SUMMERFIELD EMPLOYEE INJURED BY ‘AGGRESSIVE’ SHEEP

NOKWANE- An aggressive sheep, known to be a troublemaker, charged at a Summerfield  Botanical Gardens employee and attacked her, injuring her spinal cord in the process.
Buhle Nhlebeya (23) said the incident occurred at about 3pm on Tuesday after she had knocked off from work.

When a vehicle from her workplace dropped her off at the bus station called ‘KaHumps’, situated in Nokwane, she came across a herd of about 20 sheep and not knowing that there was an aggressive one among the flock, she went in between them.
“One of the sheep charged towards me and attacked me with its head and I fell to the ground. I tried getting up and while doing so, the sheep came charging towards me with its head again and trampled me.” “While stepping on me, it also used its head to hurt me. I screamed but no one came to my rescue. I fought the sheep and each time I did so, it became more aggressive,” Nhlebeya said.

She added that she eventually moved the sheep from her chest and waist, and managed to escape and hide in one of the markets nearby, where she raised the alarm and called her employers.
Nhlebeya was rushed to the RFM Hospital after one of the vegetable vendors at the market, Themba Ngcamphalala, came to her rescue and informed her employers at Summerfield. Upon arrival at the Emergency Room (ER), she was examined, treated and referred to the X-ray department for further check-ups, as she had sustained injuries on her waist and spinal cord.

Meanwhile, residents at Nokwane have revealed that they were living in fear as the sheep was a well-known troublemaker and always attacked members of the public. “Complaints had been made before about the animal, especially to its owners but it was still roaming free-Itasicedza lentfo le ngoba ayidzingi nekuphocwa-loosely translated “We are going to get killed by this animal as you do not even have to provoke it,” a female resident, identified as Make Mkhonta said yesterday.

It was further gathered that a 10-year-old child was once attacked by the same sheep and had his arm and leg fractured.
One of the owners of the sheep, Muzikayise Khoza said they were aware that the said sheep was aggressive at times, especially when it felt provoked. “When it attacks you, you have to remain on the ground and not get up to try to escape, because then it assumes you are retaliating and ready for a fight. We have seen it attacking children here at home, however, the attacks were not bad. This sheep is male and at times it becomes aggressive, especially during the mating season,” Khoza said.

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