USAKOS – A leopard caused major havoc on Thursday at Tubuses, a farm situated about 50 kilometres north of Usakos in Erongo Region.
The leopard viciously attacked and seriously injured a farmer and his friend, after killing a donkey. It was a classic case of the hunter becoming the hunted.
According to information New Era received on Saturday, the leopard, believed to be with cubs, was suspected of killing a donkey to feed her offspring.
The donkey belonged to 67-year-old farmer, Willem Goaseb.
Goaseb decided to set a trap for the animal on Thursday with the help of his friend, the 40-year-old Andries Nangombe.
The trap was set close to where the leopard had killed the donkey.
On Friday the two men, accompanied by a party of other hunters, set off to where they had laid the trap to see whether the animal was trapped. The animal had escaped from the snare with injuries and was hiding in the nearby bushes in ambush when the hunting party arrived at the trap. The leopard then pounced on the hunters as they were inspecting the snare, oblivious of the apparent ambush plan of the leopard.
The attack happened so fast that Goaseb who was armed with a firearm lost the weapon and fell to the ground, wrestling with the animal. The leopard then let go of Goaseb and turned on Nangombe.
The rest of the hunting party had at this point fled but managed to alert the Ministry of Environment and Tourism wardens who came to the rescue of Goaseb and Nangombe, but found the leopard had fled the scene.
The seriously injured Nangombe and Goaseb were taken to the Usakos State Hospital where they are receiving medical attention.
The two suffered deep wounds on their heads and hands.
The leopard was not yet caught by yesterday afternoon.