Leopard attacks and injures two SANDF soldiers
A PROWLING leopard attacked two military personnel at a South African Air Force base near the Kruger National Park, the military said yesterday.
The two injured members of the SANDF were in stable conditions and recovering from what an air force spokesperson described as “mostly scratches” following their encounters with the big cat.
The unprovoked attacks occurred at the Hoedspruit Air Force Base between Friday and Sunday last week, said Brigadier-General Donavan Chetty.
One officer was going for a morning jog when the animal pounced on him, the other was leaving work in the afternoon, Chetty said.
The base lies within the catchment area of the Kruger National Park.
This makes for frequent encounters with wild animals.
“It's not uncommon to see leopards (but) it is uncommon for them to attack,” he said.
It was not known what had prompted the animal, a nocturnal hunter, to pounce during the day.
Environmental authorities traced and captured the female leopard yesterday and transferred it to a nature reserve, Chetty said.
Earlier, Hoedspruit's Maruleng Municipality had warned residents to be vigilant around town after the leopard “was spotted prowling and roaming around the streets”.
The Kruger National Park is enclosed to keep wildlife within its boundaries.
But Chetty said fences were no match for leopards, who were renowned for their agility.
In 2022, six lions were put down after they escaped from a game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal through a cut in the perimeter fence and terrorised people living nearby.