A former first-class cricketer cheated death again after being attacked by a tiger, years after he woke up to find an eight-foot crocodile hiding under his bed. Zimbabwe is round
Jay Whittall, 51, needed emergency surgery after being severely attacked by the big cat while with his trusty dog Chikara, who was also bitten because he was too tired to rescue him.
Jay – who is best remembered for his 1997 unbeaten double century of 203 not out against New Zealand – was attacked during his trip through the reserve he runs in Homani, Zimbabwe.
He runs the safari business – based at the junction of the Torgouy and Sword rivers in the south-east of the country – with his father, where he woke up one morning to find a crocodile sleeping under his bed.
Gaye’s wife posted dramatic photos of the recent attack on social media, showing Gaye receiving treatment in the bush by paramedics with bandages on his head, before he was airlifted to Milton Park Hospital in the capital, Harare.
Hannah Stokes-Whitall added that he “lost a lot of blood” but was saved by a “dedicated K9 Chikara” who was “attacked by the leopard who got hold of Jay’s cat.”
A later photo showed Jay in the hospital with a thumbs up and his head and hands still bandaged, and Hannah wrote that he had “walked out of the operating room” with his wounds “clean and re-stitched.”
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Hannah said: “He’s a really lucky guy, first he had the crocodile and now the tiger, he really is the cat with nine lives.”
“He was very lucky that Chikara was there to help him and keep the tiger away from him, otherwise who knows how it could have ended.”
“We are very grateful to him, and Chikara will get some extra chicken as a reward.” He has to see the vet because he has some scratches but he should be fine, he is in better condition than Jay.
“Luckily Jay is in bed talking, he’s telling anyone who will listen how he wrestled with the tiger but we all know it was because of Chikara.”
This isn’t the first time Jay has come into contact with a wild animal. In 2013, he made headlines after photos emerged of a 300-pound alligator sleeping under his bed, while he was still in it.
The eight-foot-tall animal had crept into his inn and spent the entire night lying quietly, only scrapes beneath an oblivious man.
The monster, a Nile crocodile, managed to stay hidden for more than eight hours throughout the night.
The next morning, Jay sat on the edge of his bed, his feet dangling over the edge, just inches from the alligator’s face, as he organized his day.
But he remained oblivious to his uninvited guest and was only alerted when he was enjoying some breakfast in the kitchen and heard the petrified screams of the housemaid.
“The really disturbing thing about the whole incident was the fact that I was sitting on the edge of the bed that morning, barefoot and just inches away from the crocodile,” he said at the time.
“Crocodiles are experts at hiding, which is why they have survived on land for so long, and why they are the ultimate killer in the water.
“They know how to remain quiet and go unnoticed, it’s in their nature.
He added: “The crocodile came from the Turgoi River, which is a few kilometers from the house.
“They often wander around in the bushes especially when it’s cold and rainy. I think he liked it under the bed because it was warm.
He had to call in some of his co-workers who helped extract the crocodile from its new hiding place and return it to a nearby dam.
“Of course he resisted being tied up and taken out from under the bed, which is normal,” Jay said.
“Catching and securing a crocodile of any size on land is fairly easy and we are experienced at it.
“The only real danger is getting bitten because it can’t drown you.”
“The most important thing is to tie his nose and secure him, and then it’s just a matter of restraining him and covering his eyes to calm him down.
“Obviously, larger crocodiles require more human power.” When they are tied with ropes they move frantically and are very strong. “I just remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, this is a book for books.’
– daily Mail
