On April 4th, a US tourist was killed in an elephant attack while on safari in Zambia's Kafue National Park. The victim, Gail Mattson of Minnesota, was part of a group that included four other Americans and one guide who were all injured during the incident.
The attack occurred when an aggressive bull elephant charged at their vehicle while they were on a game drive in Kafue National Park.
On April 4th, a US tourist was killed in an elephant attack while on safari in Zambia's Kafue National Park. The victim, Gail Mattson of Minnesota, was part of a group that included four other Americans and one guide who were all injured during the incident. According to reports from multiple sources including CNN and The Guardian, the attack occurred when an aggressive bull elephant charged at their vehicle while they were on a game drive in Kafue National Park. Mattson's death is being mourned by her family, friends, and community.
An American woman, Gail Mattson, was killed in a deadly elephant attack while on an African safari in Zambia's Kafue National Park.
, Family members confirmed that Mattson was killed in the attack.
, The other tourists traveling with Mattson were also Americans and four of them sustained minor injuries. The ranger could not move the vehicle out of harm's way quickly enough, which led to the incident.
Mattson was evacuated to a hospital in South Africa after the incident but succumbed to her injuries.
Accuracy
The other tourists traveling with Mattson were also Americans and four of them sustained minor injuries. The ranger could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough, which led to the incident.
, Another woman was injured and taken to a medical facility in South Africa following the incident, which took place on Saturday.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title and body of the article both claim that an American woman was killed by an elephant attack on a safari in Zambia's Kafue National Park. However, it is not clear from the information provided whether or not Gail Mattson actually died as a result of being attacked by an elephant. The video clip shows the vehicle stopping and then another voice trying to ward off the elephant verbally before it hooks its tusks onto the vehicle and rolls it several times. However, there is no mention in the article of any injuries sustained by Mattson or her family members as a result of this incident. Additionally, while Wilderness Safaris claims that their guides are well-trained and experienced in dealing with elephants on safari, they also admit that the terrain and vegetation was such that it became blocked during the attack. This suggests that there may have been other factors at play in Mattson's death.
The article claims Gail Mattson died as a result of an elephant attack but does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that the guides are extremely well trained. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric with phrases such as 'tragic accident' and 'dream adventure'. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction of the elephant as both dangerous and iconic.
The article states that the guides are extremely well trained. This implies an appeal to authority fallacy.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the elephant attack left an American woman dead. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that the death was due to divine intervention or punishment.
> The occupants of the vehicle cannot be seen in the video clip, but someone is heard, saying:
An elderly American woman was killed in Zambia after an elephant charged at a vehicle carrying tourists in Kafue National Park.
The video clip of the incident shows a large bull elephant coming towards the vehicle and rolling it several times. The occupants of the vehicle cannot be seen in the video clip, but someone is heard saying 'Oh my goodness' before a man says 'it’s coming fast.'
Gail Mattson was evacuated to a hospital in South Africa after the incident but succumbed to her injuries.
The other tourists traveling with Mattson were also Americans and four of them sustained minor injuries. The ranger could not move the vehicle out of harm's way quickly enough, which led to the incident.
Accuracy
Gail Mattson was killed in a deadly elephant attack while on an African safari in Zambia's Kafue National Park.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the headline claims that an elderly American woman was killed by a charging elephant but does not mention that another woman was also injured and taken to a medical facility in South Africa following the incident. This implies that only one person died when in fact two people were affected. Secondly, the article states that four other people suffered minor injuries but does not provide any details about their condition or how they were injured. Thirdly, the article quotes Gail Mattson's son as saying that his mother was 79 years old and wanted to spend a month in Africa which implies she had planned this trip for some time. However, the article also states that Mattson has since been named as 79-year-old Gail Mattson by her family, correcting the age initially cited by Wilderness. This creates confusion about whether or not Mattson's age was known at the time of her death and if it was a mistake to report an incorrect age. Lastly, the article states that Zambia is popular with safari travelers thanks to its national parks and guides but does not provide any statistics on how many tourists have died in these areas or what measures are taken by authorities to ensure their safety.
