Cape Vidal camping horror: hyena mauls sleeping man in tent

AN ANNUAL camping trip turned into a nightmare for Tim Govender, 48, when a hyena attacked him in his tent at Cape Vidal. The businessman, from Fourways, in Johannesburg, suffered severe facial injuries. He now faces multiple reconstructive surgeries.

Govender said the attack took place at 3.30am on August 11 – the last day of their trip.

He said he was on an annual camping and fishing trip with his uncles and cousins, and this was not their first trip to Cape Vidal.

“Every year, we go on this trip to different locations. We have been to this campsite many times and have years of experience with camping,” said Govender.

He said they left the door of the tent open in the event they needed to use the toilet.

“It was the last day of our trip. I was asleep in the tent with my uncle and cousin when I felt something pulling at my face. It was dark and I thought I was dreaming. I tried to push away whatever it was, but then it grabbed my nose. That was when I started fighting back.

"The hyena then grabbed my right arm, so I used my left arm to punch it. It bit my nose and a piece of my right arm. I was screaming for help, prompting my uncle and cousin to wake up,” he said.

Govender said the hyena only attacked him.

“The hyena then left the tent. But when I screamed, it came back but only for me. When it came back in, I kicked it in the snout. It yelped and ran off. We never thought this would happen if we left the door open. It did not happen in the past.”

Govender said due to the adrenalin, he did not immediately feel pain from his injuries.

“My uncles kept asking me if I was fine and I said I was. Well, that was until they took me into the light and I was dripping with blood, and had a partially mutilated nose. They rushed me to Melomed Hospital in Richards Bay not knowing what to expect."

Govender remained in hospital for a week. He said the plastic surgeon told him that he had a long road to recovery.

“I returned to Johannesburg and started my care at the Cintocare Hospital. I was in this hospital for two weeks after undergoing a skin graft. A piece of skin from my forehead was used to cover my nose. In a few weeks, the plastic surgeon will take cartilage from either my ear or ribs to reconstruct and shape my nose. It could take up to three months to recover from this procedure. My hand is doing better. Luckily, the wound was not too severe. I can still use my hand."

Govender said when he broke the news to his wife and daughters, they were distraught.

“My extended family, who were with me on the trip, were traumatised. I am healing slowly and I want to get back to work soon. I want to return to my normal life, but the pain is bad and the pain killers make me drowsy. I was offered trauma counselling, but did not make up my mind if I wanted to attend.”

He said he would not camp for a while, and would never return to Cape Vidal.

“I am deeply traumatised and do not think I can ever forget this incident. I think this is a lesson for anyone who wants to go camping. Always ask about the dangers, and make sure to be safe from wildlife. We signed indemnity forms to camp in these wildlife areas. It is up to us to keep safe, but we were never told about the hyenas.

"The campsite is fenced off from the nature reserve side, to make it ‘safe’ for campers. We were only warned about monkeys, which we took precautions for but the hyena attack was a shocker. Right now I just want to concentrate on my recovery,” said Govender.

The Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority released a joint response on the incident.

“Following this incident, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and iSimangaliso are taking necessary measures to ensure the safety of all visitors,” said Bheki Manzini, the communications manager of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

“Work is being carried out to capture and relocate the two or three hyenas that often roam within the campsite, and are suspected to might have been responsible for the recent incidents. 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. An incident like this highlights the importance of complying with clear visitor guidelines that enables visitors to coexist responsibly with nature in our facilities. As a campsite in a dangerous big five game reserve, in the past 15 years, there have only been three incidents of hyena attacks at Cape Vidal,” said Manzini.

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