Leopard killed, another believed to be on the loose

The discovery of a huge dead leopard and rumours that another one had been spotted at Dzindi in Tshisahulu outside Thohoyandou have brought fear and shock among residents in the area of Lwamondo, Itsani and nearby villages.

The dead animal with gunshot wounds was found on Monday morning by residents on their way to work. It was lying next to a fence at the Dzindi Fish Project. Its origin and where the leopard was heading to are still a mystery, but many believe it might have escaped from a moving vehicle while being transported illegally by unknown persons.

News of the huge and dangerous cat(s) spread like wildfire and within a short space of time the area was bustling with curious onlookers who had come from different areas. Traffic was partly disturbed as drivers wanted to have a glimpse of the dead big cat.

Residents staying at the nearby Itsani village said they heard gunshots at around midnight on Sunday. "We heard the shots, but did not know where the sound was coming from. It was only this morning that we heard a leopard was found in the area and that was when we came here. We are in shock as people claim there is another one still roaming the bushes.”

The residents described the leopards as “very vicious, and if they can meet human beings we will be speaking of casualties.” Mr Nyadzeni Mudau, who stays in the village, has urged the police and conservation officials "to do their job and catch the outstanding leopard. The sooner they catch it, the sooner we will feel safe again."

Thovhele Thivhulawi Makumbane, the local senior traditional leader at Tshisahulu, who also went to the scene, said he was also shocked to see such a big leopard in the village very far from the national park. "We are happy that no one has been hurt or killed by this monster. We hope the nature conservation people will do their work and trace the remaining one before someone gets hurt," said Makumbane.

Kruger National Park spokesperson Mr William Mabasa said they were not aware of the stray animals. Police spokesperson Maj Mashudu Malelo confirmed that they had received a report of a shot leopard and rushed to the scene where it was found. "We are not sure who is responsible for the killing."

About the rumour of another live animal in the area, he said that they had alerted the nature conservation people who had the competency to track the remaining one if ever it was there. “We are also appealing to the public to report it to the nearest police and nature conservation officials if they spot the animal," said Malelo.

Date:02 November 2017

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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