The Leopard shown below, was killed after it attacked the hounds man in a well known area not far from us here in the Eastern Cape. The hounds man was running a Jackal pack of hounds, when the dogs picked up the scent of the cat. The very large tom, obviously agitated by the hounds, attacked.
The cat was dispatched by one of the members in the party, no doubt saving the hounds man's life.
There is no doubt that there will an investigation from Nature Conservation, but seeing the wounds to the individual, in my opinion, should be the end of the investigation. No doubt that this man would not be here today, had it not been for the quick reaction of the first responder. It takes a certain type of strong individual to respond to these situations, and the world needs more of them. A special mention to him for acting swiftly and saving this man's life.
The cat weighed a whopping 111kg, or 244lbs. I have heard that this is the second incident in the Eastern Cape of the exact same nature, proving that the population of Leopard is healthy down here, and maybe time by the authorities to start rethinking, not only the hold off on permits for the country as a whole, but also permits for the Eastern Cape.
Wishing the injured man a speedy recovery.
