Nice belated surprise for ‘Wild Ron’
Aside from his postal patience, Ron has another claim to fame - he was attacked by a buffalo five years ago.
A letter posted in England almost two years ago has finally reached its destination in Anerley.
Ron Whitham (80) got a lovely surprise this week when an envelope from his daughter, Janet arrived in his postbox.
Janet had posted the letter and a CD to her father on July 7, 2018.
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Aside from his postal patience, Ron has another claim to fame – he was attacked by a buffalo five years ago.
He and his wife, Elaine, both avid birders, were camping when he and a few other members of the birding club decided to go for an early walk.
Ron was taking photographs when he saw a buffalo emerging from a clearing in the bush.
He quickly took cover behind a tree but the buffalo charged, catching by his belt and tossing him into the air.
He briefly lost consciousness and when he awoke it was to gaze straight into the ‘compassionate eyes’ of the animal, which was right next to his head.
A nearby camper fired shots into the air, scaring the buffalo off.
Ron had been badly gored.
He was loaded onto the back of a bakkie and rushed to a medical facility at a mine some 20 kilometres away.
“The doctor said they nearly lost me twice,” said Ron.
He was later flown to a Pietermaritzburg hospital where he spent two months recovering from broken ribs, a cracked pelvis, a punctured lung and damage to his intestine.
It took Ron three years to make a full recovery, but today he looks fit and strong – and his intriguing story is hinted at by his vehicle’s number plate “WILDRON – KZN”.
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