An African elephant is photographed in motion.
PHOTO: Manoj Shah, Getty Images
- The Minister for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment visited a SANParks ranger in hospital on Saturday.
- Joe Nkuna suffered serious injuries in an elephant attack more than a month ago while on patrol in the Pretoriuskop section of the park.
- Since then he has had to undergo multiple surgeries.
Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Barbara Creecy visited South African National Parks (SANParks) field ranger Joe Nkuna, 57, on Saturday, who was airlifted to hospital after sustaining serious injuries in an elephant attack over a month ago.
Nkuna, a ranger with 32 years of experience, was hospitalized after he was charged by an elephant while patrolling the Pretoriuskop section of the park.
“The severity of his injuries resulted in him being placed on life support in the Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital in Johannesburg, where he is making a steady recovery. The medical team are pleased with his progress and are excited that he will soon begin physiotherapy. added spokesman Ike Phaahla.
READ | Ranger seriously injured in elephant attack in Kruger National Park
The minister said she was “delighted” to find Nkuna in good spirits and hopeful about his prospects for recovery.
“I [came to]remind him [that] is part of the conservationist family [and] wish him the best as he recovers from his injuries,” Creecy said.
He added that what happened to Nkuna was tragic and that the rangers are heroes.
“Mr. Nkuna is an extraordinarily brave man. He has had several surgeries since the accident, but he has told me he can’t wait to get back to patrolling the bush and doing the work he loves. Rangers are our heroes and they They face danger every time they go into the bush to carry out their duties,” added Creecy.
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