Motsebi Monareng
At least one person was injured after they were attacked by one of the elephants.
Seventeen-year old Ndzalama Ndlovu is recovering at the Matikwane Hospital in Mkhuhlu near Hazyview in Mpumalanga province.
South African National Parks and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) rangers helped to round up the elephants and herd them into the park. It is not the first time that wild animaEls have escaped from the park and terrorised neighbouring communities.
Ndlovu is lucky to be alive. He survived the attack by one of the world’s largest land animals.
Ndlovu was on a tomato farm when he came face to face with the animal. Members of the community helped Ndlovu escape from the elephant. Ndlovu says the elephant charged at him unprovoked.
“I was going to collect some tomatoes in the farm and I was busy on the phone and I realised that people were screaming. When I looked, I saw an elephant. It started chasing me and it pulled out a tree to try and throw against me and it then trapped me, some other people help me escape so I managed to escape from the elephant.”
Ndlovu’s mother Millicent Mganu says her son is lucky to be alive.
“I feel better than yesterday, God is good, we are grateful that he is alive and the hospital managed to attend to him quickly. I was scared thinking that he has died.”
The six elephants are reported to have escaped through the Phabeni Gate on Wednesday afternoon.
The MTPA has appealed with communities to stay away from any operations to recapture or herd the animals back to their enclosure. MTPA Spokesperson, Simphiwe Shungube, says although community members slightly disrupted their mission, they succeeded to herd the animals back into the park on Thursday morning.
“As MTPA we can confirm that all the six elephants went back to Kruger National Park and we also want to make a plea and appeal with the community not to disrupt or disturb the authorities when they do their job.”
MTPA also urged residents living on the periphery of the park to be vigilant at all times.
--SABC\ChannelAfrica--
