24-07-2025
Multi-millionaire dies after being mauled, trampled by elephant at luxury safari in South Africa
The co-owner of one of South Africa's most luxurious game reserves was trampled to death by an elephant while attempting to move a herd away from tourist lodges.
Francois Christiaan 'FC' Conradie, 39, was attacked by a bull elephant at around 8 am on July 22 while managing a herd inside Gondwana Private Game Reserve, a five-star park he owned which was popular with celebrities and wealthy tourists.
The six-ton bull charged without warning, mauled him with its tusks, then stamped on him repeatedly. Rangers were unable to intervene.
The attack took place while the £900-a-night lodges were full. It is not known whether guests at the park witnessed the killing.
Conradie was CEO and co-owner of the 27,000-acre reserve near Mossel Bay, a four-hour drive from Cape Town. He also ran the Caylix Sport management company and held honours degrees in zoology, animal studies, commerce, and marketing.
Staff described him as 'a great guy to work for' who had a 'trust' with the elephants and often photographed them.
His wife of ten years, La-ida, 33, and their three young sons, aged 6, 11, and 12, were notified soon after. The family lives in Stellenbosch, where La-ida works for the global accounting firm Moore Stephens.
The reserve has experienced a similar tragedy before. In March 2024, a 36-year-old ranger, David Kandela, was killed in nearly identical circumstances. He was guiding a herd through the Eco Tent Lodge area when an elephant attacked. Kandela was gored repeatedly, dragged into the bush, and dismembered by other elephants. Only his head and torso were recovered.
A close friend of Kandela later said the reserve failed to contact David's wife and 10-year-old son, who only learned of his death via Facebook. 'She and Damian were left with nothing in compensation… not even offered counselling,' the friend said. Rangers at the time had no firearms, only stones to try to stop the elephant.
Both elephants that killed Kandela and Conradie are believed to be from the same herd, long considered a tourist favourite due to its seemingly docile behaviour.
A Gondwana staff member told reporters that since Conradie's death, 'everybody has been warned to say absolutely nothing or they will be out the same day. It is a big clamp down.'
The reserve has not publicly commented on the specific incident. A company statement confirmed Conradie's death, calling it 'a tragic incident' that 'has shaken us all.' It added, 'Our full support is first and foremost with his wife and family… many of (our staff) have lost both a leader and a friend.'
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Kappie Kapp confirmed that an inquest has been opened.
This is only the latest in a string of fatal elephant encounters in southern Africa. Earlier this month, two tourists, Easton Taylor, 68, from the UK, and Alison Taylor, 67, from New Zealand, were killed by a female elephant with a calf in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, despite guides firing warning shots. In January and February, a ranger and a tourist died in elephant stampedes.
African bull elephants can weigh up to six tons, stand 13 feet tall at the shoulder, run at speeds up to 25 mph, and are responsible for an estimated 500 deaths across the continent each year.
