https://www.news24.com/SouthAf...al-sedative-20171127



Farmworker dies after shooting himself with animal sedative

2017-11-27 11:49

James de Villiers

Polokwane – A farmworker died on Friday morning after he accidentally shot himself with a darting gun on a game farm near Saamboubrug, north of Lephalale, Limpopo police said on Monday.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the 30-year-old man was with a game farmer, 45, and another employee, 28, when the freak accident occurred.


The men were allegedly tracking a buffalo which had escaped from its enclosure.

The man is believed to have shot himself after he was handed the gun by the farm owner shortly after 09:00, Mojapelo said in a statement.

Culpable homicide

"He immediately started shivering and was rushed to a hospital in Polokwane, where he later died... apparently due to the effect of the animal darting substance."

The man was of Zimbabwean descent.


Mojapelo said a case of culpable homicide had been opened against the farm owner for allegedly "handing over a dangerous weapon to the deceased that ultimately killed him".

*This story has been updated to reflect a police correction that the charge of culpable homicide now relates to the handing over the gun, and not over the victim not being licensed to use the weapon.

some of the sedatives used on large African game are so deadly to humans that one usually carries the antidote in a syringe ready to go...in yer pocket...not at the truck 100 yards away.

I am sorry but how is it the farmer's fault this guy shot himself. Unless you are telling me that he was not trained to handle the weapon. And there are specific regulations on training and handeling these tranq guns. If that is the situation, how did anyone ever green hunt/dart a rhino.

M99 is not a drug to trifle with. Better have Narcan in a loaded syringe....

We used both M99 and Carfentanil when I worked at the Fort Worth Zoo and the precautions taken by the vet staff when using either were really impressive.

Carfentanil is some bad stuff