Groenewald-Hagerman, 39, she sneaked into the animals herd and killed the creature with one shot from just 12 yards.

The woman, from Kansas, was inspired to go on the safari after being challenged by a male friend who said women could never draw such a heavy bow.

She worked out for four hours a day for eight months to be able to draw the huge PSE XF Bow big enough to kill the majestic creature.

The huntswoman wrote her own blog about her trip to Zimbabwe where she found the elephant in 2007.

She describes leaving the animal overnight lying on its side before returning to check it was actually dead the next day.

On the hunting website 'Hunts of a Lifetime' Hagerman wrote: "A man by the name of Larry, who is a videographer for Orion Multi Media, bet me I couldn't shoot a buffalo or elephant with a bow.

"He indicated only one or two women had completed the buffalo with a bow and no woman had ever taken an elephant with a bow. Of course, I couldn't turn down the challenge."

So, determined to win her wager Hagerman began training how to use the heavy bow for the next 12 months.

"The bow was awesome. I think it fit me well," wrote Hagerman on archerytalk.com.

"The rest of the event of the evening was spent sitting around the fire pit. I made a commitment not to enjoy any wine or dessert until I accomplished my goal. I couldn't wait to get my elephant."

The blonde boasted about the slaughter, which happened near Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe.

"I shot the elephant at 12 yards with one arrow," she writes.

"It was shot near dark. We went back the next day and found him. I was in the middle of 37 elephants when I took my shot. This was my first bow kill and first woman to take an ele with a bow."

Hagerman, who was born in Texas and raised in Missouri, began hunting at the age of 24.

A year later, she started marketing for Out of Africa Adventurous Safaris and became a professional hunter in South Africa. There she began hunting numerous 'big game' in the bush.

Hagerman has received praise from other hunters who hail her as the first ever woman to kill an elephant with a bow and arrow.

One blogger on texasbowhunter.com described her as: "Stunning looking, and a [sic] avid hunter." The blogger, called Africanbowhunter, continued: "Her shot was made at 12 yards and the Bull traveled [sic] 500 yards before going down. 500 African Villagers were fed with the meat from the Bull.:) [sic]" Another admiring blogger called BO-N-ARO wrote: "12 yards!!! I bet they had a great blood trail because of the low entry!! She had to have been shooting UP! That has to be one of the best examples of setting a goal and working hard to achieve it!"

Hagerman's trip was paid for by several sponsors including the bow company, PSE, and Foxy Huntress, a company that make hunting clothing for women.

Hagerman promoted her kill and endorsed the clothing simultaneously on the clothing site. She wrote: "Foxy Huntress provided me with all the clothes a woman could dream of having on a safari. There were so many great things to wear. Being the woman that I am, I was excited about wearing all the different outfits."

Sixty years ago a man called Howard Hill took out an elephant with a bow and it has hardly been attempted since.

Hunting elephants for sport is not illegal in some parts of Africa and many tour companies allow tourists to visit on organised hunting trips. Tour operators and hunters argue that elephants get out of control when not properly culled and can destroy crops and small buildings in rural villages.

Villagers in Zimbabwe have been resorting to elephant culls to survive since the economical meltdown caused by the Mugabe regime.