He said he was assisted by his neighbours.
According to Ndlovu’s employer, Izak Nel, the animal reportedly would not let go until one of the men broke a chair over it, and even then, it did not retreat. Bleeding profusely from his head and shoulder, Ndlovu was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors initially stabilised him before he was transferred by helicopter to the emergency department at Netcare Pholoso Hospital in Polokwane.
That evening just before 7pm, maxillofacial surgeon Dr James Masipa, ophthalmologist Dr Isaac Lesenya and plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Puritan Madzhia then began the painstaking task of reconstructing the left side of Ndlovu’s face in a lengthy nine-hour emergency procedure that was completed shortly before dawn the following day.
Khosa said the incident was life-threatening.
"The medical team had to remove the last residue from the splintering and crushing force of the hyena’s bite in preparation for Dr Masipa to reconstruct the areas of the eye socket and complex facial structure,"
Madzhia said that antibiotics played a crucial role while they were operating on the victim.
“As with any bite, animal or human, the bacteria from the mouth cause a severe risk of infection, and we had to be deeply mindful of this during the surgery. This was a case where antibiotics were crucial for his survival and healing."
Ndlovu underwent extensive facial reconstruction, including a forehead flap to rebuild his upper and lower eyelid.
Ndlovu spent 22 days recovering at Netcare Pholoso Hospital.
Game farm worker returns after hyena attack
'I could feel its teeth in my eye as it dragged me'
Nearly six months after losing his eye during a vicious attack by a hyena at a Musina game farm in Limpopo, Frans Ndlovu is reflecting on the incident that has changed his life.
Ndlovu, a father of two, narrowly survived an encounter in the dark with a hyena in November last year at the farm where he was guarding wildlife against poachers.
This week, Ndlovu's recovery was highlighted by hospital group Netcare as one of its successes in plastic reconstruction and surgery.
Ndlovu underwent complex treatment on his face, which had muscles torn away, bone splintered from fracture due to the force of the hyena's bite, according to Dr Vusi Khosa, who was part of the team that treated him.
“It was very, very scary, but I am alive,” said Ndlovu. "I want to thank God that I managed to survive that because I didn’t think I would survive.
"I have accepted the situation, and now I am a free man. I even went to the place where the accident happened; even yesterday, I went there. I took food to security guards, and everything was okay.”
Ndlovu said the incident happened while he was relaxing. “I was sleeping soundly, and it was a huge shock to be attacked in the dark. The animal had my head in its jaws; it was so powerful, and I could feel its teeth in my eye as it dragged me from my room.”
He said he was assisted by his neighbours.
According to Ndlovu’s employer, Izak Nel, the animal reportedly would not let go until one of the men broke a chair over it, and even then, it did not retreat. Bleeding profusely from his head and shoulder, Ndlovu was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors initially stabilised him before he was transferred by helicopter to the emergency department at Netcare Pholoso Hospital in Polokwane.
That evening just before 7pm, maxillofacial surgeon Dr James Masipa, ophthalmologist Dr Isaac Lesenya and plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr Puritan Madzhia then began the painstaking task of reconstructing the left side of Ndlovu’s face in a lengthy nine-hour emergency procedure that was completed shortly before dawn the following day.
Khosa said the incident was life-threatening.
"The medical team had to remove the last residue from the splintering and crushing force of the hyena’s bite in preparation for Dr Masipa to reconstruct the areas of the eye socket and complex facial structure,"
Madzhia said that antibiotics played a crucial role while they were operating on the victim.
“As with any bite, animal or human, the bacteria from the mouth cause a severe risk of infection, and we had to be deeply mindful of this during the surgery. This was a case where antibiotics were crucial for his survival and healing."
Ndlovu underwent extensive facial reconstruction, including a forehead flap to rebuild his upper and lower eyelid.
Ndlovu spent 22 days recovering at Netcare Pholoso Hospital.