Big cat
that attacked two-year-old was hunted down and shot dead to avoid risk of a
repeat
Agence
France-Presse in Johannesburg
Thu 6 Jun
2019 17.52 BSTLast modified on Thu 6 Jun 2019 18.23 BST
A leopard
has killed a two-year-old boy inside a fenced-off staff compound at South
Africa’s Kruger national park, officials said.
“The
toddler was only 30 months old,” the park said in a statement on Thursday. “The
boy was certified dead by doctors at the Shongwe hospital after being rushed
there by family members.”
The
leopard attacked the boy on Wednesday evening after getting into the staff
living quarters, which are separated from the rest of the park by an
electrified fence.
A team of
rangers hunted down the big cat and shot it dead to avoid the risk of a repeat,
said the park, adding that it may have attacked as it was too accustomed to
contact with humans.
“In parks
like the KNP (Kruger national park) predators do interact with tourists and
staff and at times it may result in species like leopard getting habituated to
people and losing their fear,” the park said.
“The change
in natural behaviour can then lead to unfortunate incidents such as this.”
The KNP
said attacks were a danger faced by all staff and family members living and
working in the park, but were very rare.
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