I was called to Panda to assist in searching for baby leopard cubs that belonged to a female leopard shot by Ed Cummings as the cat was threatening his dogs and he could not frighten it away. The leopard was lactating and we were unable to find cubs after over 3 hours of searching the thick bush.
Before leaving for Panda I had a report of another dog attacked by leopard. I attended dog and ended doing 3 hours surgery on it to fix a large defect in its right chest that had exposed its lungs.
I immediately went to Mr Seduduma as we now had proof that second leopard was active. I had organized to reset trap and bait the next day to trap second leopard.
On arrival from Panda at 12 pm I was in the bathtub when I heard a gunshot and a hit. I rushed to investigate and discovered my neighbor was parked outside his house with his vehicle running and pointing toward the street. I asked him and he said he had killed the leopard. It had attacked his dog that was not in a fenced in yard but wounds to dog were not severe as I treated them the next day. The leopard was sitting on a large sand hill in the driveway facing the airport road. And was dead from a gunshot to head. This was approximately 50 kg male leopard about 1 ½ years old and brother to previous leopard that was trans located to other side of park.
I advised him to leave carcass and called Mr. Seduduma next morning to pick up carcass. This is second wildlife episode involving this man in a few months. No effort was made by him to contact parks officials to sort the animal wildlife conflict and no effort has been made to build a gate and secure his property. I know of many citizens that are very upset and letters have been sent to the president complaining about citizens taking the law into their own hands. I hope that the department will severely reprimand him and curtail him from having repeat occurrences. He could have easily shot into the air to scare leopard away and we would have trapped and relocated it. At the time of leopards death it was not threatening anyone and was not in the individuals personal property.
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| LAST DOG ATTACKED - HIS LUNGS WERE OUT THIS HOLE. MIRACULOUSLY THE DOG SURVIVED AND IS WELL |
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| UNFORTUNATELY THIS LEOPARD DID NOT SURVIVE. I WISH I HAD ONE MORE DAY AND I WOULD HAVE TRAPPED HIM |
