'It wasn't a quick death'
01/02/2009 22:54 - (SA)


Hilda Fourie, Beeld


Nelspruit - While his colleague was being dragged into the bushes by a lioness, all he could hear were hysterical screams.

Even when he could no longer see the lioness, Elvis Mathabula could still hear his colleague, the 24-year-old Richmond Sibuyi, scream.

"It wasn't a quick death. I don't even want to think about it," said Vincent Barkas, spokesperson for Protrack.

Mathabula and Sibuyi were employees of Protrack, a commercial anti-poaching company.

According to Barkas, Mathabula and Sibuyi were patrolling a private game farm on Friday night in the so-called buffer zone along the Thornybush Game Reserve, about 25 km from the Kruger National Park.

After the patrol they turned in for the night.

"Elvis was woken up by Richmond's screams," Barkas said.

"A lioness had grabbed Richmond by the torso and was dragging him from the tent while he was still in his sleeping bag.

"Richmond was lying with his head in the tent's open doorway."

Barkas said Mathabula had grabbed a firearm, but it wasn't loaded.

He beat the lioness with the firearm, but to no avail.

"As Elvis was beating the lioness, she simply dragged Richmond deeper into the bushes," Barkas said.

Mathabula ran through the bush to the home of the nearest game ranger, who got in touch with Protrack's staff.

Because of bad weather and the darkness, they could only start looking for Sibuyi on Saturday morning.

"When we found Richmond, the lioness was still sitting next to him," Barkas said.

"The lioness was shot on the spot."

- Beeld