A leopard that attacked a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member and a civilian at Air Force Base Hoedspruit over the weekend was captured on Wednesday.
Hoedspruit is one of two SA Air Force (SAAF) bases in the Limpopo province and like Air Force Base Makhado 240km away, is in the bushveld with all that entails in the form of wildlife from insects and other creepy-crawlies through to apex predators, including big cats.
Hoedspruit, itself a declared nature reserve and home to 19 Squadron and its Agusta and Oryx helicopters, was reminded in no uncertain terms of this by two leopard encounters last weekend.
The encounters left a uniformed SAAF staffer and a civilian worker employed at Drakensig – the base residential area – with scabs from claw marks and –thankfully – no serious injuries.
“One of the men, a uniformed air force member, was attacked while out for a run. The other, a civilian working at the base, encountered the leopard while on a walk,” the BBC reported, adding that the two were admitted to hospital with scratches but no major injuries. The soldier was discharged on the same day while the civilian is due out of hospital today.
The encounters saw the base mobilise its environmental team along with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), the Limpopo Department of Economic Development Environment and Tourism (LEDET) and other stakeholders to capture the cat and move it to a safer location.
The South African Air Force’s Brigadier General Donavan Chetty told Times Live the leopard was captured on Wednesday 31 July after the Air Force got wildlife authorities to set up a trap with a cage. The female leopard was relocated to a nature reserve in Phalaborwa.
The SAAF said the safety and well-being of its members remains a top priority and that the Air Force is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding these incidents.
“We take these matters seriously and are committed to ensuring the safety of all personnel and families stationed at the base,” the SAAF said. There are about 150 leopards being tracked around Hoedspruit.
In addition, the Air Force said it was collaborating with wildlife experts and local authorities to assess the situation and implement appropriate measures to mitigate future risks.
“While we understand the concerns raised by this situation, we encourage all personnel to remain vigilant and adhere to safety protocols when engaging with the natural wildlife in the area.”
According to the SAAF, the Acting Officer Commanding AFB Hoedspruit, Colonel Enrico Gherbavaz, has since mobilised the base environmental team to mitigate further risks.
As Air Force Base Hoedspruit is surrounded by the AFB Hoedpsruit Game Reserve, this makes keeping the runway clear of animals a problem. This led the base to introduce cheetahs on the airfield, reducing animal incursions onto the runway. This approach was also adopted by Air Force Base Makhado.
Due to the prevalence of wild animals, AFB Hoedspruit has curfews that prohibit people from walking at night or after dark.
