The 15-year-old was attacked in his tent by a hyena at Kruger National Park while visiting with family

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

A teenager is in a serious condition after he was attacked by a hyena in South Africa.

The 15-year-old boy was sleeping alone in a compartment of his family’s tent in Kruger national park on Sunday when the animal attacked him.

A spokesman for South African National Parks, William Mabasa, said: “The animal attacked him on his face. He screamed and his parents woke up. Fortunately a nurse was there, as well as one of our guides.”

According to Netwerk24, a local news website, the hyena locked its jaws on the boy’s face, breaking bones, before dragging him out of the tent.

After being treated at a local hospital, the boy was flown to Johannesburg for emergency plastic and reconstructive surgery. Local media described his condition as serious.

The hyena, which escaped, is thought to have entered the campsite through a hole in the fence.

Mabasa said the animal was probably looking for food. “People must be aware at all times that there are wild animals around them and they must make sure that their tents are properly closed,” he added.

Last July, a safari guide survived a leopard attack while viewing wildlife with tourists in Kruger Park.

A month earlier, a 22-year-old American tourist was mauled to death by a lion that leaped through an open car window open in a park outside Johannesburg.