MPAKA: A pack of hyenas has been spotted in the Eswatini lowveld area between Mpaka, Matsetsa and KaLanga.
The canines that are feared for their potential to kill people, are believed to have already killed livestock in the area. They roam predominantly at night.
Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Vilakati this morning warning that people to not walk alone at night and community members to make sure they coral their livestock for their safety.
“The encourage people who see the hyenas not to confront or agitate them in anyway as this can be dangerous.”
It is not clear where the animals came from. Neither game reserves at Mkhaya and Nhlane are known to carry hyenas. However they could have escaped from the Kruger, about 100km North in Mpuamalanga, South Africa or the Mkhuze Game reserve, 100 km South in Kwazulu Natal.
Vilakati said they are in contact with game rangers to arrange for the animals to be captured.
Hyenas are the size of a dog but have a reputation for a bite force that is many times higher than their size.
Online sources say a hungry or territorial hyena will kill a person unrelentingly, bite by bite. It would most likely incapacitate you by clamping on your perineal area and once that bleeds out then comes your neck.
The notion that hyenas are man-eaters is rooted in historical accounts and folklore, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. In reality however, hyenas are no more likely to attack humans than other large predators, and in most cases, they pose less of a threat.
Jm/today/15.11.2024
