{"id":267011,"date":"2025-09-19T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T14:46:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T12:46:22","slug":"court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/","title":{"rendered":"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The parents of a two-year-old boy mauled to death by a leopard at the Malelane Camp in the Kruger National Park (KNP) in 2019 have been granted permission to proceed with their damages claim against the park, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/iol.co.za\/news\/crime-and-courts\/2025-09-18-parents-win-court-battle-to-claim-damages-after-child-killed-by-leopard-in-kruger-national-park\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IOL<\/a><\/em> reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Isaiah Ntimane, the child\u2019s father who is a KNP employee, lived in staff quarters where his wife Cebile Thobela and child, Courtney, were visiting when the attack happened. The park argued that the case fell under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) and that the father could not sue, as it amounted to an occupational injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Acting Judge Zodwa Gumede at the Mpumalanga High Court, sitting in Mbombela, dismissed this defence, ruling that the tragedy could not be regarded as a foreseeable workplace risk and that both parents were entitled to pursue their claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The family is seeking damages for funeral costs and psychological trauma following the death of their child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The parents of a boy mauled to death by a leopard in the Kruger National Park in 2019 have been granted permission to proceed with their damages claim.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":267013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"56","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"60","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"1","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[8907,7904,8908,91],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-267011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-kruger-national-park","tag-local-stories","tag-mpumalanga-high-court","tag-top"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler | Worcester Standard &amp; Breederivier Gazette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The parents of a boy mauled to death by a leopard in the Kruger National Park in 2019 have been granted permission to proceed with their damages claim.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The parents of a boy mauled to death by a leopard in the Kruger National Park in 2019 have been granted permission to proceed with their damages claim.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Worcester Standard &amp; Breederivier Gazette\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/WorcesterStandard1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-19T12:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-19T12:46:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/worcesterstandard.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Leopard_87971.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Novus Media\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Novus Media\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Novus Media\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9bfb39d8d4f9e2b71d666a4b4a5e6d0d\"},\"headline\":\"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-19T12:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-19T12:46:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":165,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/Leopard_87971.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Kruger National Park\",\"Local Stories\",\"Mpumalanga High Court\",\"Top\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/\",\"name\":\"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler | Worcester Standard &amp; Breederivier Gazette\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/Leopard_87971.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-19T12:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-19T12:46:22+00:00\",\"description\":\"The parents of a boy mauled to death by a leopard in the Kruger National Park in 2019 have been granted permission to proceed with their damages claim.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/Leopard_87971.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/Leopard_87971.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"Photo for illustration purposes\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/\",\"name\":\"Worcester Standard & Breederivier Gazette\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Worcester Standard & Breederivier Gazette\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/standard-breederivier-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/standard-breederivier-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Worcester Standard & Breederivier Gazette\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/WorcesterStandard1\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@worcesterstandard1251\"],\"description\":\"The Worcester Standard & Breederivier Gazette has been the voice of the Breede Valley and Langeberg communities for decades, building a legacy of trust, relevance, and community connection. Established with the goal of keeping our communities informed and engaged, we\u2019ve grown into one of the most respected and reliable local news sources in the region. From council updates and school news to cultural events and community-driven initiatives, we cover the stories that shape the everyday lives of our readers. Our mission is simple: to bring our communities the latest news, impactful stories, and insightful opinions that matter most \u2014 keeping them connected, empowered, and informed.\",\"email\":\"worcesterstandard@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"023 3470968\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9bfb39d8d4f9e2b71d666a4b4a5e6d0d\",\"name\":\"Novus Media\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Novus Media\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/worcesterstandard\\\/author\\\/novusmedia\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler | Worcester Standard &amp; Breederivier Gazette","description":"The parents of a boy mauled to death by a leopard in the Kruger National Park in 2019 have been granted permission to proceed with their damages claim.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler","og_description":"The parents of a boy mauled to death by a leopard in the Kruger National Park in 2019 have been granted permission to proceed with their damages claim.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/","og_site_name":"Worcester Standard &amp; Breederivier Gazette","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/WorcesterStandard1","article_published_time":"2025-09-19T12:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-19T12:46:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":900,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/worcesterstandard.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Leopard_87971.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Novus Media","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Novus Media","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/"},"author":{"name":"Novus Media","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#\/schema\/person\/9bfb39d8d4f9e2b71d666a4b4a5e6d0d"},"headline":"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler","datePublished":"2025-09-19T12:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-19T12:46:22+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/"},"wordCount":165,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Leopard_87971.jpg","keywords":["Kruger National Park","Local Stories","Mpumalanga High Court","Top"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/","name":"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler | Worcester Standard &amp; Breederivier Gazette","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Leopard_87971.jpg","datePublished":"2025-09-19T12:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-19T12:46:22+00:00","description":"The parents of a boy mauled to death by a leopard in the Kruger National Park in 2019 have been granted permission to proceed with their damages claim.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Leopard_87971.