BRAVE RANGER DEFENDS LION WHICH MAULED HIM

EZULWINI – The chief game ranger who was mauled by a lioness last week has shown his true passion of protecting the country’s heritage.
George Mbatha, who is a Chief Ranger at Hlane National Park, told his relatives who paid him a visit at MediSun Clinic that his wish was to return to his job after he was discharged from the medical facility.

This, he said was because he was called to protect the country’s national heritage and conservation.
Mbatha, who sustained injuries on his arm and legs while fighting the lioness, described what befell him while executing his duties as an accident just like any other.

He asked his relatives if it was a solution to abandon using public transport after a car accident. 
The 65-year-old veteran game ranger said he was inspired by the significance and the importance of wildlife, especially lions and elephants in the country.

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“Lions and elephants have a very significant role, as they symbolise the King and the Queen Mother in the country. They were brought to the country after His Majesty King Mswati III pleaded with the Big Game Parks to bring them into the kingdom around 1991. I cannot, therefore, speak vile about the existence of lions just because I have been mauled by the lioness,” he said.

Mbatha added that as far as history was concerned, it was the first of its kind for a human being to be attacked by a lion in the country.
He recalled one incident which happened at Kruger National Park, where a game ranger was attacked by a lion.
He said the game ranger survived after stabbing the lion in self defence.

He said the rare occurrences showed that lions were well-managed in the country.
However, Mbatha acknowledged that there were instances where lions escaped from the game reserves and caused havoc to livestock.
He made an example of a lion which was named Sincamu.

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