Leopard
(IN PHOTO) A male Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) named Wil Pattu, the father of two cubs that were born in July, is seen in a zoo in Maubeuge August 12, 2014. The Sri Lankan leopard cubs, reported as an endangered animal species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, were born on July 1, according to the zoo media office. Reuters

A leopard attacked a 38-year-old British safari guide on Thursday afternoon at the Kruger National Park in South Africa while he was on an open-top jeep. The beast bit and clawed Curtis Plumb who was rushed to a hospital.

Grant Ford, a tourist, caught on film the mauling. He and his 13-year-old son saw the spine-tingling incident unfold, reports The Telegraph. The video, posted on YouTube, has become viral with almost one million hits in two days.

Plumb stopped the vehicle, which was full of tourist, when he saw the leopard in the bush that was about 6.5 feet away to allow the safari visitors to watch the animal. He peered over the jeep’s side to check where the leopard was, which turned out to be alongside.

Ford shares, “Without warning or provocation, it launched itself into the safari truck and grabbed the rangers arm.” Plumb’s bush jacket spared him from further injury.

During the leopard attack, the tourists were screaming in fear, while some tried to help their guide by hitting the attacking beast with their cameras. Riders of Hyundai minivan that was ahead of the jeep attempted to help Plumb by hitting the leopard with the vehicle’s door, but the animal did not let go of the victim who freed himself by reversing the vehicle.

However, the leopard refused to accept defeat, charged the jeep and hunted it down. It jumped on the car hood, but the guide hit the break, causing the attacker to fall to the ground. The leopard again charged, which left Plumb with no choice except to drive over the beast’s hind legs that injured it. The minivan also drove over the leopard.

Plumb, an employee of a private open safari vehicle firm, underwent surgery and is in a stable condition. The park culled the leopard which had become sick, very thin and injured after it was ran over twice by the jeep and minivan, reports CBS. It was the second big cat attack on a safari park in South Africa after a lion mauled to death 22-year-old Katherine Chappell, an American tourist.

To contact the writer, email: vittoriohernandez@yahoo.com

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