27-year-old mauled by two ferocious hyenas after being dragged out of tent while sleeping off booze

• Nicolas Hohls fought off two hyenas by shoving his hand down one’s throat and thumb into another’s eye.
• Attack unfolded at Cape Vidal Nature Reserve after a bachelor party left tent partially unzipped.
• Second incident at the site in three weeks, amid only three recorded attacks in 15 years.

Hyena attacks claim fewer than six human lives each year globally, yet their bone-crushing jaws exert a force of 1,100 pounds per square inch—enough to pulverize elephant femurs.

Nicolas Hohls, a 27-year-old farmer from Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal province, had joined friends for a bachelor celebration at Cape Vidal Nature Reserve, a coastal haven within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park known for its pristine beaches and diverse wildlife.

The group set up camp amid dunes and indigenous forests, where spotted hyenas roam freely as part of the ecosystem.

After an evening of festivities involving alcohol, Hohls retired to his tent around midnight on August 30, zipping the door but leaving a narrow six-inch gap for ventilation—a decision that would soon prove perilous.

In the dead of night, two spotted hyenas, drawn perhaps by the scent of food scraps or human presence, exploited the opening.

One predator forced its head through the gap, widening the zipper enough to enter, and clamped its jaws around Hohls’ left ankle, yanking him toward the darkness.

The second hyena targeted his head, sinking teeth into his scalp and face as the animals attempted to drag him out like prey.

Awakened abruptly from deep sleep, Hohls described the transition to mortal combat as occurring in a fraction of a second.

Instinct kicked in amid the chaos. The young farmer, leveraging his physical strength from years of agricultural work, thrust his left hand deep into the throat of the hyena gripping his leg, forcing it to release in surprise.

With his right hand, he jammed his thumb into the eye of the second assailant, all while kicking furiously and screaming at the top of his lungs.

The hyenas, momentarily stunned by the resistance, shook him violently before relenting.

Spotted hyenas, weighing up to 190 pounds and measuring nearly six feet in length, are equipped with one of nature’s most formidable weapons: premolars designed for shearing flesh and molars that can crack open giraffe bones.

The commotion pierced the night, rousing Hohls’ father, Colin, 55, who was camping nearby.

Grabbing a flashlight, he sprinted to the scene, arriving just as the hyenas vanished into the shadows, likely deterred by the approaching light and noise.

What he encountered was nightmarish: his son sprawled in a thick pool of blood, face and limbs torn, barely recognizable amid the gore.

The attack lasted under a minute, but its toll was immediate and severe.

With no emergency services available in the remote reserve, Colin loaded his injured son into a station wagon and navigated two hours of dark, winding roads to the nearest hospital in St. Lucia.

They arrived around 3 a.m., where a waiting medical team rushed Hohls into surgery for wound cleaning and stabilization.

Doctors highlighted the risk of infection from hyena saliva, which harbors bacteria capable of causing rapid tissue necrosis.

By midday, plastic surgeons repaired the damage, applying approximately 30 stitches to his facial lacerations and 40 more to his hand and legs—a total nearing 70 sutures.

Hohls’ wife hurried to his bedside, offering comfort as he began recovery under close observation.

Physicians expect him to return home by the weekend, though scars and potential long-term effects from nerve damage remain concerns.

Colin later reflected on his son’s fortune, noting that hyenas rarely back down once engaged, especially in pairs where one distracts while the other strikes.

This assault marks the second at Cape Vidal in mere weeks.

Just last month, a Johannesburg businessman lost the tip of his nose when a hyena bit through his tent’s mesh window.

Authorities discovered a hyena den nearby, raising alarms about increasing human-wildlife overlap in the 1,200-square-kilometer park, home to over 500 bird species and big game like elephants and rhinos.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the managing body, has launched efforts to trap the involved hyenas for relocation or further assessment.

Spokespersons stress that such events are anomalies, with only three documented hyena-human conflicts in the reserve over the past 15 years.

Yet the rarity belies the danger. Spotted hyenas, Africa’s most common large carnivore, number around 27,000 in the wild and thrive in clans of up to 80 members.

They sprint at speeds reaching 40 miles per hour, covering miles in pursuit of prey, and their opportunistic scavenging draws them to campsites littered with refuse.

In regions like Ethiopia and Tanzania, historical accounts detail packs targeting vulnerable individuals, such as sleeping children, though modern data shows underreporting skews perceptions.

To illustrate the formidable nature of these animals, consider the following key physical attributes:

These figures underscore why encounters can turn deadly, as hyenas’ endurance and jaw power allow them to dismantle tougher quarry than many predators.

In India, where striped hyenas occasionally clash with rural communities, maxillofacial injuries dominate reports, often requiring reconstructive surgery due to the ripping motion of their bites.

Park officials now urge stricter protocols: fully seal tents, store food in vehicles, and avoid camping near known dens.

But as tourism booms in South Africa’s protected areas, drawing 1.5 million visitors annually to iSimangaliso alone, questions linger about balancing conservation with safety.

Former rangers warn that habituated hyenas, emboldened by easy meals, may pose escalating risks.

How to Survive a Hyena Attack

Hohls’ ordeal, captured in graphic hospital photos showing gashes across his cheek and thigh, serves as a stark reminder of wildlife’s unpredictability.

What drove these particular hyenas to breach the tent so boldly? Were they part of a larger clan scouting the area, or isolated opportunists?

As investigators track the animals and analyze their behavior, the answers could reshape protocols at Cape Vidal—and reveal just how thin the line is between adventure and peril in Africa’s untamed frontiers.