press inquiries to their UK headquarters.
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