The Gonzo Scientist, in this weeks Science, describes the gruesome tale which occurred on May 11th during the conference "Convergence of the Real and Virtual" held in the World of Warcraft MMORPG:

As we made our way south into the Barrens, we tried to clear away the more aggressive beasts, particularly the crocodiles along the riverbank. Even in the vanguard, things got hairy. At one point, a croc charged toward an undergraduate student on our fringe. I drew my bow and squeezed off three arrows, killing it before it could reach her.

The stragglers were not so lucky. Lutters, a computer scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, tried to reach the rock-art site on his own. He drifted off the road somewhere near the mountains. A pack of hyenas found him and tore him apart. That's a horrible way to die.

Unfortunately, the full article requires an institutional subscription but it's a very enjoyable read. It wouldn't be the first time that a science conference has been held in an online community, but the possibilities for united Horde raids in the name of science are too awesome to be ignored.