'My head was inside the hyena's mouth': KZN camper attacked by two hyenas survives to tell the tale

CapeTalk's John Maytham speaks to Nicholas Hohls about his ordeal.

A young farmer managed to drive off two hyenas that attacked him inside his tent at the Cape Vidal campsite in KwaZulu-Natal over the weekend.

Fired by adrenalin and acting on instinct, Nicolas Hohls scared off the animals by gouging at the eyes of one of them and shoving his hand down the throat of the other.

The 27-year-old was camping with a group of friends and his father at the campsite in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Hohls tells John Maytham about his ordeal.

After enjoying some laughs around a potjie, he said goodnight and went to his tent just after midnight.

Hohls says he's been camping at Cape Vidal since his childhood, and usually leaves a tiny flap open at the top of his tent.

This time however, disaster followed.

What they think happened, Hohls says, is that a big female hyena managed to squeeze her nose through the little gap and force his tent open.

"This allowed her and a smaller hyena to get access to me. The bigger one then latched onto my ankle - I was in so much pain, and as I tried to sit up the smaller one bit me in the face. I saw the silhouette of the one at my ankle for maybe a split second and then I couldn't see anything because my head was inside the other one's mouth."

Nicolas Hohls

"With a surge of adrenalin I think, I was able to get my head free and turn on to my side... then the top one bit me on my quad, and because I could now see a bit better I managed to shove my hands into its eyes and the sensitive areas of its face, and it let me go."

Nicolas Hohls

When this happened, the other hyena also let go of his ankle and, as it hesitated, Hohls hit out and ended with his hand going 'quite far down' the animal's throat.

"That was actually quite lucky - I don't think I could replicate the situation, but I managed to get away with it, I guess... Hyenas are such opportunists, and when they figured out I wasn't going to be an easy meal they decided to leave me alone."

Nicolas Hohls

Hohls says all of this took place in probably the space of a minute.

The bites to his face and head have been stitched up, but doctors have decided to leave the deep wounds to his leg and ankle open while infection is still a danger.

This attack is apparently the second at the Cape Vidal campsite in less than a month, and the third this year.

CapeTalk did approach Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, but they declined to comment on air.

Hohls says he doesn't understand the thought process behind introducing hyenas at the camp about eight years ago.

"We've watched over the years how they've become less and less afraid of us humans. We all know they're scavengers and the first place they're going to go is where the humans and all the leftover food is."

Nicolas Hohls

Nonetheless, Hohls and his friends will be returning in a few months time for a fishing competition, but not sleeping on the ground this time.

Scroll up to the audio player to hear more from Nicolas Hohls