Guy Whittal, the handsome and aggressive Zimbabwean middle-order batsman, nippy medium pace bowler and sharp fielder who played 46 Tests and 147 One-Day Internationals for his country between 1993 and 2003, has survived a leopard attack and is recuperating at Milton Parks Hospital in the capital Harare after undergoing emergency surgery, news reports said.
Whittal, who runs his family’s game safari in the southeast of Zimbabwe, was reported to have been tracking the leopard, which had been wounded by a client, when the animal attacked.
The incident, which took place earlier this week, was confirmed by his wife Hannah Stocks-Whittal, who shared some graphic photographs of the former cricketer being treated in the bush after sustaining cuts and bruises to his arms and legs and a 5-inch gash to his head, cricket website ESPNcricinfo.com reported.
A later photograph shows Whittal in a hospital bed, his head heavily bandaged, but smiling through the pain and giving a thumbs up to the photographer.
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Stocks-Whittal said the encounter could have been worse but for Whittal’s faithful companion, a dog named Chikara, who fought the leopard and helped the cricketer wrestle it off. The dog was also mauled and is currently under a veterinarian’s care, she said.
Former Zimbabwean star all-rounder Guy Whittal survives leopard attack.
In 2021, he had a shock of his life as he spent whole night just inches away from a giant 8-foot crocodile, hiding under his bed.
Wishing legend a quick recovery 🙏.
Image & news courtesy – @crimewatchzw pic.twitter.com/f3FgUR1oOQ
— Udit (@UditKhar) April 24, 2024
It was not clear what became of the leopard and whether the animal is still alive.
About 11 years ago, Whittal had another close encounter with wildlife when an 8-foot-long crocodile was discovered under the bed he had been sleeping in at the game reserve. The crocodile had made its way into Whittal’s bedroom and found shelter under his bed.
Whittal had said at the time that he had dangled his legs over his bed when he woke up and left the room in the morning. He was only alerted to the presence of the reptile later that morning by the terrified screams of the housemaid
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