County inquest on couple killed by elephants

5:38pm Monday 2nd April 2007

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INQUESTS into the deaths of a mother and daughter who were trampled by elephants in Zimbabwe are set to open in Stourport-on-Severn today.

Worcestershire county coroner Victor Round will open inquests into the deaths of Veronica Parker, aged 47, and her daughter Charlotte Parker, aged 10, both of Forest Garden, Hunters Home, in South Africa.

The inquests will take place at Worcestershire County Coroner's Court, at 2pm.

Mrs Parker and her daughter died on Saturday, March 24 at Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, and are thought to be British expatriates living overseas, but it remains unclear why their inquests are being opened in Worcestershire.

According to Zimbabwean authorities, they were charged by a bull elephant during a walking safari with a guide and a professional hunter.

Mrs Parker's husband was also injured in the incident and the family had been staying at the Hide Safari Camp.

Owners of the camp said Mrs Parker and her daughter had set off on a walk inside the park with a guide who was a qualified professional hunter and the group was approached by a young elephant bull which charged them.

The guide with the pair was hospitalised after he was knocked over when trying to shoot the elephant.

The lodge suspended all walking in the park from its activities because of the "tragic event" and a full investigation is under way into what happened.

Police in Bulawayo and wildlife authorities are also investigating to see whether the group's local guides had been negligent.

The family's home town is not known but the Foreign Office has previously confirmed Mrs Parker and her daughter were British expatriates who had lived abroad for some years.