Warning. Photo in article may disturb some readers.
NORTHERN CAPE. — Andries "Vollie" de Waal, a farmer from Kleinzee, was attacked by a leopard while he and a hunting party were hunting jackals and caracals on a farm near Kleinzee.
According to a social media post by the Landmark Leopard & Predator Project — South Africa, de Waal was part of a hunting party with two bakkies and a motorbike on Willem van Dyk's farm. The hunt took place during the day, according to the post, although such hunts are usually held at night.
After a jackal spoor was lost, a larger spoor was noticed that could possibly have been that of a brown hyena or dog. The spoor was followed on a motorbike and the person on the motorbike returned with a warning that there was a "big thing" in the bush. The bakkies approached the bush at close range, after which a leopard charged out and attacked de Waal, who was on the back of one of the vehicles with a rifle. According to the project, de Waal used the rifle to push the leopard off himself, after which the animal jumped away and ran off.
Willem van Dyk, the farm owner, confirmed there is no suspicion that the leopard had attacked livestock. The project says the leopard should not be blamed for the attack and wishes de Waal a speedy recovery.
Read the full post in English below:
Farmer attacked by leopard while on a hunt of predators in the Northern Cape.
Mr Andries "Vollie" de Waal was part of a hunting party involving two bakkies and motorbike. The hunt occurred on the farm of Mr Willem van Dyk near Kleinzee on the Namaqua Coast. The hunt was after jackals and caracal.
These types of hunts usually take place at night. This hunt took place during the day, and reportedly the spoor of a jackal was lost in the course of the hunt. At some stage a large spoor was detected, thought to be perhaps a brown hyena or dogs, and was pursued on motorbike. The motorbike returned to report that a "big thing was in the bush" which prompted the bakkies to approach the bush at close range. Mr de Waal was on the back of the vehicle with a rifle. At this point a leopard charged out of the bush and attacked. It would appear that the injuries were caused by the claws of the leopard. It is reported that Mr de Waal used the rifle to push the leopard off himself. The leopard then ran away.
Mr van Dyk, the farm owner, confirmed that the leopard was not suspected of any livestock depredation.
Leopards do occur infrequently in the region. Historically they have been well documented in the Orange River Gorge below the Augrabies National Park on the Namibian border. Leopards are, of course, well-known to be distributed through the Cederberg and higher-lying areas between the Western Cape Mountains and the Namaqualand areas up to Springbok.
This is not a damage-causing leopard. It should be left well alone and not be pursued. This is an unfortunate situation and we wish Mr de Waal well.
In over 300 years in the Cape provinces not a single case of a deliberate attack on a human being has been recorded. The only instances of human attacks have been in situations where leopards have been hunted or cornered, as in this case. The animal cannot be blamed, and should not be.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