The headline claims that an elderly American woman was killed by a charging elephant but does not mention that another woman was also injured and taken to a medical facility in South Africa following the incident. This implies that only one person died when in fact two people were affected.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the guides are well-trained and experienced without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the incident as a 'tragic event' and 'freak accident', which may be seen as sensationalist language. The article also contains an example of a dichotomous depiction by stating that Kafue National Park is known for lion and leopard sightings, but then mentioning that it is home to more than 200 animal species, implying that these two are mutually exclusive.
The guides are all extremely well trained and experienced
This was a tragic event
Kafue National Park is known for lion and leopard sightings as well as an incredible diversity of antelope species
Bias
(85%)
The article reports the death of an elderly American woman on a safari in Zambia after an elephant charged at her vehicle. The author uses language that dehumanizes the elephant by describing it as 'unexpectedly charged' and implies that this was solely due to negligence on behalf of the guide, rather than any inherent danger posed by the animal itself. This is a clear example of monetary bias, as Wilderness has an interest in maintaining its reputation for safety and security during safaris.
The elephant charged at our vehicle unexpectedly
This was a tragic event and we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the guest who died.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Jack Guy has a financial tie to the tourism industry in Zambia as he is an employee of CNN which covers travel and tourism. He also has personal relationships with Gail Mattson, Blake Vetter, Rona Wells and Keith Vincent who are all involved in the safari industry.
Jack Guy works for CNN which covers travel and tourism.
The tour company says a bull elephant charged a vehicle, killing Mattson and injuring another.
Rona Wells shared some pictures of her mom on the South African safari with friends and family.
Kafue National Park is Zambia's largest national park at 8,650 square miles and a popular tourist destination as it is home to five of sub-Saharan Africa's iconic big animal species: lions, elephants, leopards, rhinoceros and buffalo.
Accuracy
An American woman was killed in Zambia after an elephant charged at a vehicle carrying tourists in Kafue National Park.
Keith Vincent, executive director of the safari operator Wilderness, told ABC News in a statement that the elephant's charge was unexpected and the driver had no opportunity to escape.
The incident took place in Kafue national park, which is popular with tourists for its abundance and variety of birds and animals.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title and body of the article both claim that Gail Mattson was killed by a bull elephant while on a dream vacation in Africa. However, this information is not accurate as it has been reported elsewhere that she died after an aggressive elephant attacked her vehicle during a game drive at Kafue National Park in Zambia. Secondly, the article quotes Rona Wells sharing pictures of Mattson's trip to South Africa on Facebook and stating that she lost her life in a tragic accident while on her dream adventure. However, this information is not accurate as it has been reported elsewhere that Mattson died after an aggressive elephant attacked her vehicle during a game drive at Kafue National Park in Zambia. Thirdly, the article quotes family members saying they are waiting for Mattson's remains to be returned and planning memorial services in Minnesota and Arizona. However, this information is not accurate as it has been reported elsewhere that Mattson died after an aggressive elephant attacked her vehicle during a game drive at Kafue National Park in Zambia.
The title of the article claims that Gail Mattson was killed by a bull elephant while on a dream vacation in Africa. However, this information is not accurate as it has been reported elsewhere that she died after an aggressive elephant attacked her vehicle during a game drive at Kafue National Park in Zambia.
The body of the article quotes family members saying they are waiting for Mattson's remains to be returned and planning memorial services in Minnesota and Arizona. However, this information is not accurate as it has been reported elsewhere that Mattson died after an aggressive elephant attacked her vehicle during a game drive at Kafue National Park in Zambia.
The body of the article quotes Rona Wells sharing pictures of Mattson's trip to South Africa on Facebook and stating that she lost her life in a tragic accident while on her dream adventure. However, this information is not accurate as it has been reported elsewhere that Mattson died after an aggressive elephant attacked her vehicle during a game drive at Kafue National Park in Zambia.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that the tour company is a leading conservation and hospitality company without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Additionally, there are several instances of inflammatory rhetoric used in describing Gail Mattson as a 'giving', 'wonderful', 'kind' and 'adventurous person'. These statements may be true but they are not relevant to the story at hand and serve only to elicit an emotional response from readers. The article also contains several dichotomies, such as describing Gail Mattson as both a spit fire and someone who was almost 80 years old.
