http://www.news24.com/SouthAfr...m-lions-jaw-20111102

André Botha, Volksblad
Upington - A game ranger’s life was heroically saved on Tuesday when an aggressive lion attacked him on the back of a bakkie in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Albert Bojone was literally pulled from the lion’s jaws when Graeme Ellis, a biotechnician and researcher in the park, jumped out of the bakkie’s cabin and dragged him inside.

Bojone’s boot, which was grabbed by the lion, remained between the lion’s teeth when Ellis pulled him free. The lion was shot dead with the boot in his jaws.

The lion had first bitten his arm and when he let go, Bojone jumped onto the bakkie cabin’s roof with the lion jumping up after him.

Other lions shot

The lion attack came after four lions were shot dead over the weekend for killing cattle.

Henriëtte Engelbrecht, marketing and communication manager of the South African National Parks (SANParks) arid parks in the Northern Cape, said Bojone, Ellis and Mico Ferreira, senior game ranger, were looking for the three remaining lions in the pride on the Botswana side of the park close to the border with South Africa.

Bojone sat on the back of the bakkie and the other two were in the cabin. They followed the two lions and then drove behind the one on the right.

The next moment the other lion rushed at the bakkie and jumped on the back.

“The bakkie fortunately had railings, which held the lion back. He got hold of Bojone’s arm. When he let go for a moment, Bojone jumped on the cabin roof.”

The lion jumped onto the back and grabbed Bojone’s foot. Ellis then got out of the cabin and pulled Bojone in.

Both his boots were left behind, one between the lion’s teeth. This boot had four holes where the lion had bitten it.

Bojone was rushed to the Mediclinic in Upington where he was still in the ICU on Tuesday.

Engelbrecht said the lions, known among rangers as “bush lions” usually frequented areas where there were no people.

No previous lion attacks

The lion that attacked Bojone was possibly furious about his mate that had been shot dead.

When the lions moved out of their area, game rangers were sent to catch them. They were then brought back to Kgalagadi, where they were kept for 14 days in a boma. They were then released about 200km from where they were found.

She said Nardus du Plessis, the park’s former senior game ranger, on Tuesday confirmed to her that no lion had attacked a human being in the 15 years that he had been in the park.

Bojone had been working in the park for 22 years.

He also said something like this had never happened while he was working at the park.

Engelbrecht said lions had rushed at vehicles before. A blanket was then usually thrown over them when they got close to the vehicle. They then fought the blanket and usually gave up.

On Tuesday, however, the lion simply pushed through the blanket to get to Bojone.

“He must have been furious.”

Thats what Happens when you send a "Jeep Jockey" to do a Pro Hunters job

Spoken truly as someone with no knowledge of the Mico, and companies experience, I know these guys for 15 plus years,

They KNOW Lions, real ones not the fake bushveld lions

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfr...lion-attack-20111102


SANParks explains ranger's lion attack
2011-11-02 15:19



Upington - A game ranger is lucky to be alive after he was "pulled out" of a lion's jaws in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the SA National Parks (SANParks) said on Wednesday.

Albert Bojone was attacked by a lion on Tuesday but was not seriously hurt, said spokesperson Henritte Engelbrecht.

He broke a thumb and was recovering at a clinic in Upington.

Bojone and two other men were on the Botswana side of the park and planning to catch and bring back three local Kalahari lions that had slipped over the border.

One of the lions had caught a cow and was shot dead by a farmer. The other two were also eventually put down by parks personnel as they had become extremely aggressive.

Lions 'extremely aggressive'

Explained Engelbrecht in a telephone interview:

"Part of (a ranger's) conservation duty is to keep track of our lions. A certain area of the Botswana side (of the transfrontier park) is not fenced at all and animals move freely from South Africa to Botswana."

The three predators formed one group. Rangers believed they belonged to the same pride.

"They were like brothers but were extremely aggressive. It could be that they don't see people often, or they were traumatised ... by seeing the other lion shot," said Engelbrecht.

Bojone, an experienced ranger, was standing on the back of a pick-up truck and his two colleagues were seated in the front of the vehicle as they approached the surviving big cats.

Suddenly one of the lions jumped onto the bakkie.

"It grabbed [Bojone's] arm but then the lion lost a little control and fell back. Bojone then jumped and scrambled to get onto the roof of the bakkie," according to Engelbrecht.

The cat then grabbed at Bojone's foot.

"He tried to kick the lion off him ..."

Saved

Researcher Graeme Ellis, seated in front of the vehicle, scrambled out and went to help.

"He risked his life and pulled Bojone out of the jaws of the lion and pulled him into the [cab of the] bakkie."

The lion had a firm grip and "Bojone was pulled out of his boot ..."

When the attacker was shot dead, it still had the boot in its jaw, said Engelbrecht.

The third lion also had to be shot dead as it was aggressive.

Rangers' usual technique in handling lion attacks on vehicles is to toss a blanket on the beast.

"They would normally fight with the blanket and then get tired and give up," Engelbrecht said."



- SAPA

So, I want to get this right. When a Lion jumps onto the back of a vehicle the Game Ranger is not to use his ever-present AK-47 to kill the beast but rather to throw a blanket over its head to confuse it?

OK, I've got it now.

This is South Africa, and Our Game Rangers do not carry AK47's ,

In Kgalagadi the lions in some areas, where they have had minimal human contact they are known to be very aggresive, Rangers do NOT soot these lions very easily, as their numbers are so low, they normally capture them and then release back into the deep park again.

If these are the same young males they caught 3 weeks ago, they were super aggresive then, ans attacked the vehicle as well, then were put in a boma before being released again,

Without talking to the guys, it seems they went roaming again,(Nomads) or Bush Lions, as they do not have their own territory and need to move to find their own, wich unfortunately is commonly out of the park, where they cathc the numerous @#$%#@$^%$#%^^&$%&$%&%^&*^&(^&*(&^%$#$%^#$%^&$% cows and donkeys in Botswana and either get shot and poisoned by the Bots farmers before they can get relocated

I will be in Kgalagadi next week and will confirm story with guys ON THE GROUND,

Walter,

Thanks, and I will await your update.

Regardless, chasing Lions without a rifle seems somewhat irresponsible, for anybody, to say the least. Someone's lucky they didn't end up as Lion poop. Blankets??? Really?

Lion Hunter if you read the article they did have a rifle and shot the Lion while it still had the guys boot in its mouth i.e. pretty quickly.

It was their intention not to shoot the lions if at all possible, not every problem animal has to be killed straight away and often they will try to avoid it if they can.

quote:

Originally posted by leopards valley safaris:
Thats what Happens when you send a "Jeep Jockey" to do a Pro Hunters job

we not talking about CANNED lions here mate!!