Staff Reporter.
Cheetahs are large, spotted cats that live in various parts of Africa. (Image credit: Shutterstock).
A motorist was arrested on Friday night after running over a cheetah in the Kruger National Park (KNP).
In a media alert, issued on Saturday morning, the park urged visitors to be “extra vigilant and to observe the speed limit in the parks”.
Not much detail has been provided at this stage, due to Vlakteplaas rangers still attending to the scene of the accident, but the incident was said to have taken place near Punda Maria.
The KNP did confirm that a case had been opened with police.
The maximum speed allowed in the park on gravel roads is 40km/h, and 50km/h on tarred roads.
⚠️Media alert⚠️
South African National Parks today. 25 September 2021 continued to urge visitors to be extra vigilant and to observe the speed limit in the parks after a motorist was arrested in the Kruger National Park last night for having run over a cheetah.— Kruger National Park (@SANParksKNP) September 25, 2021
It is not yet known if the cheetah survived the crash, nor the circumstances leading to the accident.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has classified the cheetah in South Africa as vulnerable, with populations actively decreasing.