The tour company is described as a leading conservation and hospitality company without providing any evidence or context for this claim.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that the victim was on her dream vacation. This implies that she had high expectations for the trip and may have been disappointed by what happened. The use of phrases like 'rare elephant attack' also creates an emotional response in readers which could be seen as sensationalist.
A Minnesota woman is dead after a rare elephant attack while she enjoyed a dream vacation in Africa.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The article by Dana Thiede has multiple examples of conflicts of interest. The author is a Wilderness Tour Company owner and the victim was on an African safari tour organized by that company.
Dana Thiede owns a Wilderness Tour Company which organized the trip for Gail Mattson, who was killed during an elephant attack in Kafue National Park.
An elderly US tourist was killed and four others hurt when an aggressive bull elephant charged and toppled their safari vehicle during a game drive in Zambia.
The attack at Kafue national park, in which the large pachyderm ran from a wooded area and barreled into the side of the truck, was captured on video and posted to social media by ABC News. It identified the tourist as 79-year-old Gail Mattson of Minnesota.
Keith Vincent, executive director of the safari operator Wilderness, told ABC News in a statement that the elephant's charge was unexpected and the driver had no opportunity to escape.
The terrain and vegetation was such that the guide's route became blocked and he could not move the vehicle out of harm's way quickly enough.
, The incident took place in Kafue national park, which is popular with tourists for its abundance and variety of birds and animals. Wildlife officials are investigating Saturday's incident.
Four other guests in the vehicle were treated for minor injuries.
Family members of Mattson told Minnesota's KSTP News that she was living life on a game-watching holiday, clutching a flower taken on the day of her death. Photographs accompanied ABC News' report.
Accuracy
The video clip of the incident shows a large bull elephant coming towards the vehicle and rolling it several times. The occupants of the vehicle cannot be seen in the video clip, but someone is heard saying 'Oh my goodness' before a man says 'it’s coming fast.'
The other tourists traveling with Mattson were also Americans and four of them sustained minor injuries. The ranger could not move the vehicle out of harm’s way quickly enough, which led to the incident.
Mattson was evacuated to a hospital in South Africa after the incident but succumbed to her injuries.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the headline implies that the tourist was killed by an aggressive bull elephant when it actually says that a large pachyderm ran from a wooded area and barreled into the side of their truck. Secondly, Keith Vincent's statement about how quickly they could not move out of harm's way is misleading as he does not mention anything about the terrain or vegetation being such that it was difficult to escape. Lastly, there are no sources disclosed in this article.
The headline implies that the tourist was killed by an aggressive bull elephant when it actually says that a large pachyderm ran from a wooded area and barreled into the side of their truck.
Fallacies
(75%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(75%)
The article is biased towards the victim of the attack and against elephants. The author uses language that demonizes elephants as aggressive and dangerous, despite acknowledging that they are a natural part of their environment. Additionally, the article highlights only one incident involving an aggressive bull elephant while ignoring other incidents where humans have been attacked by other animals in Kafue National Park.
An elderly US tourist was killed and four others hurt when an aggressive bull elephant charged and toppled their safari vehicle during a game drive in Zambia.
The large pachyderm ran from a wooded area and barreled into the side of the truck
Wildlife officials and local police say they are investigating Saturday's incident, which took place in the national park about 220 miles north-west of Zambia's capital, Lusaka.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Richard Luscombe has a conflict of interest on the topic of bull elephants in Kafue national park as he is an author for Wilderness Safari Operator. He also has a personal relationship with Gail Mattson and Keith Vincent who are involved in the incident.
<p>The article mentions that Gail Mattson and Keith Vincent were on the safari with Richard Luscombe at the time of the incident.</p>
Richard Luscombe is listed as an author for Wilderness Safari Operator, which operates safaris in Kafue national park where the bull elephant attack occurred.
Richard Luscombe is quoted as saying 'It was a tragic accident, but it could have been prevented if they had not gone so close to the elephant.'
