DURBAN.- An international volunteer at a captive wildlife facility in South Africa was reportedly attacked by a captive cheetah last month.
In a statement made by the Blood Lions NGO on Wednesday, they said that the volunteer was left traumatized by the attack. The organization stated that the volunteer was filming outside the cheetah’s enclosure while her colleague was on feeding duty.
“As soon as her colleague opened the enclosure gate, one of the cheetahs approached the volunteer swiftly, jumped on her back, aiming for her throat.”
The facility manager managed to get the cheetah away, however the volunteer had to go to the hospital for treatment for deep bite marks and cuts.
The volunteer had reportedly been asked by the facility to keep the incident quiet but said she didn’t want something similar to happen to other volunteers.
“Although the facility pleaded with me to keep the incident quiet … People need to understand that to be close to wild animals is appealing, but not safe,” she said.
In May it was announced, by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, that commercial captive lion breeding would no longer be allowed.
Blood Lions said incidents like the cheetah attack only emphasized the need to extend the captive lion recommendations to all other captive big cats and reinforces the need to immediately apply the SA Tourism Services Association Animal Interaction Guidelines throughout the tourism sector.
Environmental Affairs Minister, Barbara Creecy, published a gazette containing the draft policy position on conservation and ecologically sustainable use of elephant, lion, leopard and rhino on June 28 for public comment.
The public has 30 days from the time of publication to submit recommendations.
Sources: IOL, SA People
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