A cyclist found dead next to his bike on a game reserve in South Africa is believed to have been trampled to death by a giraffe, say local police.
Braam Boose’s body was found on Sunday in an area with a large population of giraffes by a group of walkers who were also staying at the Thaba Monate Lodge near Bela Bela in the Limpopo province.
The 45-year-old, who had gone out on his own for a bike ride on Sunday afternoon, had been on holiday on the game reserve with his family, reports The Daily Telegraph.
Colonel Ronel Otto of the South African Police Service, said: "It is suspected that he was killed by a giraffe. They look at the specific injuries that he had, it looks like he was basically trampled."
While giraffes, which are herbivores, are not generally aggressive towards people, they can be if they feel threatened.
Nevertheless, incidents of humans being killed by the creatures are rare.
A dog walker was killed, also in Limpopo province, in 2010, while an American tourist is thought to have been killed by one at a country club close to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in 2002.
There is at least one recorded instance caught on film of a giraffe behaving aggressively towards cyclists, shown in this YouTube video taken at Groenkloof Nature Reserve in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2013.
Help us to fund our site
We’ve noticed you’re using an ad blocker. If you like road.cc, but you don’t like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. As a subscriber you can read road.cc ad-free, from as little as £1.99.
If you don’t want to subscribe, please turn your ad blocker off. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
The Good:...
Move to Scotland and become a teacher. We get July off. Usually I go to France.
And a possible 100% career boost for Sammy Hagar . . . .
So, does Simmons get 4 points now for being second in the KOM/Polka race?
Nope, distinct license types and competence. Balance Bikes, Penny Farthings and Time Trials are all cycles, so no distinction there...
If you're on a bike there is quite an advantage to zooming down one side as its a very shallow arc and gives you quite boost up the other side of...
I never follow the instructions to the book. I always use less than recommended.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YQRVtXT7xxU&t=566s
I have had this happen to me five times. On the fifth occasion I was brought off when I was hit by the wing (Pedant's Door) mirror....
I've done a few Dutch bikes in my time and it is indeed a nightmare to remove - needs taking off the cover, undoing the gears, unstrapping the hub...