By Staff Reporter
HWANGE:A 40 year old professional tour guide was fatally mauled by a lion at Zimbabwe’s Camp Hwange, the same preserve where Cecil the lion lived before being killed illegally by an American dentist Walter Palmer.
The announcement came on Camp Hwange’s Facebook page:
It is with deep regret and great sadness that we are able to confirm the death of Quinn Swales, a Camp Hwange Professional Guide, who was fatally mauled by a male lion whilst out on a walking safari this morning.
Quinn, a fully qualified and experienced Zimbabwe Professional Guide, was leading a group of Camp Hwange guests on a photographic walking safari. He was tracking lions early this morning, when a Male Lion unexpectedly charged. We can confirm that Quinn did everything he could to successfully protect his guests and ensure their safety, and that no guests were injured in the incident. Unfortunately, Quinn passed away this morning as result of the injuries sustained at the scene.
We would like to express our deepest sympathies to all of Quinn’s family.
According to News24 in South Africa, the last photo Swales posted on his Facebook page was of Cecil the lion.
According to the state paper The Herald ,Quinn Terrence Swales, who was employed by Zambezi Heritage, was attacked by a lioness named Nxaha, which is being used by Oxford University for research purposes.
Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the incident.
“The incident occurred at around 0645 hours when Quinn Terrence Swales, who was leading six tourists, was attacked and killed by a lion called Nxaha,” she said.
She said during the tour, the tourists spotted six lions under a tree and they went nearby.
In the process, two cubs came near the tourists in a friendly manner but this was taken differently by their mother, Nxaha who attempted to attack them.
Swales shouted its name and it retreated.
“Later on, the lioness came back and it attacked and struck Swales on the neck. He screamed and fell down and the lioness went away,” Snr Asst Comm Charamba said.He sustained deep cuts on the neck and chest and a helicopter was summoned to ferry him to hospital but he died on the way.
The incident also follows after another cat better known as Cecil the lion , which was being used for research purposes by Oxford University was killed by an American dentist in Hwange reportedly on 1 July.
Last week, prosecutors accused Zimbabwean farmer Honest Ndlovu of allowing the American dentist, Walter Palmer, to hunt Cecil the lion on his land without the required permission.
It is not clear whether Mr Swales was attacked by a male or female lion given the conflicting reports from the Camp and Police.
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