The owner of the Krugersdorp Game Reserve who was killed by his own lions may have had an epileptic fit before the fatal attack, Beeld reported on Monday.
Dirk Brink (58) died at about 12.45pm on Friday.
Louis van der Walt, a relative, said on Sunday it could have been epilepsy, given Brink’s medical history.
Van der Walt was responding on behalf of the family after media speculation at the weekend about the events that preceded the attack by the lions.
The family said Brink would never have got out of his 4×4 vehicle, because he was very careful.
Van der Walt said: ”He didn’t walk around between the lions willy-nilly, and he would never have got out of the vehicle.
”In fact, if I, Derek [Van der Walt’s son] or Oom Japie, the caretaker, dared do anything like that, he would have chewed our heads off.
”That’s why we think that something else must have happened.”
Actor Hans Strydom, one of Brink’s close friends, said earlier that Brink would not have got out of his vehicle if he was alone.
Police spokesperson Eugene Opperman said an investigation by Krugersdorp detectives was under way.
”We will abide by their findings. It’s most unfair [on the family] if there’s speculation [in the media].”
The post mortem is expected to be concluded within days.
It was reported earlier that Brink had gone to the lion camp to take photos to test his new camera.
Van der Walt pointed out that there was no proof of this.
”His camera was found in a bag in his vehicle.”
Paramedics, police and game wardens struggled for nearly an hour to get the pride away from Brink after the big cats had dragged his body under dense trees.
Eventually shots were fired to get rid of the 11 lions. Brink had died by this stage.
It has been reported that 11 lions are to be removed from the park. – Sapa