Survivor of hyena attack plans to return to Cape Vidal nature reserve
Nicolas Hohls was mauled by hyenas at Cape Vidal
Image: Supplied
Nicolas Hohls, 26, survived being mauled by hyenas while at a campsite in Cape Vidal in the early hours of last week Sunday morning but the harrowing encounter with the wild cat, won't stop him from going back to his favourite camp site.
Hohls, an avocado farmer from Harburg in the midlands, had returned to his camp, after a fun evening celebrating a friend's bachelor party, when two hyenas got into his tent.
"I left a small gap at the top of my tent to allow for ventilation. I was lying on a mattress on a stretcher. I think a big female hyena managed to open the tent. A smaller one also got inside.
"The big hyena was clawing on my ankle. I felt the pain as I sat up. The smaller one attacked me on my face and the top of my head. I was bitten on my face, head, hand, body and legs. I tried to defend myself by shoving my hands in their eyes and throat," said Hohls.
He said his dad, Colin, heard him scream for help and found him in a puddle of blood.
The hyenas had run off.
Hohls was taken to hospital in Ballito.
He said by the grace of God he was okay.
"I have been camping at Cape Vidal since the age of six. I still love the place with my whole heart. I plan on going camping there in a few months.
"This is the wild. You can expect to encounter snakes and leopards and other wildlife, but this was my first life threatening experience in the reserve. I don't know why they introduced hyenas into the park," he said.
Hohls said he believes the hyenas should be euthanised.
"I know they don't deserve to die, but something has to be done. What if they attack a child? They should either be put down or captured and relocated out of the park," said Hohls.
Cape Vidal nature reserve which lies within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site, is 30km from St Lucia on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (Ezemvelo) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority (iSimangaliso) said following this incident, they were taking necessary measures to ensure the safety of all visitors.
"Work is being carried out to capture and relocate the two or three hyenas that often roam within the campsite and are suspected to have been responsible for the recent incident. Teams attempted a call-up, but the animals were skittish and did not approach close enough for the team to capture them. Trap cameras will be installed to monitor and identify individual hyenas.
"While we are re-evaluating the need for full fencing at Cape Vidal, it is not considered a viable long-term solution. Fences are not impenetrable and can detract from the wild character that makes Cape Vidal so special. In some wild camps, even with electrified fencing, hyenas and other wild animals have been able to access the camping areas," they said in a statement.
They added that as a campsite in a dangerous big five game reserve, in the past 15 years, there has only been three incidents of hyena attacks at Cape Vidal.