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Leopard_87971.jpg","width":1200,"height":900,"caption":"Photo for illustration purposes"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/court-clears-parents-to-sue-kruger-national-park-after-leopard-kills-toddler\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Court clears parents to sue Kruger National Park after leopard kills toddler"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/","name":"Worcester Standard & Breederivier Gazette","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#organization","name":"Worcester Standard & Breederivier Gazette","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/standard-breederivier-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/standard-breederivier-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Worcester Standard & Breederivier Gazette"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/WorcesterStandard1","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@worcesterstandard1251"],"description":"The Worcester Standard & Breederivier Gazette has been the voice of the Breede Valley and Langeberg communities for decades, building a legacy of trust, relevance, and community connection. Established with the goal of keeping our communities informed and engaged, we\u2019ve grown into one of the most respected and reliable local news sources in the region. From council updates and school news to cultural events and community-driven initiatives, we cover the stories that shape the everyday lives of our readers. Our mission is simple: to bring our communities the latest news, impactful stories, and insightful opinions that matter most \u2014 keeping them connected, empowered, and informed.","email":"worcesterstandard@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"023 3470968","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/#\/schema\/person\/9bfb39d8d4f9e2b71d666a4b4a5e6d0d","name":"Novus Media","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/301565e6eb478c51ef897a38a789d0f3da6ec2a9ceb0d64f47de374b41e63698?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Novus Media"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/author\/novusmedia\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Leopard_87971.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":61644,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/mass-vulture-rescue-in-kruger-84-saved-from-poisoning\/","url_meta":{"origin":267011,"position":0},"title":"Mass vulture rescue in Kruger National Park: 84 saved from poisoning","author":"Noordkaap Bulletin","date":"8 May 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Eighty-four vultures were rescued after a mass poisoning event in Kruger National Park, during which 123 vultures, all endangered species, died.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"One of the pilots with a rescued vulture","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Bradford-Grafton-SANParks-pilot-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Bradford-Grafton-SANParks-pilot-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Bradford-Grafton-SANParks-pilot-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":61389,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/helicopter-deployment-enhances-safety-at-table-mountain-national-park-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":267011,"position":1},"title":"Helicopter deployment enhances safety at Table Mountain National Park","author":"Noordkaap Bulletin","date":"25 April 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"SANParks has deployed a helicopter at Table Mountain National Park, aiding in response to threats. A recent success included catching a suspect with a knife.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Table Mountain","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/brigitte-pegado-vYOhb347d9w-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/brigitte-pegado-vYOhb347d9w-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/brigitte-pegado-vYOhb347d9w-unsplash.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/brigitte-pegado-vYOhb347d9w-unsplash.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/brigitte-pegado-vYOhb347d9w-unsplash.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/brigitte-pegado-vYOhb347d9w-unsplash.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":294866,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/father-and-son-die-in-motorbike-crash-on-n1-near-cape-town\/","url_meta":{"origin":267011,"position":2},"title":"Father and son die in motorbike crash on N1 near Cape Town","author":"Novus Media","date":"7 January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Father and son Leon and Kyle Olivier died in a motorbike crash on the N1 near Cape Town. Kyle was a talented rugby player at HTS Drostdy.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kyle Olivier, a Grade 11 learner at Ho\u00ebr Tegniese Skool Drostdy in Worcester, died alongside his father Leon in a motorbike crash on the N1 on Monday night.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Kyle-Olivier.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Kyle-Olivier.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Kyle-Olivier.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Kyle-Olivier.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Kyle-Olivier.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51209,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/phd-studie-help-blindes-en-siggestremdes-om-diagramme-te-lees-20230213-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":267011,"position":3},"title":"PhD-studie help blindes en siggestremdes om diagramme te lees","author":"Worcester Standard &amp; Breederivier Gazette","date":"20 February 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Blinde of siggestremde mense kry toegang tot dokumente deur \u2019n skermleser te gebruik wat teks hardop lees of op \u2019n spesiale hardeware-braille-toestel laat verskyn.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c04d4fa43e6f4aafa5c612cfaa98bd6c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c04d4fa43e6f4aafa5c612cfaa98bd6c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c04d4fa43e6f4aafa5c612cfaa98bd6c.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/c04d4fa43e6f4aafa5c612cfaa98bd6c.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":295740,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/suspects-tampering-with-cars-at-table-mountain-national-park-arrested\/","url_meta":{"origin":267011,"position":4},"title":"Suspects tampering with cars at Table Mountain National Park arrested","author":"Ronel van Jaarsveld","date":"8 March 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A car-jammer was found in their vehicle after the two intercepted at the Olifantsbos parking area by SANParks rangers.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CapePoint1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CapePoint1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CapePoint1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CapePoint1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CapePoint1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CapePoint1.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60718,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/tourist-from-cape-town-missing-in-northern-cape-national-park-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":267011,"position":5},"title":"Tourist from Cape Town missing in Northern Cape national park","author":"Helena Barnard","date":"15 April 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A 66-year-old male tourist from Cape Town is missing in Augrabies Falls National Park after failing to return from a hike. Search efforts are ongoing.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Augrabies Falls in the Northern Cape.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/490369874_1282471607024183_5853524887612619877_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/490369874_1282471607024183_5853524887612619877_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/490369874_1282471607024183_5853524887612619877_n.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/490369874_1282471607024183_5853524887612619877_n.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"NovaNews","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/267013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267011"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=267011"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/worcesterstandard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=267011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}