Man killed by lion on FS farm

2010-05-14 10:36

Jana van der Merwe, Volksblad

Bloemfontein - Apparently just bones and bits of clothing were found at the scene where a man was killed by a lion on a farm in the Reitz district on Thursday.

Police spokesperson Rulene Kuhn said the victim, Tebedi Nkutha, 31, did not work on the farm, nor was he known to the owner.

Kuhn said members of the Bethlehem detective branch were called to the farm at about 12:00.

Hansie Wapenaar, 38, the owner of the farm, has been breeding lions since 1993.

"This isn't a game farm. It's not for tourism, it's a business like any other," he said.

Wapenaar called the police after spotting pieces of ripped clothing in one of the encampments.

'Upsetting'

"The police are investigating the matter now. The details are still very unclear. We're still trying to figure out how this could have happened. It's upsetting. You don't ask for something like this," he said.

Wapenaar said it is still unclear how the man was able to get into the encampment.

"The lions can't walk just anywhere. I've been breeding lions since 1993, and this is the first time something like this has happened," he said.

The police have opened a post-mortem docket.

Kuhn told News24 on Friday that the victim's mother had identified him by his clothing.

She added that no foul play is suspected.

- Volksblad