The young daughter of a staff member at one of the privately owned safari lodges at Timbavati Private Nature Reserve was killed by a spotted hyena on Friday, 27 December.
A hyena attack at a privately owned lodge in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve led to the death of a young girl on the evening of Friday, 27 December. The reserve lies on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park, extending into both Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
The victim was the daughter of one of the staff members employed at the lodge. Edwin Pierce, warden of the reserve, told Daily Maverick he was "deeply saddened" to confirm the deadly attack.
"The incident occurred at the lodge concerned and Timbavati Reserve management is providing support and assistance to the lodge and the police investigating team wherever possible," he said.
"This heartbreaking incident underscores the inherent risks of living alongside wild animals, and while we are committed to preserving and respecting the harmony of nature, we are equally reminded of its unpredictability."
The Timbavati Private Nature Reserve has a high density of wildlife and a range of lodges and camps. Pierce did not name the lodge at which the attack took place.
He noted that the Timbavati reserve management was responsible for handling the overall reserve, but not the operation of privately owned lodges within it, meaning it could not provide "any firsthand...