Man rescues DeBeers CEO from lion's jaws

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer
* The hero describes the attack as ferocious

From The Mmegi online

The man who rescued DeBeers Botswana CEO, Neo Moroka, from a lion's attack at his farm in Kgalagadi has told Mmegi the attack was ferocious.

Hendrick Eister who says he learnt about lions and how to kill them while working in Transvaal many years ago, says the lion left five deep cuts on his back and another deep cut on his left arm before he eventually shot and killed it on Monday this week.

The attack was severe, no doubt about that. We later decided to drive him to Tsabong after I had ordered that we treat the lion wounds with brake fluid, before taking him to the hospital.

"I went to check on him this morning, he was recovering. But the problem is that he is alone there, but he was walking albeit with difficulty," said the lion killer.

Eister says he had to be brave during the attack as all the lion hunters ran for their dear lives, while one of the hunters who had a gun just froze with the weapon in his hands while the lion was on top of Moroka just a foot away.

"I saw it jumping out of the bush, towards the approaching van, and I shouted, shoot, shoot, but no one pulled the trigger; I did not have a gun; so I had to be brave and run towards Bok, who was literally stunned, and grabbed the gun from him. Everything happened in a split second. I shot at the hip, and then on the shoulders, and then it started looking for the shooter. It was really bad. I had ran out of bullets and had to call for an extra one, as it came charging at me. Bok threw the bullet to me; it fell on the ground and I had to start looking for it very quickly; luckily by the time it was very close to me, I had loaded the gun and I pulled the trigger, hitting it on the head. It died on the spot. It was hell," narrated the shooter.

Eister says though heavily injured by the lion's claws, Moroka showed remarkable strength as he picked himself up and jumped onto the bakkie on his own.

Eister says they were hunting for a lion that had earlier killed a cow at Moroka's kraal. In fact, it was the second cow to be killed by the lions at the farm since the festive period began.

The lion killer says they have been informed by the wildlife department in the area that four lions entered the farm just before Christmas. The wildlife department has since killed one, while the second lion was shot and killed on Monday by Eister.

But Eister is concerned that two more lions are still at large will continue to kill livestock and pose a threat to people's lives.

This sounds like a job for John Wilson from the Outdoor Channel!!

quote:

Originally posted by Lhook7:
This sounds like a job for John Wilson from the Outdoor Channel!!

That is too funny!!!!!

good thing they outlawed lion hunting in Botswana or I am sure Wilson would be all over this-with his bow!

"shoot, shoot but no one pulled the trigger"

ya suppose someone didnt like him?

SSR

Treat wounds with brake fluids??

Grizz

"Bok threw the bullet to me; it fell on the ground and I had to start looking for it very quickly; luckily by the time it was very close to me, I had loaded the gun and I pulled the trigger, hitting it on the head. It died on the spot."


Wow, now that was a very very close call. Great state of mind under heavy duress. Well done that man!

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
good thing they outlawed lion hunting in Botswana or I am sure Wilson would be all over this-with his bow!

Apparently the legality of the hunt does not enter into the equation as evidenced with his PAC hunt in Moz.

Sounds like a complete and utter stuff up.

Hunting lions is not for beginners.

I thought that there was no lion hunting in Botswana?

Apparently, only no lion hunting for those willing to pay a trophy fee.

And none also for those who are competent to the task.

It is perfectly legal (and encounaged by the authorities) to kill lions on a cattle ranch ... but illegal to shoot the same lions on a game ranch. And only the property owner may shoot a marauding lion. The hunt may not be sold. The lion population in Botswana is growing in leaps and bounds. Game farmers are struggling with mounting losses and powerless to do anything about the situation. In the near future, I expect a lottery system for lion to be implemented, along the lines of the current leopard management plan.

The CEO of DeBeers Botswana is a very big deal. This sounds like an unofficial sport hunt to me. I wonder how it came to be that the gent was mauled ... had the lion been wounded? Hard to imagine the lion attacking humans unprovoked.

Reflecting on the story, just maybe there is something poetic in someone who ravishes the earth, digging up crystallized carbon for baubles, being tickled up by a member of the wildlife population.

Brake Fluid in the wounds....MMM I can see that being popular with the medical staff who have to clean up the mess. Brake fluid will do all sorts of damage to open flesh and will not sterilise it(which is what I assume they were trying to do.) Sounds like they didnt have a first aid kit on board or close at hand.

Dunno doesnt exactly inspire confidence in their abilities

I think the modern wisdom is to use Mobil 1 motor oil to treat bite wounds. It's recommended for everything else on this forum.

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:
I think the modern wisdom is to use Mobil 1 motor oil to treat bite wounds. It's recommended for everything else on this forum.

I don't have the owner's manual in front of me, but I think it's Castrol.

what about WD-40?
Remoil?

quote:

Originally posted by Wink:

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:
I think the modern wisdom is to use Mobil 1 motor oil to treat bite wounds. It's recommended for everything else on this forum.

I don't have the owner's manual in front of me, but I think it's Castrol.

Castrol is old school thinking.

Is it April already?