HOEDSPRUIT – A woman of Switzerland was killed by a leopard at the Siyafunda Bush Camp last week. She was part of a group on a two-week volunteer trip and had been at the reserve for only a week when it happened.
The incident occurred during the night of November 10. According to Capt Ndidzulafhi Merufule, a Limpopo police spokesman, Ms Maureen Bamert (32) didn’t sleep where volunteers usually sleep.
“As far as I could gather from the incident report, she slept in a partially covered wooden house, situated on an upper level. She went to bed at about 22:00 and apparently slept there because it was very hot that Tuesday night.”
According to Mr Michael Job, director of Siyafunda, her body was discovered on the raised deck of the camp at 05:00 the following day. He added that the incident had immediately been reported to the police, the provincial Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and her next of kin.
“Camp personnel and volunteers are receiving counselling,” he said. “We would like to extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to her family and friends for their tragic loss.”
The Siyafunda Endangered Species Camp is owned by Siyafunda Wildlife and Conservation, and offers volunteers the opportunity to take part in research and monitoring activities in the reserve.
“The Siyafunda Bush Camp has an exemplary safety record with this tragic death its first incident in 11 years of operation. All volunteers are given a thorough safety briefing on arrival. They are also warned of the fact that the camp is unfenced and that the reserve is home to potentially dangerous animals and large predators.”
According to Siyafunda’s website, it was founded in 2004 to assist the Greater Makalali Game Reserve with monitoring their elephants as part of the contraception programme. This involved to include the monitoring of all Big 5 animals and other predators.
Volunteers can choose between various projects to partake in at Siyafunda. Activities include the counting of game, monitoring waterholes and bush clearing, among other things.
Bamert was the second victim of a leopard attack this year.
Lowvelder reported in July on Mr Curtis Plumb, a guide of Nhongo Safaris who had been attacked by a leopard in the Kruger National Park (KNP). Plumb had been driving a game-viewing vehicle and stopped at the site of the leopard with a tour group. The leopard walked past the vehicle and suddenly grabbed onto Plumb’s arm. He eventually managed to rid the leopard by reversing the vehicle and driving away. He suffered several lacerations to the arm.
Also read: Update and video: Leopard mauls tour operator in Kruger
The leopard responsible for the attack was a female between 16 and 18 years old. The animal was in a very poor condition and this was probably the reason for the attack on Curtis as he had been an easy prey. It was euthanised shortly after the incident.
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