Selfie-taker attacked by escaped elephant in Tanzania

A Tanzanian man is in critical condition in a hospital, after he posed for a selfie with an elephant which then attacked him.

It was part of a herd that had escaped a conservation area in the northern Manyara region and was eating farm crops in one of the villages, according to the authorities.

A regional police commissioner said the elephants became agitated after a group of locals approached them while taking selfies.

“The man has been admitted at Kiteto district hospital and is undergoing treatment…He has had some improvement,” said George Katabazi.

Human-wildlife conflict is common in Tanzania, where dry periods often lead to wildlife straying onto farms for food.