A professional game hunter has died after reportedly being trampled to death by an elephant in Zimbabwe.

Ian Gibson, a well-known big game hunter, was killed when a young bull charged at him and crushed him to death as he was leading a hunt, The Telegraph reports.

Paul Smith, managing director of Chifuti Safaris, the company who had hired Gibson to lead the hunt in Chewore North, said the exact circumstances of the incident were still unclear. “The American client and the trackers are still too traumatised to give us full details,” he said.

(KAREL PRINSLOO/AP)

He said Mr Gibson became a hunter 25-years-ago and was “fit and strong”, despite only having only one leg. He had already killed a leopard during the hunt.

A note posted on the hunting forum Safari Classics said Gibson’s tracker Robert suggested the animal had been in musth, a period where it produces more testosterone than normal.

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It said Gibson left the group he was with to rest and decided to track the bull anyway, catching up with it from between 50 and 100 metres away. “The bull instantly turned and began a full charge” the statement said.

“At very close range, Ian was able to get off one shot before the bull killed him. The scene was very graphic."