Man gored to death by buffalo
EZEMVELO KZN Wildlife CEO Sihle Mkhize said it was with deep sorrow and a heavy heart that he extended his condolences to the family of a man who was killed by a buffalo over the weekend.
The incident occurred near the park's Mashiya gate on Sunday.
According to Mkhize, reports were received early in the morning of a buffalo seen outside Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP). He said Ezemvelo field rangers stationed at Siqwashi Outpost heard a gunshot outside the park and reacted.
They found a group of people gathered around the body of a man.
“I want to express our profound sadness over the loss of one of our community members. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent risks associated with living near wildlife, despite our best efforts to ensure safety measures are in place,” said Mkhize.
“At HiP, the safety and well-being of our visitors and surrounding communities is our priority. We have robust protocols in place to minimise potential risks and ensure the protection of both humans and wildlife.
“However, nature can be unpredictable, and tragic events like this remind us of the need for constant vigilance and ongoing efforts to enhance safety measures,” he said.
Mkhize further indicated that in the wake of this incident, Ezemvelo is co-operating fully with local authorities and conducting a thorough investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
“Our team is committed to learning from this experience and implementing any necessary changes to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. We understand that this tragedy has deeply affected our community, and we are here to offer our support and assistance in any way we can,” said Mkhize.
“Once again, our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of the deceased. May they find strength, solace and healing amid this tragedy,” added Mkhize.
Moreover, he said it was still too early to speculate how the buffalo might have escaped from HiP.
He said recently Ezemvelo has been dealing with poachers who continue to cut the fence to gain access to the park, and the organisation has had to employ fence liners who patrol the fence daily.
“Unfortunately, they cannot be everywhere at the same time. HiP deals with between three to five fence-cutting incidents every month,” said Mkhize.