An elderly Vryheid woman who was savaged by a hyena on Thursday has undergone plastic surgery at Johannesburg’s Milpark Hospital.
Alie Nel (83) was in a ”very stable condition” in the hospital’s trauma intensive-care unit on Saturday, said its marketing manager, Amelda Swartz.
The hyena slipped through the front door of Nel’s family farm in Sabie Sands, Mpumalanga, on Thursday night and attacked her as she lay sleeping, reported Beeld newspaper.
The animal ripped open her forehead, from above her left eye to her left ear, leaving a deep wound on her forehead. Its bottom teeth pierced the right side of her face. It fled when Nel’s family and guest rallied to her aid.
She was initially taken to the Nelspruit Medi-Clinic, but was later transferred to the Milpark Hospital.
She had already been to theatre for surgery to repair the lacerations to her face, said Swartz. However, she would probably still need more plastic surgery, she added.
Swartz could not tell how long it would take Nel to recover. ”She’s not a young lady any more,” she said.
The elderly woman was doing well emotionally, with the support of her family. — Sapa