http://www.heraldlive.co.za/ne...opard-attack-horror/

Link has photo of victim and dead leopard.



Leopard attack horror

January 14, 2017 Riaan Marais

‘This is the end for me,’ victim thought as he was savaged by cornered cat

A farmworker narrowly escaped with his life when he was mauled by a massive leopard which attacked him in dense bush on an Eastern Cape game reserve.

The drama unfolded during a pest control expedition when the animal pounced on Zwelake Dyan – employed at the Burchell Private Game Reserve near Alicedale – and was subsequently shot by a member of the party.

Dyan, 60, was part of the group hunting small predators on the game farm on Thursday morning when he suddenly came across an “unusually large” leopard that attacked him and ripped into the left side of his face.

Now, while he is recovering in Settlers Hospital in Grahamstown, the Green Scorpions are investigating the incident. Dyan said he had his dogs to thank for saving his life. “It happened so quickly,” he said from his hospital bed yesterday.

“By the time I spotted the leopard it was already preparing to charge me. It jumped right into my chest, knocking me down and I went unconscious.

Green Scorpions ?

That's a leopard of note or Dale Venske is a midget little person.

quote:

Originally posted by crshelton:
Green Scorpions ?

Maybe a league of South African superheros?

Green Scorpions are wildlife investigators in RSA.

The cat weighed 111kg or 244 pounds.

https://www.facebook.com/game....6207/?type=3&theater


Game Animals of the past and present has more photos of the leopard and victim (see link).

That size leopard is unbelievable. Must have fed very recently.

More like well fed for a very, very long time.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/the.../Hot-breath-of-death



Hot breath of death

RIAAN MARAIS | 16 January, 2017 07:07


'This is the end for me, this is how I die,' a farmworker thought before he narrowly escaped death by mauling when a massive leopard attacked him in dense bush on an Eastern Cape game reserve.

T
The drama unfolded during a pest control expedition when the animal pounced on Zwelake Dyan - employed at the Burchell Private Game Reserve, near Alicedale. The leopard was subsequently shot dead by a member of the party.

Dyan, 60, was part of a group hunting small predators on the farm on Thursday when the "unusually large" leopard attacked him, ripping the left side of his face.

As Dyan recovers in Settlers Hospital, in Grahamstown, the Green Scorpions are investigating the incident.

"It happened so quickly," Dyan said from his hospital bed.

"When I spotted the leopard it was already preparing to charge me. It jumped right onto my chest, knocking me down unconscious."

One set of stitches runs from the back of his head, over his left ear, and across his cheek, another across the same cheek, holding together the left part of his top lip, which was nearly ripped off in the attack.

His left eye is swollen shut, his left arm broken and he has deep cuts in his right shoulder where the leopard's claws dug into him.

Dyan, a houndsman who has been working at the farm for 23 years, led a pack of 12 dogs to sniff out jackal and lynx, which eat smaller antelope on the farm.

Nearby, vermin control officer Dale Venske, carrying a rifle, was working with Dyan to hunt the small predators.

Dyan's dogs started circling a clump of bushes and Dyan went closer to investigate.

"It was dark inside the bushes, but when I eventually saw the leopard, about 15m from me, I immediately knew what it was.

"By that time it had already been watching me and the barking dogs made it angry.

"Before I knew what was happening, it was on top of me."

The leopard knocked Dyan down, dazing him.

When he regained his senses, he heard his dogs chasing the leopard away and towards Venske.

Venske fired, hitting the leopard in the head and killing it on the spot.

"I believe my dogs saved my life. If they had not been there to chase the leopard off, Dale would not have been able to get a clear shot," Dyan said.

Farm owner Barry Burchell said: "Anyone else would probably have fled, but Dale managed to get a clear shot when the leopard was about 5m from him with a calibre that is actually too small for killing leopards.

"I believe he saved both their lives."

Burchell said Cape leopards were indigenous to the region, but due to this one's size - it was 112kg - he believes this was of another species that had been introduced to the area.

He said they had found a nyala carcass near where the leopard was killed.

http://www.dispatchlive.co.za/.../storm-shot-leopard/



Storm over shot leopard

By Barbara Hollands - January 17, 2017


A social media storm has erupted after a farmworker was badly mauled by a leopard which was then shot dead during an ill-fated dog hunt for jackal and lynx at the Burchell Private Game Reserve near Alicedale last Thursday.


