 A Leopard
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July 1, 2003 — A villager in South Africa saved a young boy's life after wrestling a leopard to the ground by jamming his fingers in the beast's mouth, local media reported Monday.
The 52-year-old brave-heart of Gottenberg Village in eastern South Africa is recovering in the hospital after his arms, hands and feet had been savaged.
Abner Mokone was taking a nap in a field Friday afternoon when he heard a commotion, The Star newspaper reported, quoting the local African Eye News Service.
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"I went to investigate and found a group of people who said the dogs were barking at a leopard. Suddenly a youth came running out of the bush, screaming, with the leopard hot on his heels," Mokone said.
The leopard, believed to have escaped from a nearby game reserve, attacked the youth and pulled him to the ground, prompting Mokone to rush to help.
"It was a matter of life and death. It was either the young man, the leopard or me. When I looked into the eyes of that big cat, I thought about many things. I thought about my God, my ancestors and my family," Mokone said. "The thought of dying gave me incredible power, and I eventually put my thumbs at the back of its mouth, stopping it from biting me anymore."
The youth, who has since disappeared, then grabbed a fence pole and stabbed the leopard to death.
The dead leopard was skinned at Mokone's home and the provincial tourism board is still to decide whether he may keep the skin.
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Name: Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Primary Classification: Felidae (Cats) Location: Asia and Africa. Habitat: Lowland forests, mountains, grasslands, brush country and deserts. Diet: Antelopes, wildebeest, reedbuck, impala, jackals, other canines, baboons, apes, small rodents, stork, fish and dung beetles. Size: Up to 6.25 ft in length and 200 lbs in weight. Description: Pale-centered rosettes on orange to yellow background; pale underneath; large head; short ears; elongated, muscular body; muscular shoulders and forelimbs; ringed tail Cool Facts: It is one of the few animals capable of catching and dying from anthrax. It is well adapated to human presence and will hunt to within a few miles of big cities. Conservation Status: Not listed by the IUCN. |
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