Dangerous Animal Incidents

[harrys]

Now they are very brave, bunch of cowards

[Lisbeth]

Was this really necessary?

Someone behaving like that should not be allowed to work where animals are involved

[Richprins]

WTF?

The predators have to be shot once they kill humans, unfortunately, but is this stupid!

[Richprins]

[Richprins]

What on earth is a visitor doing attending parks business???

[Lisbeth]

SANParks has already condemned the behaviour of the person/s in the video; why don't they leave it at that. All of a sudden a lot of details, that we usually never get, in order to underline that it was someone not employed by SANParks coming from outside

[graham]

Liz, I didn't read it that way at first. At the start it says "struck by onlookers" so I took it that more than one person was involved in hitting the leopard.

But someone can't count or perhaps it is just poorly written. Four were Sanparks employees, three were rangers, three employed by concessions, one environmental monitor, one visitor - makes twelve.

Even four Sanparks employees (three rangers plus one environmental monitor), three employed by concessions and one visitor does not add up to nine.

[Lisbeth]

Bad writing and they cannot count either

[Richprins]

SANParks sanctions Staff Members caught on video abusing an animal carcass:
Following a video which circulated on various media platforms recently, South African National Parks (SANParks) said in a statement that it had started implementing corrective measures after it concluded its investigations. This after a leopard was euthanised following an attack on a concession staff member who was on his way to work. The attack was the second on an individual in almost the same vicinity.
A Management incident report has been completed with recommendations to the SANParks Board and the Minister on ways to minimise the possibility of such incidences re-occurring.
The Management report found that official policies and procedures were followed in the decision and actions that led to the euthanisia of the leopard.
Problems were unfortunately experienced during the recovery of the carcass after the Ranger Corporal asked for assistance from bystanders to assist in retrieving the carcass from the bushes. The incident took place in the administrative area of Skukuza less than 100 metres from the employees living quarters. After the leopard had been euthanised some residents gathered on the road. Due to the large size of the leopard, the ranger asked three of the bystanders to assist in moving the dead leopard. It was found that the rangers did not take adequate precautions to control this process and it was at this point that the incident captured on video took place.
All identified SANParks employees were questioned and submitted statements. The individual who struck the leopard is not a SANParks employee and has been barred from entering the Kruger National Park. Disciplinary action is ongoing for all SANParks officials as well as the individual who filmed the incident.
In addition to making recommendations on how to limit future incidences of human wildlife conflict, the management report recommended revisiting and communicating the KNP Code of Conduct to visitors and residents alike as well as amending Standard Operating Procedures to improve actions on potential crowd control in the very few incidences where animals may be euthanised in close proximity to humans.
SANParks also wished the two individuals who were injured, a speedy and full recovery.
Issued by:
South African National Parks (SANParks), Communications & Marketing Department: Kruger National Park.
Media enquiries:
Ike Phaahla: Kruger National Park. Tel: 013 735 4363, cell: 083 673 6974 or email: isaac.phaahla@sanparks.org

[Lisbeth]

Sometimes it is much better to be quiet and the "whateveritis" gets forgotten in no time