Despite surviving a brutal hyena attack, 26-year-old Nicolas Hohls says he refuses to let the experience keep him away from his favourite campsite at Cape Vidal on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast.
Image used for illustrative purposes/Alan J. Hendry/Unsplash
Hohls, an avocado farmer from Harburg in the Midlands, was mauled in the early hours of last Sunday after two hyenas entered his tent while he was sleeping, as previously reported by IOL.
“I left a small gap at the top of my tent for ventilation. A big female hyena managed to get inside, and a smaller one followed,” he recalled. “The big one clawed my ankle. When I sat up, the smaller one bit my face and head. I was bitten on my face, hand, body and legs. I tried to defend myself by shoving my hands in their eyes and throat.”
His father, Colin, rushed to his aid after hearing his screams, finding him bleeding heavily. The hyenas fled, and Hohls was taken to hospital in Ballito for treatment.
“By the grace of God I am okay,” he said. “I’ve been camping at Cape Vidal since I was six years old, and I still love the place with my whole heart. I’ll be back in a few months. This is the wild – you can expect snakes, leopards and other animals – but this was my first life-threatening experience there.”
Hohls, however, believes measures should be taken to prevent further incidents. “What if they attack a child? They should either be put down or relocated,” he said.
Cape Vidal forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site, located about 30 km from St Lucia.
Following the incident, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority confirmed that efforts were underway to locate the hyenas responsible.
“Work is being carried out to capture and relocate the two or three hyenas that are often seen within the campsite. Attempts to lure them have so far been unsuccessful, and trap cameras will now be installed to monitor their movements,” the organisations said in a joint statement.
They added that while full fencing was being reconsidered, it was not seen as a long-term solution. “Fences are not impenetrable and detract from the wild character that makes Cape Vidal so special. In some camps, even electrified fencing has not stopped hyenas from entering.”
Officials emphasised that hyena encounters remain rare, with only three recorded attacks at Cape Vidal in the past 15 years, despite its location within a Big Five reserve.
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