Known as man’s best friend, a pack of dogs chose survival over bravery recently, fleeing for safety as their owner fought off a lion.
47-year-old Lesedi Mooketsi of Morutsha settlement owes his life to his friend, Tshameko Polao, who stepped up where the dogs failed and heroically came to his mate’s rescue.
The two men had gone to round up their goats in the bush to milk them for morning tea when a lioness burst out of the thicket, pouncing with terrifying speed.
According to the duo’s report to the Regional Wildlife Department in Maun, the feline was led to them by their dogs.
The two men had reportedly set off in company of their dogs but when they were tracking the goats back to the kraal, the hounds suddenly rushed into the bush.
“A pride of lions had killed a cow and were mauling at it. The belief is that the smell of a dead carcass is what could have attracted the dogs into the bush,” explained Regional Wildlife Officer, Dimakatso Ntshebe.
Suddenly, the dogs came speeding back to the two men. In hot pursuit was a female lion.
“From what they told us, the two men made a bolt for it but the lioness leaped onto one man, causing injury to his left hand and elbow and scratching his thighs with its paws,” continued Ntshebe.
At this point the dogs are said to have fled, leaving Mooketsi to fend for his life and Polao desperately trying to save him.
Polao reportedly smashed a log against the animal. When that didn’t work he stabbed it with a spear.
Roaring in pain as the weapon pierced its flesh, the lion is said to have let go of Mooketsi and retreated back into the bush with the spear still lodged into its body.
The matter was reported to the Wildlife Department two days later. Ntshebe told The Voice that when his officers went to the scene, they discovered a pride of lions had indeed visited the area but had since tracked back into the wilderness.
The department is yet to track down any injured lion.
Morutsha is located in the wildlife protection area in the Okavango Delta and animal attacks are common in this place.
