Cheetahs attack officer on Makhado air force base
An officer from the Makhado Air Force Base was attacked by two cheetahs which were recently introduced to the base, to control the wildlife population.
LIMPOPO – An officer from the Makhado Air Force Base was attacked by two cheetahs which were recently introduced to the base, to control the wildlife population.
According to information the cheetahs wandered into the hangar on Tuesday, when the Warrant Officer, Hellena Magda Reichel moved closer to take photos the cheetahs became aggressive and pounced when the she turned her back said the SA Air Force’s Director of Corporate Staff Services, Brigadier General Marthie Visser.
“AFB Makhado has already convened an investigation into the circumstances that have given rise to this, unprecedented incident,” Visser said.
“The investigation will attempt to explain injury to a service member on duty and inform targeted preventative actions for the future management of cheetahs in the Air Force’s aviation safety programme.”
According to information Reichel sustained injuries to the back of her head and neck and is recuperating at a military hospital.
According to Visser, this programme where cheetahs are used as a sustainable means of controlling wildlife populations that pose a hazard to aviation safety in the aircraft manoeuvring areas at certain airbases of the South African Air Force has been applied with success since 1990s.
African News Agency
