Poacher injured in lion attack
27/03/2009 20:00 - (SA)


Johannesburg - A small game poacher spent two terrifying hours up a tree, trying to hide from two lions in the Munyawana Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday night.

Police spokesperson, Captain Jabulani Mdletshe, said the man was one of a group of four poachers who went into the reserve to poach small game.

"They managed to get a wild hog. On their return home, they were attacked by two lions," said Mdletshe.

The group ran for their lives, but while his friends managed to get away, the lone poacher decided to hide up a tree, leaving his hunting dogs at the bottom to try and defend him.

"All six [of] his dogs were killed by the lion and lay scattered beneath the tree," said Mdletshe.

The poacher finally found a chance to escape when the lions chased after a hyena, said Mdletshe.

The man fled to his homestead and was taken to a clinic for treatment of a claw scrape in his thigh.

"His friends went to report the attack at the game reserve but when police arrived at the clinic he had already left," said Mdletshe.

Kevin Pretorius, regional director for Phinda Private Game Reserve, of which the Munyawana forms part, said there was not usually a problem with poachers.

A case of illegal hunting had been opened and police expected to arrest the poachers soon, Mdletshe said.

- SAPA

The lion killed the wrong dogs.

Agreed. Misplaced loyalty! They should have run like he did.
Peter.

Doesn't sound like poaching for profit, like with rhino or ele, but poaching for survival. They surely knew there were lions there, but had to hunt anyway.

Damn! Poor dogs. Died for an (censored).

Just curious. These are wild lions?

Were they hungry, or just playing? They killed the dogs but didn't eat them. Then got distracted and were off on a hyena chase.

quote:

Originally posted by Sue:
Just curious. These are wild lions?

Were they hungry, or just playing? They killed the dogs but didn't eat them. Then got distracted and were off on a hyena chase.

I would guess they are wild lions hunting.

Pity the lions did not get all of them....

I hate a poacher.

quote:

Originally posted by SGraves155:
Doesn't sound like poaching for profit, like with rhino or ele, but poaching for survival. They surely knew there were lions there, but had to hunt anyway.

Surely your not condoning poaching ? If every South African that was hungry poached, there would be no animals left in a week.

quote:

Originally posted by Code4:

quote:

Originally posted by SGraves155:
Doesn't sound like poaching for profit, like with rhino or ele, but poaching for survival. They surely knew there were lions there, but had to hunt anyway.

Surely your not condoning poaching ? If every South African that was hungry poached, there would be no animals left in a week.

There is a hell of a difference between poaching to keep your family from starving and poaching to try to get rich from Ivory or horn. I would sooner find a man at fault for allowing his family to starve to death rather than "poaching" in an attempt to keep them alive, if that should happen to be the case here. Yeah, sometimes "poachers" have logic and justice on their side. We don't know this man's family situation, but we do know that he was willing to risk death to get some small game meat.

SGraves155, unfornatally a lot of the poached (no pun intended) game is sold in the market place i e the poaching is done for monitary reasons not soley to feed family. Well I guess the funds feed the family or more importantly provides funds for beer, which in the area where the above poaching took place, is frequently consumed prior to the poaching venture.

Last year I hunted a property next to Pinda and actually traveled thru Pinda to hunt a property that was completly surrounded by Pinda. I wasn't hunting captive game, I was hunting Red Duiker and Suni and will be returning to the same property this year still in pursuit of Suni.

The property I hunted on has a few 40 to 60 foot towers which are manned at night watching for poachers. They usually are poaching Warthogs and Impala. Also the poachers are usually a wee bit snockered.

Poachers can be a tremendous detriment to animals such as ele, rhino, tiger, snow leopard, etc. Their snares can cause amazing agony to many wonderful creatures. When the poachers, and perhaps some other people, are killing for profit, then we are right to criticize and try to stop those activities.
The "poachers" who are doing so to keep their families from starving, and there certainly are such folks, deserve a different kind of judgment, and we should not be quick to recommend death for them.

Good point.