A horse was rescued on Thursday afternoon after it was spotted running in a panicked frenzy along the M5 inbound in Cape Town with trailing training equipment behind him.
In the midst of rush hour traffic, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA exerted all its efforts in rescuing the terrified horse and also keep the road safe for motorists.
The chief inspector and the other five inspectors raced to the rescue.
Fortunately, the gelding, who had an injury to the leg, had come to a stop when we arrived and was being calmed by a compassionate bystander," said the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in a statement.
After capturing the horse, first aid was administered by a team qualified in animal welfare assistance before loading the house into the horse box and transferring it to the SPCA's horse care unit.
According to the SPCA, preliminary investigations suggest that the horse was in the process of being trained in the Parkwood area before breaking loose.
The SPCA said it was still investigating.
"We extend our heartfelt thanks to the members of the public who stopped to help, Cape Town Traffic Services, who closed the road enabling us to work safely, and all the motorists on the M5 for their patience and consideration for a horse in trouble," SPCA added.
In a separate incident, a man was mauled to death by a lion at the Dinokeng Game Reserve this week.
Johannes Matshe, 30, who was an employee of one of the land owners at the reserve, was killed on Sunday night, and his remains were discovered on Monday morning, the reserve said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The individual was tragically attacked and killed by lions while attempting to navigate the reserve on foot after dark," said Hartogh Streicher, reserve spokesperson.
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