14 DAY TRIAL // A 24-year-old student has been severely injured after a rhino attack, in South Africa. Chantal Beyer was on a safari at the time.
Beyer studied in Roodepoort, near Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. She was visiting the Natural Reserve in the vicinity of Aloe Ridge Hotel, in Muldersdrift, when the incident occurred, Afrikaans-language publication Beeld reports.
The young woman was accompanied by husband Sven Fouche. Fouche was not injured during the trip. He and his wife wanted to get a closer look at the rhinos, and were told by the resort owner, a wildlife tour guide, that nothing wrong could happen if they did so.
As they were posing for a picture, Chantal was gored by the wild animal. She has suffered wounds to her right shoulder, and the area under her right breast was pierced.
As a result, one of her lungs collapsed and she had several of her ribs broken. She was immediately transported to Krugersdorp Hospital, where she was treated in the Intensive Care Unit. Although her injuries were serious, the tourist is recovering, in stable condition, Daily Mail writes.
The couple were part of a group of travelers, who were enjoying the scenery in a part of the reserve near the Muldersdrift area, when they stopped to observe the rhinos.
According to Beyer's uncle, Thom Peeters, speaking for the family, the members of the group were encouraged to stand close to the rhinos for photo ops. They were told it was safe to get out of their vehicles, and the animals were lured closer with food.
The family blames Alex Richter, a wildlife expert and their guide on the safari, for the horrific incident. The owner of the Aloe Ridge Hotel even took the couple's photo himself.
“There were quite a few young people on the vehicle and they probably felt they could trust Richter, who was an adult,” Peeters notes.