Kwa-Thema – Residents of Barcelona are reeling with shock and fear after a dog was found feasting on a human hand still attached to an arm.
The dog was seen on Monday morning with the remains fetched from a nearby water ditch covered by long reeds.
The concerned residents took on a search for the rest of the body and cleared the ditch while they waited for the K9 Search and Rescue Unit.
A body of a man in his early 20s was found under the long reeds on Monday evening by the members of the unit.
Kwa-Thema police spokesperson Sergeant Nkululeko Magudulela said the decomposition of the body was accelerated by the water in the ditch.
“The deceased is not yet identified and we are calling on anyone with a missing family member to come forward,” he said.
Police have opened an inquest into the death and police investigations are underway.
A witness, Banzi Vilakazi, said he was called by his friends, who know he loves dogs, to help stop the dog from eating the rest of the hand.
“I found the dog eating the fingers and I was able to negotiate with it and managed to remove it from its grasp. I then took it outside the owner’s gate away from the dog’s reach,” he said.
The dog’s owner Mathew Ntimbane said his dog broke off its leash to find food and returned with the human limb.
“I am happy that the body was finally recovered and my dog was able to find the body. I’m hoping that he (the deceased) will be identified by his family.
“This was a traumatic experience for me and the community. We now fear for our safety because we live close to the ditch,” he said.
