https://www.africanews.com/202...ican-air-force-base/


Leopard attacks Men at South African Air Force Base

DENIS FARRELL/2008 AP
By Rédaction Africanews
Last updated: 01/08 - 10:54
South Africa


A leopard attacked two men at a South African air force base adjacent to Kruger National Park.

One man, an air force member in uniform, was attacked while jogging. The other, a civilian working at the base, encountered the leopard during a walk, according to an air force spokesman.

Both men were hospitalized with scratches but no major injuries, Brigadier General Donavan Chetty told the BBC. One has been discharged, and the other is expected to leave on Thursday.

The leopard was captured on Wednesday and relocated to a sanctuary about 100km (62 miles) from Hoedspruit air force base, following last week's incidents.

General Chetty noted that while leopard encounters are common for those near the park, they are not usually dangerous. Despite the park being mostly fenced, he explained that leopards can easily bypass fences due to their agility.

Leopards are nocturnal predators hunting various prey, including wildebeest, antelope, and fish, according to the Kruger National Park website. Around 150 leopards are known to live in the area.

Very unusual for a healthy leopard to attack an adult male. Wonder the circumstances. But good luck with the relocation. If it's a male, he'll be back in three months.

I'm sure if they give him a "stern talking-to" he won't attack another person...

Kamala Harris and the Democrats would be silly enough to think that would work.

This bad behavior will be put on your permanent record.

There was a really tragic case in around 2010-12 in Tarangire National Park. A French couple who were both lawyers working at the Hague in Arusha prosecuting war criminals from Rwanda had a young child and went on holiday in the Park. The Park staff had been feeding a female leopard to keep her around because the guests liked seeing her. One night, apparently, the parents left their small child unattended and the child was running around in camp. The leopard took the child. The parents sued claiming the folks running the camp were negligent, and they were, but who leaves a toddler unattended in the bush?

Very sad case and sorry to blame the parents, but they needed to be, well, parents. Not sure how the court case turned out, but heard about it when I was in Simanjiro, next to Tarangire. Leopards will be leopards.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
There was a really tragic case in around 2010-12 in Tarangire National Park. A French couple who were both lawyers working at the Hague in Arusha prosecuting war criminals from Rwanda had a young child and went on holiday in the Park. The Park staff had been feeding a female leopard to keep her around because the guests liked seeing her. One night, apparently, the parents left their small child unattended and the child was running around in camp. The leopard took the child. The parents sued claiming the folks running the camp were negligent, and they were, but who leaves a toddler unattended in the bush?

Very sad case and sorry to blame the parents, but they needed to be, well, parents. Not sure how the court case turned out, but heard about it when I was in Simanjiro, next to Tarangire. Leopards will be leopards.

I remember that story.

I also remember the park apparently informed the guest NOT to leave children unattended outside!

Very sad what happened but the parents share the blame!

https://eturbonews.com/french-...inst-wildlife-lodge/

if this is the case here is the outcome.

quote:

One night, apparently, the parents left their small child unattended and the child was running around in camp. The leopard took the child.

The Leopard will have identified the child as a Baboon, one of its favorite prey.

This I never understand!

On several occasions, we went to Africa with kids.

All the camps had electric fences.

Still, we NEVER let any of the kids out without an adult.

Yes the parents are responsible for looking after their child.

However, they do not fully understand the dangers of leopards in such situations. Did they know that the leopard was being fed regularly?

The resort owners cannot have it both ways. They cannot feed a leopard so it is an attraction to tourists and an advertisement to their business and then not also take the strongest safety measures and warnings to protect customers.

I had the year wrong by a bit, but that is clearly the incident. IMHO, both the lodge and the parents were negligent. As Fulvio pointed out, the leopard no doubt assumed the child was a babo0n. The court's ruling is equally shocking to a defense lawyer in the States. i wish our courts had that much restraint.

I've never seen an electric fence around any of the camps I've hunted in in Africa. The only place I've had a camp surrounded by an electric fence was in Northwest Territories in Canada. I'm not sure how effective it would have been against the grizzlies, but we never had an incident. I doubt seriously if it would be effective against cats, especially leopards. They'll just jump it if they want over.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
I've never seen an electric fence around any of the camps I've hunted in in Africa. The only place I've had a camp surrounded by an electric fence was in Northwest Territories in Canada. I'm not sure how effective it would have been against the grizzlies, but we never had an incident. I doubt seriously if it would be effective against cats, especially leopards. They'll just jump it if they want over.

I was talking about photo safari camps.

In both Kenya and South Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
I've never seen an electric fence around any of the camps I've hunted in in Africa. The only place I've had a camp surrounded by an electric fence was in Northwest Territories in Canada. I'm not sure how effective it would have been against the grizzlies, but we never had an incident. I doubt seriously if it would be effective against cats, especially leopards. They'll just jump it if they want over.

a lot of people are using them in ak and nwt (do not know that much about here but some are promoting it) so they should work but it is electric and it can fails.

The fence around the Chewore North camp on the Zambesi is supposed to be predator proof. One day the camp manager was surprised to see a female leopard walk past her office while she was working on her computer. A few minutes later she heard a scream. A client's wife was sitting on her verandah throwing fruit to the monkeys when the leopard jumped over her head off the roof of her hut, killed a monkey then jumped back onto her roof again.

In Chete, Zimbabwe.

Very hot in October.

The huts we were in had stone walls to the waist.

Above that they are open and have sort of curtains one pulls down.

We used to leave them open, as well as the windows on either side.

Leopard tracks are found often passing in front of our door.

Some like to sleep outside because of the heat.

And on one occasion a leopard passed between two people asleep at night.

Only saw his tracks in the morning!!

In 2004, I heard something outside my tent, inches from my head at the edge of the tent. I checked it out the next morning and a leopard had been right there. No danger, but he was checking it out.