Injured lion in Kgalagadi guest camp

[Flutterby]

Injured lion in Kgalagadi guest camp

Written by: Stefan Sander

During a visit to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, I spent a night in Urikaruus Wilderness Camp. Emerging from my room in the morning my wife said, “There is a strong smell here”. We looked around and found a lioness under the wooden stairs of the next hut. She looked at us and we looked at her.

We went back inside to wait for her to leave but she just laid there and did not move. We opened the front door of our kitchen and had a closer look. She still did not move, she just looked at us. We could see that she was injured. We contacted the camp ranger Eric who contacted the other field rangers. They managed to approach the lion quite close as she was very relaxed, before darting her in order to transport her to a safe place away from visitors. The whole matter was taken care of very calmly and professionally, so much so that we were even able to pack up our camp with this all going on around us.







See more pics at above link.

[Flutterby]

This was posted on FB today:

Dear Client
Thank you for your enquiries. It is always good to know that there are still some people out there who really care for our environment.

This specific lioness was part of a lion research project in the Park. When her satellite collar (that assisted the SANParks scientists to know where she was) had to be removed due to malfunctioning, it was discovered that she was in a poor state due to injuries from other predators. She was darted near Gemsbokplein, her collar was removed and her wounds were treated by a Vet, before she was released. Two days later the same lioness gave visitors a fright when they visited the Kamqua Picnic area and found her inside the ladies ablution. She however leaved the ablution on her own before she could be reached by Park staff. The next morning, 27 January 2014, she was found at Urikaruus.

We darted her and took her some 30 km. away to the Moravet waterhole, hoping that she would not bother guests again. We once more treated the wound on her chest before releasing her. On the 29th of January 2014, the lioness was back once more at the Kamqua Picnic site and was reported to us again. As this animal was looking worse every time we saw her again, due to the injuries caused by other predators and because she was becoming a threat to guests, the decision was taken by Senior SANParks staff to euthanize her. After she was euthanized, an autopsy was done on her. She was indeed in a poor state, and her worn teeth and abnormal colouring to some of her internal organs, worsened by the external injury confirmed that she would not be able to defend herself much longer. It is often predators in this state that look for easy prey and may even attack people. Old animals like this lioness, frequently experience aggression from their own pride members, suffer injuries and are forced to leave the safety of prides. When alone and injured they can then become targets of hyenas, further increasing injuries and stress. It is a harsh natural process which we prefer not to interfere with, except when humans are potentially in danger. In such cases we are required by law to respond to threats posed by wild animals to human safety.

Yours sincerely
Micho Ferreira
Section Ranger: Twee Rivieren
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

[Flutterby]

Her eyes are so sad!!

[Toko]

SANP officials always say, don't interfere, so why does an injured lioness get medical treatment sometimes and sometimes does not

[Flutterby]

Maybe because she kept going to areas where there were people.

[nan]

no, no, here it's easy (well almost) to go in the bungalows......
poor cat

she (is a she ?) was wearing a collar, in this case is the fault of human, they said once : if human interfere (put a collar) they must fix

[Richprins]

That lion was a mess, nana! No fixing that..and not an endangered species!

[Peter Connan]

Life is tough for the cats of the Kgalagadi.
During December, my father and I experienced the magic of the Kgalagadi for the first time.

However, one afternoon we came across a very sad sight. At a puddle of rainwater in the road near Melkvlei, we found this:


Shortly, two more lions apperared. Both showed some "battle damage".


A number of scavengers were already gathering, but they were kept at their distance by the other two lions.

The next morning, the female was lying under a tree just a few metres from where we had found her, but was still breathing, however an hour later she had passed away.


LAter in the day, the rangers removed the body, thus mixing in again. Not sure what their reasoning was, but on the other hand I am also not sure I disagree with the action taken (except that I might have preferred a facilitated ending rather sooner)...

[PRWIN]

Welcome Peter, glad to see another ODP guy here, thought I saw this one on the other side.

[nan]

oups