A social media storm has erupted after a farmworker was badly mauled by a leopard which was then shot dead during an ill-fated dog hunt for jackal and lynx at the Burchell Private Game Reserve near Alicedale last Thursday.
The 113kg male leopard was shot dead by vermin control officer Dale Venske after it attacked houndsman Zwelake “Mike” Dyan, ripping into the left side of his head, face and shoulder and breaking his left arm, according to reports.
Dyan is being treated for his injuries at Settlers Hospital in Grahamstown. Nature conservation authorities were notified after the shooting.
Images of Dyan’s bleeding face and a photograph of Venske holding the body of the dead leopard have appeared in the press and social media, triggering a war of words between users.
Some branded the hunting party “unethical” for allegedly cornering the cat with illegal hunting dogs, while others defended the kill saying it was carried out in self-defence.
Peter King wrote: “Those who have dealt with lies for many years, know that they have a certain smell. This one smells.”
But reserve owner Barry Burchell said Venske had been “heroic” to kill the big cat on the daily expedition to hunt vermin.
“He didn’t have a weapon for big game and only had a 222-calibre rifle. He was extremely brave. He could easily have run away and left the leopard to kill Mike.”
Burchell said he was unaware the leopard was on his property which is stocked with game like buffalo, kudu, nyala and sable.
“If we knew it was on the farm we would have trapped it and sent it to a photographic reserve like Shamwari. It was a beautiful animal.”
Landmark Foundation director Dr Bool Smuts said he believed last week’s leopard killing should be investigated as a possible criminal offence.
The foundation specialises in carnivores with a particular focus on the conservation of leopards, which he described as being “critically endangered” in the Eastern and Western Cape.
Smuts said the incident occurred as a direct result of illegal dog hunting.
“I have spoken to Mr Burchell. Their defence is that they were confronted by a life-threatening situation so they took the decision to kill the cat and the law states you may kill a leopard once it threatens a life.
“But this is the consequence of hunting with dogs.
“Dog hunting is a totally illegal action and I believe there were 12 dogs. My view is that they ought to have known that if they hunt with dogs, they place themselves in a position where they could corner an animal and that the animal will fight back. So they made this happen through intent.
“So it was an illegal action because of them hunting with dogs as well as intent and I believe authorities should take appropriate action because I believe a criminal offence occurred here.”
He said there were fewer than 700 leopards left in the Eastern and Western Cape.
“It’s a tragedy – another one down.”
Department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism (Dedeat), director of compliance and enforcement Div de Villiers said according to the provincial hunting proclamation, a landowner was allowed to use dogs to hunt problem animals like jackal and lynx on his property as long as dogs were used for tracking only.
He said the leopard shooting was the subject of a joint investigation between environmental affairs and the SAPS.
De Villiers declined to comment about the outburst of conflicting social media opinion, saying he aimed to “get to the bottom” of exactly what happened.
“People should wait till the investigation is finished and they have the truthful story before they make a decision on the facts of the matter.
“If anyone has good, first-hand information, they should contact us.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Storm over shot leopard
The 113kg male leopard was shot dead by vermin control officer Dale Venske after it attacked houndsman Zwelake “Mike” Dyan, ripping into the left side of his head, face and shoulder and breaking his left arm, according to reports.
Dyan is being treated for his injuries at Settlers Hospital in Grahamstown. Nature conservation authorities were notified after the shooting.
Images of Dyan’s bleeding face and a photograph of Venske holding the body of the dead leopard have appeared in the press and social media, triggering a war of words between users.
Some branded the hunting party “unethical” for allegedly cornering the cat with illegal hunting dogs, while others defended the kill saying it was carried out in self-defence.
Peter King wrote: “Those who have dealt with lies for many years, know that they have a certain smell. This one smells.”
But reserve owner Barry Burchell said Venske had been “heroic” to kill the big cat on the daily expedition to hunt vermin.
“He didn’t have a weapon for big game and only had a 222-calibre rifle. He was extremely brave. He could easily have run away and left the leopard to kill Mike.”
Burchell said he was unaware the leopard was on his property which is stocked with game like buffalo, kudu, nyala and sable.
“If we knew it was on the farm we would have trapped it and sent it to a photographic reserve like Shamwari. It was a beautiful animal.”
Landmark Foundation director Dr Bool Smuts said he believed last week’s leopard killing should be investigated as a possible criminal offence.
The foundation specialises in carnivores with a particular focus on the conservation of leopards, which he described as being “critically endangered” in the Eastern and Western Cape.
Smuts said the incident occurred as a direct result of illegal dog hunting.
“I have spoken to Mr Burchell. Their defence is that they were confronted by a life-threatening situation so they took the decision to kill the cat and the law states you may kill a leopard once it threatens a life.
“But this is the consequence of hunting with dogs.
“Dog hunting is a totally illegal action and I believe there were 12 dogs. My view is that they ought to have known that if they hunt with dogs, they place themselves in a position where they could corner an animal and that the animal will fight back. So they made this happen through intent.
“So it was an illegal action because of them hunting with dogs as well as intent and I believe authorities should take appropriate action because I believe a criminal offence occurred here.”
He said there were fewer than 700 leopards left in the Eastern and Western Cape.
“It’s a tragedy – another one down.”
Department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism (Dedeat), director of compliance and enforcement Div de Villiers said according to the provincial hunting proclamation, a landowner was allowed to use dogs to hunt problem animals like jackal and lynx on his property as long as dogs were used for tracking only.
He said the leopard shooting was the subject of a joint investigation between environmental affairs and the SAPS.
De Villiers declined to comment about the outburst of conflicting social media opinion, saying he aimed to “get to the bottom” of exactly what happened.
“People should wait till the investigation is finished and they have the truthful story before they make a decision on the facts of the matter.
“If anyone has good, first-hand information, they should contact us.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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