Sleeping 15yo boy ‘has face ripped open’ by hyena in South Africa game park

A 15-year-old boy is in a serious condition after he was attacked in his tent by a hyena. It happened at South Africa’s world famous Kruger National Park as the boy slept in a separate compartment of his family’s tent. The hyena locked its jaws onto the boy’s face and dragged him out of the tent, breaking bones in his face, according to local media reports. William Mabasa, spokesman for South African National Parks said: “The animal attacked him on his face. He screamed and his parents woke up.”

People must be aware at all times that there are wild animals around them and they must make sure that their tents are properly closed.

William Mabasa, spokesman for South African National Parks

The teenager has been flown to Johannesburg for emergency plastic and reconstructive surgery to his mouth and jaw. His condition is described as serious. The hyena, which escaped, is thought to have entered the campsite through a hole in the fence. Mr Mabasa said the animal was looking for food. In July last year, a safari guide was attacked by a leopard while watching wildlife with tourists in Kruger Park, and survived. A month before that, a 22-year-old American tourist died after she was mauled by a lion which leapt through an open car window in a park outside Johannesburg.

Hyena Kruger