Cape Town - Animal rights activists have expressed outrage over a video said to be of a SANParks employee repeatedly slapping a dead leopard.
The leopard was put down this week after it attacked an employee from the Shalati Concession in the Kruger National Park while on their way to work on Sunday morning.
This was the second attack on an employee in the same vicinity, according to SANParks.
“You will only hurt yourself as the animal is already dead,” another man can be heard warning the man slapping the leopard in the video.
SANParks has condemned the video, saying it was “unfortunate and deeply regrettable”.
SA, @Sanparks Leopard "destroyed"on July 17th by rangers as it attacked a somebody from Shalati Conc. Is this the behaviour a leopard deserves after being shot? pic.twitter.com/wByh7kprcq
— Roar Wildlife News (@RoarWN) July 20, 2022
“SANParks management is concerned that the offensive video is being circulated on social media.
“The statements that SANParks are involved in a cover-up are unfounded and unwarranted.
“Our statement made it clear that SANParks condemned this behaviour, and indicated that reports being completed from Ranger Services will inform actions to be instituted against perpetrators.
“We call on the public to stop sharing the video, and to await further communication on the matter from SANParks, which will follow tomorrow. We also humbly request that the public remain patient with us while we employ the correct procedures to deal with the matter,“ he said.
Beauty Without Cruelty chairperson Toni Brockhoven said the organisation condemned the “killing of the leopard”.
“While the attacks are most unfortunate, we must ask why the leopard was not relocated to a sanctuary?
“Haven’t humans killed enough leopards, a threatened species?
“The video taken of a man abusing the body of the dead leopard is appalling.
“We assume that the SANParks statement that the ‘recording is unfortunate’ was not what they meant.
“The shameful behaviour calls into question the processes of employment, where surely respect and love of wildlife should be paramount, regardless of the work done? We also ask why employees are on foot in a national park with large predators,” Brockhoven said.
Cape Times