The 113kg male leopard was shot dead by vermin control officer Dale Venske after it attacked houndsman Zwelake “Mike” Dyan, ripping into the left side of his head, face and shoulder and breaking his left arm, according to reports.

Dyan is being treated for his injuries at Settlers Hospital in Grahamstown. Nature conservation authorities were notified after the shooting.

Images of Dyan’s bleeding face and a photograph of Venske holding the body of the dead leopard have appeared in the press and social media, triggering a war of words between users.

Some branded the hunting party “unethical” for allegedly cornering the cat with illegal hunting dogs, while others defended the kill saying it was carried out in self-defence.

Peter King wrote: “Those who have dealt with lies for many years, know that they have a certain smell. This one smells.”

But reserve owner Barry Burchell said Venske had been “heroic” to kill the big cat on the daily expedition to hunt vermin.

“He didn’t have a weapon for big game and only had a 222-calibre rifle. He was extremely brave. He could easily have run away and left the leopard to kill Mike.”

Burchell said he was unaware the leopard was on his property which is stocked with game like buffalo, kudu, nyala and sable.

“If we knew it was on the farm we would have trapped it and sent it to a photographic reserve like Shamwari. It was a beautiful animal.”

Landmark Foundation director Dr Bool Smuts said he believed last week’s leopard killing should be investigated as a possible criminal offence.

The foundation specialises in carnivores with a particular focus on the conservation of leopards, which he described as being “critically endangered” in the Eastern and Western Cape.

Smuts said the incident occurred as a direct result of illegal dog hunting.

“I have spoken to Mr Burchell. Their defence is that they were confronted by a life-threatening situation so they took the decision to kill the cat and the law states you may kill a leopard once it threatens a life.

“But this is the consequence of hunting with dogs.

“Dog hunting is a totally illegal action and I believe there were 12 dogs. My view is that they [the hunters] ought to have known that if they hunt with dogs, they place themselves in a position where they could corner an animal and that the animal will fight back. So they made this happen through intent.

“So it was an illegal action because of them hunting with dogs as well as intent and I believe authorities should take appropriate action because I believe a criminal offence occurred here.”

He said there were fewer than 700 leopards left in the Eastern and Western Cape.

“It’s a tragedy – another one down.”

Department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism (Dedeat), director of compliance and enforcement Div de Villiers said according to the provincial hunting proclamation, a landowner was allowed to use dogs to hunt problem animals like jackal and lynx on his property as long as dogs were used for tracking only.

He said the leopard shooting was the subject of a joint investigation between environmental affairs and the SAPS.

De Villiers declined to comment about the outburst of conflicting social media opinion, saying he aimed to “get to the bottom” of exactly what happened.

“People should wait till the investigation is finished and they have the truthful story before they make a decision on the facts of the matter.

“If anyone has good, first-hand information, they should contact us.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za

I wonder under what circumstances it becomes OK to kill a dangerous animal???


SA has been overtaken by savages and fools.

leopards are like chainsaws with an intelligent guidance system and a mean attitude.

BH63

http://www.heraldlive.co.za/ne...eopard-killer-fined/


Leopard killer fined
December 21, 2017 Gareth Wilson



The man who shot dead a leopard on a reserve outside Grahamstown in what was initially claimed to be self-defence, has paid an R8 000 admission of guilt fine for hunting the animal.

A probe into the killing of the leopard – which is a protected species under South African law – followed the shooting by Dale Venske on Burchell’s Private Game Reserve near Alicedale in January.

The leopard had attacked and mauled houndsman Zwelakhe Dyan during a vermin hunt and Venske claimed it had then charged him.

Earlier this year, researchers said the leopard was the largest ever recorded in the Eastern Cape.

The Environmental Affairs special investigations unit, known as the Green Scorpions, led the investigation, which saw Venske criminally charged in the Grahamstown Magistrate’s Court in October.

Venske paid the admission of guilt fine for hunting a leopard without a permit as opposed to the matter proceeding to court.

An additional charge of hunting with dogs – which carries a R2 000 fine – was withdrawn.

Leopard experts have described the fine as a disgrace.

Landmark Foundation director Dr Bool Smuts said the fine showed authorities were in cahoots with “ecological asset looters”.

“An R8 000 fine is a travesty of justice for the unlawful killing of an animal,” a furious Smuts said.

“We spend easily up to R100 000 with each rescue event [of a leopard]. This is outrageous.”

Smuts said his foundation had cases where criminal intent was admitted, but the Directorate of Public Prosecutions had opted not to prosecute.

