Durban - A security guard was to undergo surgery on Thursday after an attack by a hippo at Tala Private Game Reserve on Thursday morning.
ER24 spokesman, Russel Meiring, said the guard from the private game reserve was “in a serious condition” after his arm was bitten by a hippo.
The game reserve is near Cato Ridge and is home to several species of animals including rhino, kudu and giraffe.
“When paramedics from the Pietermaritzburg branch arrived on scene, they found (him) sitting in one of the compounds surrounded by his fellow staff. The wounds on the man’s arm had already been bandaged by his colleges.”
On assessment, said Meiring, paramedics found that the man’s right arm had “severe crush injuries”.
He said paramedics provided the guard, who had not yet been identified, with advanced life support and took him to Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg.
The guard later told paramedics he was walking on his morning patrol when the hippo attacked.
The hospital’s marketing manager, Reshnee Beekrum, confirmed that the man had been taken to the hospital’s emergency centre and sedated.
“He (underwent) screening tests, including X-rays. We had to wait for these reports so that the surgeon would know how to proceed,” she said.
The man was expected to go into surgery as soon as a theatre was available, she said.
Because of patient confidentiality policies, she could not reveal the man’s name.
The game reserve’s general manager, Andrew Gaylord, was not available when the reserve was approached for comment.
Another source at the reserve said he was unable to reveal details of the incident for “insurance reasons”.
“What I can say is that this is the first attack we’ve had here involving hippos. We have 13 in total.”
Hippos, he said, were aggressive and responsible for the largest number of attacks on people on the continent.
“(The victim) is a seasoned guard and has been a staffer for about 25 years. It’s very sad, what’s happened to him.”
KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife spokesman, Musa Mntambo, said private reserves were not obliged to report such incidents to them. Only when they related to rhinos, “we usually expect feedback”, he said.
In December, a man who had been fishing at Makuleke Dam in Limpopo died after being attacked by a hippo.
Also in December, a “tame” hippo attacked its handler in a Johannesburg reserve.
Daily News