Mpumalanga leopard attack victim heard a roar before big cat leapt on him

“I was never ready for this attack, but I’m glad it attacked me and I was able to fight it.”

These were the words of Ndumiso Motha who was one of four people attacked by a leopard in Matsulu, outside Mbombela in Mpumalanga, last Thursday.

Residents said the leopard went on the rampage just after 11am and randomly attacked Motha, a young girl, an old man and a young boy before community members killed it. 

“Had it attacked my siblings or any young person, they would not have been able to fight it off as I did. We could be speaking of something else now,” Motha told TimesLIVE from his hospital bed at Rob Ferreira in Mbombela, where he is receiving treatment.

Bite marks on his nose, a swollen eye and scratches to his face and hands tell the tale of his battle with the big cat. Motha struggled to speak due to his facial injuries .

“Emotionally I'm not OK. I'm just thinking that I could have died during the attack. I'm happy to be alive and the physical pain I was in when I was admitted is getting better,” he said. 

Motha said he was attacked in the street while walking to fetch his siblings from school.

He heard a roar and before he could comprehend what was happening, the leopard attacked him.

“It climbed on my back, I fell and it started scratching me on my face but I told myself that I need to bring it in front of me so that I could face it eye to eye. I’ve heard that it is more powerful when it attacks you from the back, that’s why I made a mission to get it in front of me as quick as I could,” he said.

While screaming for help, Motha said he fought with the leopard, managing to get it in front of him.

“I punched it with a fist while it kept on scratching me but at least I got help from another person passing by and managed to get the leopard off me,” he said.

The passer-by, Vusi Nkosi, said he heard Motha scream and saw him on the ground and the leopard clawing him.

“I had to think very quickly and took a brick and smashed it on the [leopard's] head. I was just focused on saving Ndumiso. It was a scary sight and I’m glad I could help him.”

Meanwhile, residents said they were angry with wildlife authorities and living in fear.

There was no sight of children playing or walking in the streets.

Matsulu borders the Kruger National Park and residents say it's common to see wild animals in their area. 

Victoria Chauke said the wild animals eat their livestock. 

“They escape from the Kruger and come here to terrorise us and our animals,” she said. 

Another resident, Patricia Sithole said she no longer allows her children to play in the streets after the latest incident.

“It’s all too fresh now, maybe in the coming weeks I’ll allow them to play or go to the shops, but for now we are always indoors with doors locked because the leopard attacked some of the people right in their homes,” she said.

Phinidle Sibiya, whose son was one of the victims of the leopard attack, said his son who is in grade 12 had been struggling to sleep since the attack.

“He’s battling to sleep and scared of going to school because the leopard attacked him while he was on his way to school. I wish he could get some counselling because he is really traumatised and believes the leopard will come back to finish him off,” Sibiya said.

His son sustained minor injuries and has since been discharged from hospital.

Matsulu CPF chairperson Jacob Sboza said the community needed intervention from authorities. 

“Authorities must make sure that animals don't easily leave the park. They must make sure that the fence is in good condition throughout the park,” he said. 

Sboza said there were many young unemployed people in the area who could assist the park. 

Compliance manager at the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency April Lukhele said they had received a report early on the day of the incident.

“We request the community members to report such incidents to the nearest police station, conservation office or forum representative. Matsulu, unfortunately, has homes near the national park and there is no buffer zone left between the park and the community. People must know it is difficult to keep animals like leopards in the park. The leopard carcass was collected and sent to the veterinarian to check if it was sick as such behaviour is not common for a leopard,” Lukhele said. 

TimesLIVE

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