Poacher suffocates in warthog hole

According to information, the man was hunting with his dog on a farm in the Roossenekal area. The farmer suspected that a man spotted on the farm was busy poaching and went after him.

In an attempt to hide, the hunter decided to climb into a warthog hole, where he got stuck and suffocated.

The man’s body was found in the hole with his dog at his feet. A backpack, a spear and an axe were found in the area.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by Roossenekal EMS, after which, Groblersdal’s Fire Brigade were contacted to free the body from the hole.
The man’s faithful companion sat and waited until his owner was freed.

The deceased’s identity is not yet known and it is also unclear what happened to the man’s dog.

• The use of dogs in poaching is a major headache for farmers across South Africa.

Rapport reported on Sunday that farming communities are gritting their teeth constantly about poachers trespassing on their land and unleashing dogs on their game. Some syndicates sell dogs for thousands of rands, organise hunting weekends for sport, and drive up to farms with taxis full of greyhounds.

“Farmers and stakeholders gathered in Ermelo last weekend to try and find a solution to the fast-growing problem in the southeast of Mpumalanga. Hunters pay hundreds or even thousands of rands to release their greyhounds on game farms, looking for a part of an often giant jackpot. The smarter or faster the buck, the bigger the cash prize for a hunter whose dog catches it,” Rapport reported.

The report states that everything is hunted, including game that you only find in South Africa.