Krugersdorp | Monday
A ROBBER was mauled to death by tigers when he scaled a fence at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve at Kromdraai, near Krugersdorp on the West Rand, while escaping the scene of his crime, police said on Sunday. The man and two others had allegedly held up a cashier at the kiosk at the reserve’s entrance around 5.30pm on Saturday, Superintendent Melica Bezuidenhout said. Posing as tourists, the three men drop up in a blue Ford Sierra. The driver stayed in the car while two of them allegedly demanded money at gunpoint. Bezuidenhout said once they realised the kiosk had no money, they took the cashier’s wallet, cellphone and two-way radio. A co-worker of the cashier realised something was amiss and pursued the two men. They ran off in different directions — one towards the car, and the other into the reserve. The man running to the car was observed throwing away a pistol. He and the driver were later arrested and a pistol, licensed to the driver, was confiscated. Early on Sunday morning police returned to the reserve to search for a another fire arm. They were summoned to the tiger’s enclosure where the body of the other man was found. He had a fractured skull and a broken neck, which suggested the tigers had mauled him. They were tranquillised so that the police could recover the body. The cashier’s wallet and cellphone were found in his clothing and returned to the rightful owner. The surviving men will appear in court soon. – Sapa