Elephant Kills US Woman, Baby Daughter in Kenya

An American woman and her infant daughter were trampled to death by an elephant while hiking around the Mount Kenya nature reserve. The pair had been hiking with their entire family when the elephant attacked; the rest of the family escaped. A spokesman for the lodge they were staying in speculates that the elephant probably believed it was protecting its young—a herd with several calves was spotted later, reports CNN.

“This area has wild animals, and I always warn my clients and everyone else to be aware of the danger,” the spokesman said. “But from now we won't allow children out anymore. The young child could have been saved.” The woman worked at the International School of Kenya, as does her husband. (More Kenya stories.)