A 12-year-old boy from Midoroni village had to be hospitalised for three days after he was viciously attacked and bitten by a stray pig.
The bizarre incident happened on Sunday (27 November), when a neighbour's pig escaped from its pen and ended up in Mr Ntshimane Phala's yard. Phala went out to chase the pig away, but it became aggressive and turned on him instead. While Phala was being chased around by the pig, his son, Masilo Mabogo, ran out to help his father. The next moment, the angry beast turned on Masilo and started attacking him.
His father pelted the pig with rocks and eventually it decided to hit the road, but Masilo was in serious need of medical attention. Pigs are notorious for their sharp teeth. This one had left gaping slashes on both Masilo's legs and hands. He was admitted to the Louis Trichardt Memorial hospital, where he was kept under close observation for a few days. He is recovering at home now, but he says this was a frightening experience he will never forget.
"When the pig started chasing me, I managed to outrun it for about 20 metres, but it quickly caught up with me and subsequently pounced on me, biting me on both legs. While I was calling out for help, I tried to force its mouth open with my hands, and it bit me on the thumb," he said.
Phala said Masilo was given antibiotics and other necessary treatments, and although the boy is in a stable condition now, he hopes that his son will be okay as an animal bite can be lethal if not treated properly.
According to Phala, this is not the first time this same pig has bitten someone. He said that a few other people, including children, had also been attacked by it. "The owner must lock his pigs up, otherwise we will have to call an animal inspector to come and put it down. This is a serious threat to the community. I am totally concerned about the children's safety here at home. We have seen this pig attacking other pigs around here too. We fear that all of these pigs will start to go crazy and kill our children," he said.