“The time has come when the public needs to not only demand jail time for biological asset strippers, but also criminal liability for the authorities that, with impunity, continue to aid and abet this slaughter and looting,” he said.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Tsepo Ndwalaza confirmed that the fine was paid and the other charge withdrawn.

Due to the matter involving a firearm, the Firearm Control Act places the onus on the court to decide whether the police should investigate whether the accused is fit to possess a firearm.

Police are now waiting for the docket to be transferred to the Alicedale police station to establish if another probe into Venske’s fitness to have a firearm should be launched.

Hunting operator Barry Burchell had said after the shooting that they were innocent and would fight the matter in court.

He said yesterday the fine had been paid on the advice of his lawyer, Theuns Roelofse.

“I was under the impression the fine was for shooting the leopard, which we never disputed,” Burchell said.

“He [Venske] had no other choice, so yes, he did shoot it.”

Asked about the charge which stated that he had hunted the leopard, Burchell said he never saw the paperwork. He said the fine was paid by their hunting company, Frontiers Safaris.

At the time of the attack, Dyan told how hunting dogs had circled bushes and, when he investigated, he was confronted by a leopard.

The leopard then allegedly charged Dyan, who suffered a broken shoulder and cuts, before being scared off.

It was claimed that the leopard then charged Venske, who shot it.

However, investigators believed the men had attempted to hunt the leopard.

At the time, Burchell denied knowledge of a leopard on his property and claimed the dogs were part of a vermin pack registered with Nature Conservation.

But days later, he admitted knowing that there might be a leopard on his farm.

According to officials, the cellphones of those involved in the incident were confiscated.

Authorities believe the messages and voice notes show Venske intended to hunt the leopard – contradicting the original version of events.

Shortly after the leopard was shot, the carcass was taken to a taxidermist where it was going to be skinned and mounted.

Investigators, however, confiscated the skin and remains.

Analysis of the skeletal remains suggested the animal had been shot in the side of the head.

Venske had claimed he shot the leopard while it was charging him.

Police spokeswoman Captain Mali Govender said a probe into whether Venske was fit to possess a firearm would only be decided on once the case was returned to police by Environmental Affairs.

With a hand slap like this, little wonder why poaching continues.

Frontiers Safaris should be shut down.

Wonder what PHASA will do (joking).

quote:

I wonder under what circumstances it becomes OK to kill a dangerous animal???


SA has been overtaken by savages and fools.

Well OPUS how do you go from your first post to the one above??!!
The usual B-S from you. Why not stick to the PF? Most people waited to see the facts, but not you!!
Peter

Why don't you leave the personal attacks in the Crater where they belong.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
With a hand slap like this, little wonder why poaching continues.

Frontiers Safaris should be shut down.

Wonder what PHASA will do (joking).

It does not look for them does it?

Sorry OPUS. I just didn't want you spreading your particular brand of hatred to other forums. You have ruined the PF. Started to take over the Humor forum, and now you and your ilk want to spread your poison to the rest of AR.
Sad. AR was once a good place to come.
Peter

Once again, your post has nothing to do with African Hunting. Sorry you're getting bitchslapped so much in the Crater, but do try and keep it where it belongs.

I am sorry, but I am confused. Did it maul the farm worker or not?

Were they really hunting the leopard illegally as defined by SA law and using the jackets as a pretense, and in that endecaught a charge?

Now it looks like an illegal hunt followed by a mauling.

quote:

Originally posted by Peter:

quote:

I wonder under what circumstances it becomes OK to kill a dangerous animal???


SA has been overtaken by savages and fools.

Well OPUS how do you go from your first post to the one above??!!
The usual B-S from you. Why not stick to the PF? Most people waited to see the facts, but not you!!
Peter

Just because the truth is uncomfortable for you, doesn't mean it shouldn't be said....

Been to SA lately? Savages and fools are an apt description...having said that it's still my favorite Safari destination.

quote:

Just because the truth is uncomfortable for you, doesn't mean it shouldn't be said..

TRUTH? You and OPUS wouldn't know it if it bit you in the ass!

The truth is that it was an illegal hunt followed by a mauling but your buddy OPUS said:

"I wonder under what circumstances it becomes OK to kill a dangerous animal???


SA has been overtaken by savages and fools."

Hey! Who cares about "truth" that is just liberal propaganda. I have my own biases and THEY are MY truth! Right?

BTW I agree that RSA and several other countries on the African continent are a huge mess, however, that does not mean I call them "savages and fools".
Peter