Three men from Namibia’s #Goabeb area near Usakos, a town in the west Erongo region were attacked and mauled by a leopard, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism confirmed Tuesday.
The ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said the incident which occurred on Monday saw a leopard initially attack a goat, prompting a goat herder to attempt to rescue the small stock, which resulted in his attack.
“We also understand that the herder later called for assistance. The two people that came to assist him were also attacked and injured by the same leopard,” Muyunda added.
According to Muyunda, the victims sustained minor to serious injuries and are currently being treated at the Usakos State Hospital, where it has been said they are in a stable condition.
“The ministry has sent staff members to investigate the incidence and track the leopard. We have so far established that the leopard has two cubs and the ministry is considering capturing and translocating the leopards to an area where they are less likely to cause problems,” he said.
Muyunda said the ministry is also assisting the victims in administering payments through their self-reliance scheme of the revised policy on human-wildlife conflict management for injuries sustained.
“The ministry regrets the incident and fully sympathizes with victims. We wish to appeal to members of the public to be cautious and avoid approaching dangerous predators in such a manner,” he concluded.
