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Sukulwenkosi Dube , Plumtree Correspondent
A MAN from Mangwe has his three dogs to thank after they repelled a leopard in a fight of their lives after it attacked him, sinking its teeth into his leg while he was searching for donkeys in a bushy area.
Onious Moyo, 27, of Hannavel Farm in Marula, said the cat launched a surprise attack from behind last Wednesday around 7AM, leaving him hospitalised.
He was only saved by his three dogs which fought the leopard forcing it to loosen its grip, giving him an opportunity to run away.
He said the leopard sunk its teeth deep into the back of his leg.
Moyo, who is admitted to Plumtree District Hospital, said he fell to the ground face down when the leopard pounced on him.
“I left home in the company of my three dogs as I was searching for donkeys in order to fetch water. It was around 7AM and I had walked for a long distance without spotting the animals,” he said.
“Along the way my dogs started barking but I couldn’t see what had unsettled them as they kept running around the whole place and barking. At that time I had reached a thick bush and it was difficult for me to see anything far away.”
Moyo said he kept walking and suddenly the leopard appeared from behind and grabbed him from the back and sunk its teeth into his leg.
He said he fell to the ground and the big spotted cat maintained its grip until his dogs confronted it.
“I was helpless as I was now lying on the ground and the next thing I expected was for the leopard to tear me to pieces. My dogs however attacked the animal forcing it to loosen its grip on my leg.
“I then took the opportunity to run away. The leopard fought with the dogs until it fled from the scene. My dogs were injured a little in the process but they saved my life and I don’t think that I would have made it had they not intervened,” he said.
Moyo said he struggled to get back home and on arrival he was rushed to Marula Clinic where he was later referred to Plumtree District Hospital.
The village head in the area, Mandla Ndlovu, said animals such as leopards, cheetahs and hyenas were a common feature in bushy areas surrounding farms.
He said a number of villagers had lost their livestock to wild animals and some of the animals invaded people’s homesteads in the middle of the night, attacking livestock.
“It’s very unsafe to wander far from the homesteads because we’re surrounded by dense bushes but unfortunately some of the household chores require people to do so,” Ndlovu said.“It’s uncommon for people to be attacked by these animals but villagers lose their livestock almost on a daily basis to these animals.”
Online Reporter