(Picture: Theunis Botha/YouTube)

A prolific big game hunter has died after being crushed to death by an elephant he had just shot.

Theunis Botha, 51, was a well known hunter from Johannesberg in South Africa.

He was leading a group of hunters in Gwai, Zimbabwe, when they came across a herd of breeding elephants.

Three elephants stormed the hunters, and Botha shot at them – prompting a fourth elephant to storm from the side and lift him with her trunk.


Botha was well known among hunters (Picture: YouTube)

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In response, another member of Botha’s hunting group fired a fatal shot, Afrikaans news site Netwerk24 reported.

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As the elephant collapsed, dead, she fell on Botha.



Simukai Nyasha, a spokesman for Zimparks, said the incident happened on Friday afternoon at the Good Luck Farm near Hwange National Park.

Botha frequently led leopard and lion hunting safaris with his pack of dogs in southern African countries.

Botha led hunts in Zimbabwe and South Africa (Picture: Theunis Botha/Youtube)

According to the website of his company Game Hounds Safaris, he pioneered European-style ‘Monteira hunts’ in the region.

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In Monteira hunts, hunters use large packs of dogs to drive deer and boar towards them, before opening fire on the animals.

He would also travel frequently to the US to find wealthy customers to take part in trophy hunting in southern Africa, the Telegraph reported.

Botha’s body was taken to Hwange Colliery Hospital mortuary on Saturday.