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Woman faces charges after KNP cheetah is run over by vehicle

According to SANParks, a driver is facing charges after a cheetah was run over in the Kruger National Park.

September 25, 2021
Andrea van Wyk 1 minute read
A cheetah was killed when it was run over by a vehicle in the Kruger National Park on the evening of Friday September 24. Photo: Facebook / Willem Botha

Update: 

A 51-year-old woman will be facing charges after a cheetah was run over by a vehicle near Punda Maria in the Kruger National Park (KNP) on Friday September 24.

According to a statement posted on social media by SANParks, the cheetah was killed as a result of the incident.

The woman will be facing charges related to the National Environmental Management Act for protected areas.

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When asked about the punishment the woman might face, Ike Phaahla, the spokesperson for the KNP, said the courts would decide on the appropriate sanction.

Phaahla said the incident had taken place just after 17:00 on Friday. He could not confirm whether the woman was speeding and said that that would form part of the police investigation.

According to Phaahla, the park faces serious problems in terms of visitors speeding and littering, especially during peak season. “This is an accident which unfortunately ended the life of an endangered species, and the individual will have to face the consequences,” he said.

Outrage as cheetah is killed in Kruger National Park (September 25 @ 09:30) 

 
A cheetah was run over by a vehicle near Shingwedzi in the Kruger National Park during Friday night, 24 September.
 
SANParks confirmed the incident in a statement posted on social media. “Details are still sketchy at this stage as to what exactly happened, but Vlakteplaas Rangers attended to the scene of the accident.”
 
 
According to the statement, a suspect has been arrested and handed over to the police.
 
Social media users have reacted with outrage to this incident. Larissa Coetzer, a member of the public, wrote on Facebook, “I was there last week and was horrified by the speeding cars. Let’s not leave this issue here. We need to raise more awareness and perhaps involve more tourists to be whistle blowers and to report incidents.”
 
 

SANParks urged visitors to the park to be extra vigilant and to observe the speed limit.

 
This is a developing story and Lowvelder will update its readers as more becomes available.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
September 25, 2021
Andrea van Wyk 1 minute read

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Andrea van Wyk

Caxton’s Digital Editorial Manager. I am a journalist and editor with experience spanning over a decade having worked for major local and national news publications across the country and as a correspondent in the Netherlands. I write about most topics with a special interest in politics, crime, human interest and conservation.
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