Deon was on the leopard hunt where Bill and Warwick Evan’s got mauled and Bill was shot by his unexperienced hunting companion. May all rest in peace.
Can you post this story please.
(32) Leopard Mauls Hunter/Client
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Web posted May 30, 2007
Leopard attacks Juneau man
Restaurant owner also accidentally shot when Zimbabwe hunt goes awry
By BRITTANY RETHERFORD
JUNEAU EMPIRE
A Juneau doctor helped save a friend from an attacking leopard but shot him in the calf during a hunt gone sour last week in Zimbabwe.
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Bill Adair, owner of Bullwinkle's Pizza Parlor, remained hospitalized Tuesday in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is recovering from a gunshot wound that damaged at least a tendon in his upper calf, said Emmett Marlow, manager of the restaurant.
Adair is expected to be flown to a Seattle hospital today for further treatment, Marlow said.
Adair and his friend, Dr. David Miller, had been hunting for leopard in Zimbabwe when one of the cats pounced on their guide.
"The leopard circled back on them and attacked the guide," Marlow said Adair told him over satellite phone. Adair then went to help the guide and the leopard turned on him.
"He started screaming at Dr. Miller to shoot it," Marlow said.
Miller aimed and hit the leopard, but the bullet from the high-powered rifle passed through the cat and struck Adair in the calf.
The guide, whose arm was injured, also tried to shoot the leopard, Marlow said. Eventually the cat was killed.
Miller, a surgeon, treated Adair's wound in the field before he was transported to a hospital. The incident occurred either May 21 or 22.
Marlow said he last spoke with Adair early Tuesday, mostly about business.
"He sounded pretty good. They sent some pictures up to our bookkeeper," he said. "I didn't know leopards got that big."
Leopards are known to be the most elusive of the big cats and, unlike species such as lions, are solitary creatures. They vary in size from 60 to 150 pounds, with males being larger.
This a version of the event that was reported back then but lacks some accuracy and details. I will try to fill in where I can.
This is how the story was relayed to me by those involved: It was a very windy day. There had been a large leopard feeding on one of the baits so they decided to let the hounds go and track down the big cat. The hounds treed the cat on a big koppie and the PH instructed the hunter, the Juneau Dr, to take the shot. After the shot the cat took off followed closely by the hounds. They asked the Dr if he hit the cat and the Dr replied “ I never saw it, I was just trying to make him move so I could see him”. The big male cat took off downwind followed by the hounds. After a brief chase Warwick and Dion came to a stop. Warwick told be he had a funny feeling and the hair on the back of his neck was standing up. He looked to the side of the trail and there not a few feet away was the leopard lying in the grass. Due to the strong winds the hounds had followed the scent and run right passed the cat.
Upon making eye contact the leopard immediately pounced on Warwick and grabbed him by his left arm. Warwick being a big, strong man was able to hold his feet and brought his .375 double barrel up with one hand and shot the cat point blank. Dion was also able to hit the leopard with his .416 Rigby. After being hit the cat let Warwick go and ran a little further then stopped. The Dr then took another shot with his .375 Remington and according to those that were involved, missed again. My friend Bill was standing between the leopard and the Dr and as soon as the Dr missed the big cat charged. Bill was an experienced hunter, having been to Africa many times, a bear hunting guide in Alaska and a USMC veteran. Bill was unarmed and was carrying a backpack filming the hunt. When the leopard charged Bill hit the ground face down and leopard pounced on his back , leaving deep claw wounds. Bill yelled at the Dr to “shoot the cat and get him off me”. The Dr panicked, shot straight down at the battle in front of him and shot his “ friend” in the calf blowing out a fist sized chunk of flesh.
After Bill being shot the leopard died on top of him. Bill told the Dr “ David you F***, you shot me. The leopard had died from the point blank shots from Warwick and Dion and according to what Bill and Warwick told me later, the good Dr had missed again only wounding Bill.
Bill and Warwick were taken to the hospital in Bulawayo where they shared a room. They were attended to by the local staff including the wife of Ellos, the other PH on the hunt. Bill was eventually returned to the United States where his long recovery from the shot and infection resulting from the deep claw wounds began.
This accounting was relayed to me by Bill over the next decades and by Warwick when I met him at SCI in 2009 and when I went to Zimbabwe in 2010 and did my leopard hunt with Warwick and Ellos. Bill accompanied me on that hunt but kept a weapon near by. May those who have passed Rest In Peace.
