[imagesource:pexels]

When you think about ‘high-risk’ jobs, game reserve employee is not one that comes immediately to mind. But it’s clear that this profession is no joke when it comes to safety as news dropped this morning of a man falling victim to a brutal lion attack in Gauteng.

Dinokeng Game Reserve employee Johannes Matshe met his tragic end while walking around the area at night. The reserve has confirmed that he was mauled to death by lions, after finding human remains on scene.

Spokesperson for the reserve Hartogh Streicher revealed that the Dinokeng operations manager swiftly responded to a distressing report of mauled body parts found on Monday at around 10:37 AM.

What the respondents found was truly disturbing: a skull and a leg bone with a shoe still attached. Photos of the grim remains have circulated social media, but it hasn’t been confirmed that the gory pic of a blood-soaked All-Star takkie attached to a leg-stump really belonged to Matshe.

Streicher conveyed the reserve’s heartfelt condolences to Matshe’s family, acknowledging the harrowing incident as a poignant reminder of the inherent dangers posed by working with wild creatures.

The spokesman for the reserve also emphasised that venturing onto the reserve’s grounds during the night was expressly prohibited. Sadly, Matshe forwent this rule and paid with his life.

“Lions are nocturnal animals, driven by their natural instinct and hunting patterns, and may perceive a person as a normal prey species,” Streicher explained.

As the Dinokeng Game Reserve grapples with the aftermath of the attack, they’ve enlisted expert guidance to handle the lions involved.

“Concerning the management of the lions responsible for this killing, no decision has been reached whether they have become unnaturally dangerous, but the reserve is receiving expert advice to make the most responsible decision possible for all parties concerned.”

Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi of Gauteng’s SAPS devision confirmed that the Hammanskraal police have initiated an investigation, treating the incident as an inquest.

This isn’t the first time Dinokeng Game Reserve has been embroiled in tragedy surrounding lion attacks.

In 2018, a young woman lost her life after being mauled by a lion within the reserve’s boundaries. At that time, management made it clear that the area where the incident occurred wasn’t accessible to the general public and that the lion involved was not among the reserve’s free-roaming population.

Spanning a vast expanse of 19 000 hectares, the Dinokeng Game Reserve occupies a large section of Gauteng’s landscape and is the only place in the province you can spot the complete Big Five.

Be warned though, the king of the Big Five is not just a playful kitty-cat, and there are serious consequences to interacting with these magnificent beasts.

[source:news24]