A 54-year old soldier who was deployed to the Kruger National Park is recovering in Nelspruit Mediclinic after being bitten by a hyena on 5 September 2021.
Little is known about the incident, and the identity of the soldier hasn’t been publicised as he was stationed at the Sandriver army base near Skukuza. The incident occurred when out on patrol when his troop came across a hyena trapped in a snare.
The soldier went on to free the animal from the snare and immediately after freeing it, the hyena bit the soldier on the arm.
In 2019, SANParks reported an increase in poachers laying down snares in the Kruger National Park. It is suspected that these are being used to trap animals for the illegal bushmeat trade.
Ika Phaahla, the spokesperson for SANParks, told Lowvelder that they had investigated the incident and have since handed it over to the South African National Defence Force.
The Spokesperson for Nelspruit Mediclinic, Robyn Baard, confirmed that the patient is in stable condition.
Picture: Getaway Gallery
