Visitors to the Kruger National Park were fortunate to escape injury when two zebras ran into their vehicle. While the vehicle sustained considerable damage, the fate of the zebras is unknown.
Cherry Armstrong, who supports women empowerment in rural communities in South Africa, through her organization Celebrate Life, sent her account and photos of the damage to Latest Sightings. The incident occurred on the H4-2, about 7km from Lower Sabie.
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Straight road
Cherry said she was driving on a “straight piece of road… at around 30 km/h” prior to the accident. On her left, she said, were many zebras.
As she watched the zebras, she heard and felt an “almighty crash” on the right side of the vehicle. Cherry said she didn’t see the impact, “They came so fast out of the grass onto the tar, we only saw them on impact.”
First point of impact
Armstrong suspects that the first zebra collided with the front righthand side of the SUV. As seen below, this caused significant damage to the front bumper and fender.
Momentum
She thinks that after the initial impact, the zebra’s momentum caused it to spin before crashing into the doors on the right-hand side of the vehicle.
Cherry thinks the zebra then fled into the grass but suspects it must have sustained serious injuries.
Second zebra
Again emphasising that she can’t confirm as much, she added, “I think the second one may have hit the back corner of my car.”
Help arrives
Cherry said an unknown safari guide, “Heard the impact and as he rounded the corner.”
“He blocked the… road with his vehicle to protect me as I was in the road picking up the metal!”
The guide believes the zebras bolted when a lion chased them.
“I have no idea who the guide was who helped me but a big thank you to him.”
Damage estimate
They transported the damaged vehicle to a vehicle dealership in Malelane. Armstrong said that the damage would cost an estimated R190,000 to repair.
Adding salt to the wounds, she said, is the fact that the vehicle was nearly brand new and only had 3,000 km on the clock.
Grateful
Nevertheless, Armstrong remains pragmatic. “It could’ve been so much worse. A couple of seconds difference could have seen the zebra….through the windscreen- we were very lucky.”
“My advice to all visitors is to always respect the speed limit as you never know what’s out there!`
Avoiding accidents
Drivers must adhere to normal road laws when traveling in the Kruger Park. Perhaps the most important of these is to stay within the speed limit.
The applicable rules are printed on the documentation received on arrival at the park.
Most frequently, people speed when rushing to reach a gate before closing time. As such, always allow adequate time to reach your destination.
Be mindful that animals have the right of way at all times
After an accident, the most important thing is to remain safe. If possible, stay in your vehicle until help arrives — bearing in mind dangerous animals may be nearby.
All traffic accidents, whether with wildlife or other drivers, must be reported within 24 hours to the Skukuza Traffic Department.
The emergency call centre number is 013 735 4325.