He was last seen roaming on the R37.
By Tom Head - 2018-05-30
Residents of Mbombela are being warned to stay vigilant after it was reported a lion had escaped from Kruger National Park.
The animal was last spotted on the R37 road, around 40km outside of Mbombela – the biggest city in the Mpumalanga province. News24 (via Netwerk24) report that the local traffic department had confirmed that the lion was on the loose.
Lions on the loose in Mbombela
Authorities are remaining tight-lipped on the situation until more information becomes available. As of Thursday morning, there has been no official confirmation of the incident from the South African National Parks organisation.
Locals are advised to avoid the lion at all costs if they see it. If you do spot him, you must contact the police with details of the lion’s location and which direction he’s heading in.
Residents of Mbombela are being warned to stay vigilant after it was reported a lion had escaped from Kruger National Park.
The animal was last spotted on the R37 road, around 40km outside of Mbombela – the biggest city in the Mpumalanga province. News24 (via Netwerk24) report that the local traffic department had confirmed that the lion was on the loose.
Lions on the loose in Mbombela
Authorities are remaining tight-lipped on the situation until more information becomes available. As of Thursday morning, there has been no official confirmation of the incident from the South African National Parks organisation.
Locals are advised to avoid the lion at all costs if they see it. If you do spot him, you must contact the police with details of the lion’s location and which direction he’s heading in.
When lions escape
Sadly, cases like this very rarely have a happy ending. Almost one year ago, three lions who escaped from Kruger National Park were shot dead as they roamed residential areas.
One of the lions was gunned down on a private farm. The other two were in the nearby area, yet the search team were unable to merely tranquilise the lions and had ‘no choice’ but to shoot the escapees dead.
The lion that was shot on the farm wasn’t killed instantly, but rather badly wounded. Rangers made the heartbreaking decision to end his suffering.
In November 2017, two lions were seen on the prowl in Tzaneen, Limpopo.
Eyewitnesses reported that the lions were seen in the pine plantations near Vula-Vula in the Georges Valley area after they escaped. The lions were apparently being transported from one enclosure to another, and at least one was recaptured safely.
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