A hunter who shot and killed a buffalo was killed by another member of the herd as he went to clear away the carcass, it has emerged.
South African safari company owner Claude Kleynhans was attacked as he went to clear the bush and load the remains onto a vehicle.
The buffalo is believed to have hit a femoral artery and the 54-year-old died almost instantly. Kleynhans was the owner of Guwela Hunting Safaris, based in the Eastern Lowveld, close to Hoedspruit.
The firm offers a ‘buffalo package deal’ boasting ‘Big Buffalo 100% success’. The freak accident happened on the banks of the Levubu River shortly before midday on Tuesday.
His ex-wife, Corina van der Merwe, speaking from Kleynhans’ farm in Agatha, said Kleynhans and his party had shot and killed a buffalo as planned.
They were going to clear the bush around the carcass and load it when another buffalo blindsided Kleynhans. He died at the scene.
The hunter ran a company which boasted of a 100% buffalo success rate (Picture: Facebook)
Kleynhans, a fervent Christian, grew up in Modjadjiskloof and joined the police before moving into the professional hunting world. The father-of-three set up Guwela Hunting Safaris in 1987.
Local media said he knew the bush well and was also involved in conservation as well as trophy hunting.
After his death, people took to his Facebook account to post offensive messages. Someone posting under the name Pamela Tomaro D’Angio said: ‘I love when Poachers get killed by the animals it makes me extremely happy!!.. You killed plenty of animals and now it was your turn you useless sick minded coward.’
User Dede Thomas said: ‘Nature’s Karma Sevenfold got you’ while poster Matt Skee claimed: ‘Claude deserved everything he got….
However, his friends also took to the social website to defend him, saying to user Matt Skee: ‘You are obviously an overseas jerk that has no clue about professional hunting. Be careful what you speak over people.’
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