2nd Man Attacked by Hyena at Cape Vidal Left in Need of Facial Surgery, Survivor Speaks for 1st Time
- A man attacked by a hyena while camping at Cape Vidal finally shared his side of the story
- The camper, identified as Tim Govender, shared the ordeal he suffered in a hyena confrontation
- Tim Govender is the second person to be attacked by one of the hyenas at Cape Vidal
Tim Govender's routine camping trip turned into a dangerous outing because of an animal attack. The 48-year-old came face-to-face with a hyena while camping at Cape Vidal, just like another man in a clip posted on 02 September 2025.
Source: Getty Images
The businessman from Fourways, Johannesburg, detailed the injuries that he suffered after being mauled by a hyena. Tim Govender shared his candid account of the terrifying moment when he fought a hyena.
Tim Govender has gone public with the traumatic animal attack he experienced. While camping at Cape Vidal on 11 August 2025, at 3:30 am, a hyena attacked him inside his tent. On the last day, he woke up to something tugging at his face, mistaken that he was dreaming, until it grabbed his nose and he started fighting. Tim says the hyena grabbed his right arm, and he could only punch with his left. The hyena bit his nose and a piece of his right arm, and his screams woke up his uncle and cousin. Oddly enough, he said the hyena only attacked him as his screams made it come back for him. He hit the hyena in the snout, and it ran off.
Hyena disfigures Cape Vidal camper
Wildlife experts at the International Animal Welfare confirm that spotted hyenas can cause serious damage with the most powerful bite out of all carnivores. The spotted hyenas, indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa, are hunters, and their strong bites can take down wildebeests and zebras. After the hyena attack, Tim was left with a partially mutilated nose and was in the hospital for a week.
Source: Getty Images
A plastic surgeon told Tim that he would need a skin graft and that he had a long road ahead. Doctors used skin from his forehead to cover his nose, and he spent two weeks recovering in the hospital. Tim still needs to undergo surgery to rebuild his nose using cartilage from his ear or ribs. Fortunately, the injury to Tim's hand was not serious. Talking about the incident, Tim admitted that he's traumatised and that he will never forget the hyena attack. He urged others to be more careful when camping, especially where there is wildlife. He said that they were not told about the hyenas and were only warned about monkeys. Tim emphasised that for now, he is eager to focus on his recovery.
Other Briefly News about animal attacks
- A baboon went after a couple that left their car open, and it found its way inside.
- Online users were mortified after a man lost his life in an elephant attack while protecting his young relatives.
- A woman was running for her life as a leopard chased her in a city centre full of people.
Source: Briefly News
